The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-04-19
TITANIC POISED IN AIR
BEFORE HER DIVE
Continued from first page.)

| the boats than those on board that IN
| common prudence the sailors saw they
could do nothing but row from the sink
ing ship to save at any rate some lives
| They no doubt anticipated that sue
! ton from such an enormous vessel would
be more than usually dangerous to a
crowded boat mostly filled with women,
"All this time there was 10 trace OF
any disorder; no panic or rush to the
Eoats and 10 scenes of women sobbing
Historically such as one generally pie
lures as happening at such times. Every
one seemed to realize so slowly that
there was imminent danger. When it
was realized that we might all be pres
entity in the sea with nothing but life
belts to support us until we were picked
up by passing steamers, it was extra
ordinary how calm every one was and
how completely self controlled.
"Any More Ladies'" the Cry.
Gone by one the boats were filed with
women and children, lowered and rowed
away into the night. Presently the
word went round among the men
THE men are to be put in boats on
the starboard side. | was on the port
side and most of the men walked across
tie deck to see if this was 50. re-
laained where | was and presently heard
the call ANY more ladies?'
Looking over the side of THE ship, |
saw the boat, No. l3, swinging level
with the deck half full of ladies. Again
the call was repeated. Any more
ladies'? 2
Il saw none come on and then one
OF the crew looked up and said;
Any ladies on your deck, sir?
NO ! replied.
Then you had better Jump.
Il dropped II and fell in the bottom
as they cried lower away As the boat
began to descend, two ladies were pushed
lnIriedly through the crowd on y deck,
and heayed over into the boat and a
taby OF ten months passed down after
them.
1--WE drifted away easily as the oars
were got out and headed directly away
from the ship. The crew seemed to me
TO be mostly cooks in white jackets,
tive to an oar. with a stoker at the
tilIer. 1t was decided to elect the stok
er, who was steering captain, and for
all to obey hi, orders. He set to work
at once to get into touch with the other
botts.
1T was now about loo a. M;
beautiful starlight night with no moon,
and so not very light The sea was
as calm as a pond; an ideal night ex-
eept for the bitter cold
AS we rowed away from the Titanic,
we looked back from time to time to
,,.,4al, Lay. nj mara 1frflriuo, Lr,agf n pta
il was not possible for any one to see.
In the distance she looked an enormous
length her great bulk outlined in black
against the starry sky, every port hole
and saloon blazing with light, II was
impossible to think anything could be
wrong with such leyiathan were il
not for that ominous tilt downwards IN
the bows.
eve were now about two miles from
her and all the crew insisted that such
a tremendous wave would be formed
b. suction ~ she went down that we
ought to get as far away as possible
The captain agreed and all lay on their
oars and widened the distance between
US and the sinking vessel.
Titanic Took the Dive.
Presently. about 300 a m. as near
a. can remember, We observed her set
Ting very apidy, with the bows and
the bridge completely under water and
concluded it was now only a question
OF minutes before she went; and so il
proved She slowly titled straight on
END with the stern vertically upwards
and as she did. the lights in the cabins
and saloons. which had not fiekered
for moment since we left. died out,
came on again for single flash, and
finallv went altogether. At the same
time the machinery roared down through
the vessel With rattle and a groaning
that could he heard for miles. the weird
est sound surely that could be heard in
the middle of the ocean, thousand
miles away from land. But this was
not vet quite the end. To our amaze
ment She remained in that upright posi-
ton for Il time which ! estimate rs
five minutes; others in the boat say
los, but it was certainly some minutes
while we watched at least $50 feet Of
the Titanic towering up above the level /
OF the sea and looming black against
the sky.
Then with quiet slanting dive she
beneath the waters. And /
there was left to us the gently heav-
ing sea, the boat filled to standing room /
with men and women, in every couceiv- /
able condition of dress and undress.
above the perfect sky of brilliant stars
with not cloud in the sky, all tenn
nered with bitter cold wind that made !
us all long to be one of the crew who |
toiled away and kept themselves warm
thereby.
Terrible Were the Cries.
And then with all these, there fell on
the ear the most appalling noise that /
human being ever listened to, the cries /
81 hundreds of our fellow beings strug-
Cling in the icy cold water. crying for (
help with cry that we knew could 1
net he answered. We longed to return I
and pick up some of those swimming
lut this would have meant swapping 1
our boat and further loss of the lives !
II all OF us.
I'VE tried to sing to keep the women /
rom hearing the cries and rowed hard |
% get away from the scene of the wreck. I
nut | think the memory of those sounds
viii be one OF the things the rescued
sill find il difficult to eirace from MEM
Try.
About 800 a. m. We saw faint lights
blowing ON the sky and all rejoiced
o see what we expected was the com
ny of dawn but after watching for
ialf an hour and seeing no change in