Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1912-04-26

cSpl LOT the DltteT cold Tor any one
who had to be out in the middle az
the Atlantic ocean in an open boat,
and If ever there was a time when
such night was needed, surely It
was now. with hundreds of people.
mostly women and children, ahoat
hundreds of miles from land
The eaptain-stoker told US that he
had been at sea twenty-six years and
had never yet seen such calm night
on the Atlantic. AS we rowed away
from the Titanic We looked back from
time TO time to watch her, and a more
striking spectacle it was not possible
for any one to see.
In the distance she looked an enor-
nous length. her great bulk outlined
in black against the starry sky, every
port-hole and saloon blazing with
light 1t was impossible to think any
thing could be wrong with such
leviathan were II not for that ominous
tilt downward in the bows, where the
water was by now up to the lowest
row of portfolios. Presently about 2
a. m, as near as I can remember. we
observed her settling very rapidly.
with the bows and the bridge com
pletely under water, and concluded
1t was now only question of minutes
before she went: and so 1t proved.
She slowly tilted straight on end.
with the stern vertically upward. and
as she did the lights in the cabins and
saloons, which had not fiickered for
a moment since we left died out.
came on again for single fash and
finally went out altogether. At the
same time the machinery roared
down through the vessel with rattle
and a grooming that could be heard
for miles. the weirdest sound surely
that could be heard In the middle of
the ocean. a thousand miles away
from land. But this was not yet quite
the end.
ITO our amazement she remained
in that upright position for time,
which / estimated as five minutes;
others in the boat say less, but II
certainly was some minutes, while we
watched at least $50 feet Of the Titan
ic towering above the level OF the
sea and looming back against the
sky.
Then with quiet slanting dive
she disappeared beneath the waters.
and our eyes had looked for the last
time on the gigantic vessel we had
set out on from Southampton last
Wednesday And there was left to us
the gentle heaving sea, the boat filed
to standing room with men and wom-
en- in every conceivable condition Of
dress and undress, above the perfect
sky of brilliant stars with not a cloud,
all tempered with a bitter cold that
made us all long to be one Of the crew
| who toiied away with the oars and
kept themselves warm thereby-a
curious, deadening bitter cold unlike
anything we had felt before.
CRIES ARE UNANSWERED.
"And then, with all these there
/ fell ON the ear the most appalling
noise that human being ever listened
j to-the cries of hundreds OF our fel.
low beings struggling In the icy cold
water, crying for help with a cry
! that we knew could not be answered.
! We longed to return and pick up some
of those swimming. but this would
have meant swapping our boat and
| further loss of the lives of all OF us.
I'VE tried to sing TO keep the WON.
en- from hearing the cries and rowed
hard to get away from the scene OF
| the wreck. but / think the memory OF
those sounds viii be one of the
things the rescued will find II diff
cult to efface from memory. We are
trying hard not to think of It,
I'VE kept a lookout for lights and
several times 1t was shouted that
steamers lights were seen, but they
turned out to be either a light from
another boat or a star low down on
the horizon. About a. M we saw
faint lights showing on the sky and
all Tejoiced to see what we expected
was the coming dawn, but after
watching for half an hour and seeing
no change in the intensity of the
light. realized it was the northern
lights
Presently low down on the horizon
we saw light, which slowly resolved
itself into double light. and we
watched eagerly to see II the two
lights would separate and so prove
to be only two of our boats or wheth
er they would remain together In
which case we should expect them to
be the masthead light and a deck
light below OF rescuing steamer.
CHEER SIGHT OF REscUER
ITO our joy they moved as one and
and round we swung the boat and
headed for her. The steersmap
shouted: Now. boys, sing, and for
the first time the boat broke into
song with Row for the Shore, Boys,
and for the first time tears came to
the eyes of us all as we realized that
safety was at hand The song was
sung, but 1t was very poor imita
ton OF the real thing. for quavering
voices make poor songs. A cheer was
given naxf md that vvoa ha44a- -,