Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1912-04-25
CAPT. ROSTRON
IN Statement
Carpathia's Commander Tells
OF incidents Leading Up
to the Rescue.
GOES TO TITANIC SPEEDILY
Says Ne Does Not Remember Reeeiv-
Ing Any Message Frer Scout
Cruiser Salem az Coming
From President Taft.
BY CAPT. n. w. aosTRoN.

BY CAPT. n. w. RosTRoN.
Statement, By the captain OF the
Cunard steamship Carpafhia. rescuer
OF the titanic survivors;
| cannot yet make a connected
statement have gone through 30
much since I received aboard my ship
the hrg distress call OF the Titanic
mat . complete narrative is impos-
stble- ! ~ss between so and SO miles
Away from the Titanic when the wire
less sang into the ears Of my operator
the nrst call for help. TIE operator
said ths, v- received only one call.
The silence after the ars, frantic
appeal for relief was ominous to me.
Our Msrconi sent out rays that
scraped the skS in vain. but there was
no response vhateSer 70 any Of our
Inquiries. swung the Carpathia
around straight 90 the position the
poor Titanic's 6rst aerogram said she
occupied Our engines we're put a. top
speed
The silence OF the air so far as the
Titanic vas concerned made me shud-
der as We sped on our way to the res
cue. I realized what IL meant On
and on We sped. oor s;okers never
worked harder. When the nrst faint
dsyiigG came and I knew NE we're
stiil miles from the spot Of the trag-
edy. ! Eel, as IL we should arrive too
late to be Of any service.
Sights First Lffeeos,x
When. however. after full daylight
we sighted the first lifeboat nIled with
women and children and eigh, or ten
strong armed and brave hearted men
OF the Titanic's crew. I realized that
we could at least save a few human
lives | was too busy for the next
hour or so TO recall now Just what oc-
CURED. Ny mind was wholly set up
on saving the lives OF the people vhs
crowded the boats.
The sea was calm. There was
scarcely a ripple upon its face. Great
ice foes were crunching down from
the north. In the distance several
icebergs shimmered like mirrors. Why
the lifeboats were not crushed by the
swiftly moving ice foes l could not
understand The 16 boats seemed at
nrst nearly all women.
remember that IL occurred to me
that the good God had stretched out
his mighty hand and had checked
further murder by his elements.
We got aboard the Carpathla eveN
human being in the Is liteboats Of the
Titanic. Every oficer and member OF
our crew stood by like the brave and
loyal lads they are and did his full
duty.
My mind IS In no condition now to
tell you much more OF what l heard
and felt during the two hours work
OF the rescues.
We took aboard 705 women and chill
dren who were alive, but some Of
them were unconscious. We also
dragged TO the decks OF the Carpathia
four members OF the Titanic's crew
who had been tolied of to man the
lifeboats and were stark dead. They
had been frozen TO death. Their
strong. horny fingers still cIutched the
oars that they had been desperately
pulling We buried these men in
sailors graves only yesterday from
the deck Of the Carpathia-
Doesn't Recall Presidents MESSAGE.
l am told that II was reported to
President Taft by Captain Chanler Of
the scout cruiser Salem that the Car
pathia had received Wednesday night
wireless messages from the command.
er Of the Salem asking in the name Of
the president IL Major Butt. John ia.
cob Astor. Frank MiIlet, Clareuc.
Moore and Isidor Straus were aboard
his vessel
Upon my word as a man-upon nv
honor as a sailor. I cannot remember
receiving any such message from
Captain Chanler or anybody else in
the name OF the president or any 9TH
sr person Had such a message been
referred to me ! Immediately would
have ordered that all other business
Of the wireless be sidetracked until
the answer could have been sent TO
the president that none OF his friends.
OF whom he had inquired. was aboard
the Carpathia-
II is possible the Carpathia's wire
less operator acknowledged. but re
fused to answer messages even from
the president Of the United States re-
ceived after Wednesday night, as he
had then been at his post more than
u hours without rest. But he never
reported such a message to me and
do not blame him.
Knows Nothing Of Shooting.
After | reached the Cunard pier I