, 1912-05-08

bN II NAAo' wv ONCA bHC run AiNC e4O
boat, and heard her husband request Of the
second officer that he be allowed to accom-
pany her for protection.
'No, sir" said the officer 'no man must
go on this boat"
Colonel Astor b%ravely held his peace and
gracefully accepted the painful situation, ask
ing only for the boats number in order that
he might find his wife later.
And now so palpable was the list to star
board that the second officer ordered all
passengers to the port side, but not before
one had called for all the women on that
side.
With Mr.. Smith I now made my way to
the starboard side of the bow, and to my
surprise found among other ladies there
Mrs. Brown and Miss Evans. why have
you not gone with your sisters ?" [ asked,
but before her explanation was forthcoming
i found that there was room for more women
in the last boat going down on the port side
of the bow. | rushed them back, and, seiz-
ing the two ladies by an arm, hurried them
to a point where [ was stopped by the crew
from proceeding farther, the ladies alone
being allowed to pass. Had been able to
accompany them, [ would have assisted in
lifting them over the rail. Little Miss Evans
had made up her mind that she had to die
because of the 6oothsaycr's warning, and
refused to leave the ship.
I went back to the starboard side again,
and here | saw in close conversation Mr..
John b. Thayer, Vice-Presiden of the Penn
sylvania Railroad, and Mr.. George b. Wide
ner, OF Philadelphia. l never saw them
again.
Now [ helped the crew in adjusting the
dayits for lowering a boat which had been
slid down from the bridge deck, but had
to make way for the crew, and here [ heard
two Of them discussing conditions; and one
said that we could not sink because of the
compartments, which must keep us aflOat.
Iii five minutes the water from the deck
below reached the boat deck, on which we
stood, and the sailors seemed not to have
time to launch the boat SO Mr.. Smith and l
decided to hurry toward the stern but we
had only gone q few PAGES whom, to our
nmaz4ment, we saw men and women IN a
solid mass come up from the decks below,
sleerage or second class perhaps, facing to-
wards us. But even here there was no pam
jc, though appalling death WAS evident in
the near future.
At this point | may be permitted to make
the statement that, from my personal view
point, at the bow of the ship as well as else
where, | saw nothing but uneXampled self
sacrifice and seIf-controi and the greatest
courage under the most narrowing circum-
stances.
Now it seemed our end had come, for we
could not meet this mass in front Of us. Mr..
Smith aud | tried to Jump lo.the bridge deck,
but found it impossible. The waves at our
heels now reached us, and just us the water
was above my knees / jumped with the IFS
ing swell as | so often had done at the sea-
shore, rose with the crest, and grasped the
ratings about the bridge deck but, alas
poor Smith was separated from me and [
rever saw him again. Holding on rs long
as | could to the railing, | was at last com
PEELED to let go, and was hurled around and
around on MY stomach on the deck where
the tunnels were. Then down [ went into
the waters below, drawn beneath by the
suction.
Up to this time there certainly was no ex-
plosion, or else [ would have heard it. Aud
when the explosion occurred [ must have
been under the water, and il was through
this cause (the eXplosion) that | was driven
to the surface again. When | got to the
surface, l struck out with al my might and
struggled to keep my breath and not allow
myself to be suffocated by the water.
How 0raot was the laDth to which I went