Belding banner., 1912-04-25
TITANIC HORROR
AWFUL CRIES OF LOST WERE DROWNED BY
SONG TO KEEP WOMEN SANE.
Survivor Tells Thrilling and Graphic Story of How
Titanic Struck, Boats Were Loaded and
Wreck Went. Down.
Appalling Noise Arose the Doomed Hundreds Strus
gled in the Icy Water-Then Silence
That Broke Hearts.

events of the wreck told by Mr. Beas- |
ley. of London, rescued passenger:
"The voyage from Queenstown had
been quite uneventful; very fine
weather was experienced and the sea
was quite calm. The wind had been
westerly to southwesterly the whole
way, but very cool, particularly the
last day; in fact, after dinner Oh
Sunday evening it was almost 700
cold to be out on deck at all
had been in my berth for about ~
minutes, when, at about 1l:l5 p. M
/ felt a slight jar and soon AFTER
second one but not sufficiently large
to cause any anxiety 10 anyone, now
ever, nervous they may have been
However, the engines stopped imme-
diately afterwards and my hrst
thought was: She has lost propel-
ler.' went upon the top (boatl
deck in a dressing gown, and found
only a few people there, who had
come up similarly 10 inquire why we
| had stopped. but there was no sort
| of anxiety in the minds Of anyone.
"The ship was absolutely still, and
except for gentle tilt downward,
which | don't think one person IN
ten would have noticed at that time,
no signs of the approaching disaster
were visible She lay as If she we're
waiting the order to go on again,
when some trifiing matter had been
adjusted. But in a few moments we
saw the covers lifted from the boats,
and the crews allotted to them stand
ing by and curling UP the ropes which
were to lower them by the pulley
blocks into the water.
Launching the Boats.
"We then began to realize that II
was more serious than had been sup
posed. and my first thought was to
go down and get more clothing ana
some money, but seeing people pour
ing up the stairs decided II was bet
ter to cause no confusion TO people
coming up by doing so. Presently
we heard the order:
"'All men stand back away from
the boats and all ladies retire to
. next deck below''-the smoking room
deck or b deck The men all stood
away and remained in absolute 81
lence, leaning against the end rail
ings of the deck or pacing slowly vi
and down. The boats were swung ou
and lowered from A deck. When the!
were to the level of B deck, where
all the ladies were collected, the la
dies got in quietly, with the exception
of some who refused TO leave thei
husbands In some cases they wer
torn from them and pushed into tn
boats, but in many instances the.
were allowed TO remain because ther
was no one 10 insist they should &C
Looking over the side, one say
boats from aft already in the water
slipping quietly away into the darl
ness, and presently the boats near I
me were lowered and, with muc
, creaking as the new ropes slippe
through the pulley blocks down tn
80 feet which separated them fror
the water An officer in uniforI
came up as one boat went down an
shouted: When you are ahoat, ro'
around to the companion ladder an
stand by with the other boats for o
ders.'
No Trace of Disorder.
"Aye, eye, sir came up the r.
ply, but ] don't. think any boat wa
able to obey the order. When the
were afioat and had the oars at wor
the condition of the rapidly settlir
boat was so much more a sight Il
alarm for those in the boats than tho!
~ on board that in common prudence II
n sailors saw they could do nothing b'
,o row from the sinking ship to save
~ any rate some lives. They no dou
anticipated that suction from such ;
enormous vessel would be more ths
10 usually dangerous 10 crowded bo
n mostly filled with women.
er "All this time there was no ira
Id of any disorder, no panic or rush
lis the boats, and no scenes of wont
sobbing Historically such as one &C
orally pictures as happening at su
times Everyone seemed to reali
so slowly that there was immedia
v. danger When IL was realized tn
'io we might ALL be presently in the 8
ou with nothing but our life belts 10 81
ny port us until we were picked up
,s: passing steamers. 1t was eXtraord
Am ary how calm everyone was and hC
ou completely self-controlled.
ou Women Went First.
ou zone by one the boats were fill
ow with women and children, lower
aai and rowed away into the night. Pr
"a, emily the word went round amo
-, the men. The men are TO be put
boats on the starboard side ] was
the port side and most OF the m
walked across the deck to see If &
ave was So ! remained where | was, a
ith presently heard the call:
he ANY more ladies?'
mol Looking over the side of the sh
ore ] saw the boat No 13, swinging lie
a, with b deck, half full of ladies. Agi
,a, the call was repeated:
n,. ANY more ladies'"
II saw none come on and then
nis' OF the crew looked up, said:
ent Any more ladies on your de
sir?'
No. / replied.
"'Then you had better jump.
Last Glimpse OF Titanic.
I'VE drifted away easily as the o
red were got out and headed direC
owov from thp chin Tho cray SCI