The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-22

In future business to the White Star
Stes mship Company.
And our passengers begins to learn
what the officers on watch had already
learned: That the ship is In a bad
way.
And now he hears an order passed
to tell the passengers to buckle or
the life belts which they would find in
their rooms. and stewards are alread,
racing down passageways. pounding
doors they passed and calling out.
Get UP and put on life helts.'
Our curious passenger. going for
ward now on the main deck, sees that
thirty or forty feet Of tho ships bow
above the water Was crushed. A
dozen who were nearly killed. but bet
ter had they been killed, were lytnG
about. They were groaning, some,
and saying nothing. others,
Passengers Discover Thinas.
And now our curious passenger can
merge with his fellows. for by now the
passengers In general are trying to dis
cover things for themselves.
Everybody is asking questions OF
everybody else. but nobody Is answer
ing. Nobody expects an answer.
But most of the fiying ships people
ere making for above-a top deck
where they begin to cut away the cam
vas coverings and to knock away the
blocks from beneath tho lifeboats.
That boat deck on the Titanic was
high up. sixty or seventy feet above
the water line. and but few passen-
gers were up there. They were max
ing a poor job of it. these sailors In
the Guernseys, and the stewards in
the short brass buttoned coats.
Now the word il passed from the
bridge that the saloon passengers
would have to take to the iifeboats.
women and children first. BY this
time the ship In beginning to get loggy
Rumors were creeping about that the
ship forward was mess. that her
nose had been crumpled in, and that
the slightest forward incline Of her
deck was the result of the sea pour
ing into her forward compartment.
Gradually everybody was learning
the truth. The ships officers had done
everything possible to hide the facts,
and no blame to them there.
Even as the women were dropping
into the boats they were told that the
ship was not about to sink. and 30 men
and women about to separate were
parting cheerfulfy.
The Price of = Life.
BY what law Of God or man is II
that a mans. or woman's right to life
should be rated according to the
amount Of money paid over for a
ticket. But 30 It u.
That first rush Of women, not OF
men carried to safety. men unattach-
ed and not consumed with chivalry
to thn upper deck with the elect.
And 80 men Of the Storage came
to be included among the saved when.
later. confusion was more general.
The baatE wsFe lowered A. they sh&vs
always been lowered in such smer-
gcEcies by such men--bunglingly.
There are those who will say that to
criticise now In harsh, but when are
VIC ever to BE- allowed to crtticise Il
not after . great wrong Il done?
Hundreds OF men came safe from
that wreck. moro than 200 Of the
white star crew. who came safe
away. while hundreds Of poor wo-
men inthe stesrage were left to per.
NH. =. 8, e
Ninsty-six stewards came safely
away from the Titanic. 6evsnty-one
stokers and oilers also came away
How did that happen. and where wal
thts discipline Of the Britiah Ner-
chant Marine OF which we hear %
much but never see. except in the
columns OF the advertising press?
British Seamen . Myth.
A. q matter OF fact. one Of the
greatest myths perpetrated on q
childliks public today 10 this one oil
the British seamen. There arc nc
British seamen on the North Atlantic
today--nor have there been for years
When tho White Star steamer At
lantic went down on Halifax year,
ago 600 OF the 600 passengers were
lost. There was not woman pas
senger saved from her. British sea-
men. the .Atlantic.s crew managed ia
look out for themselves pretty we'll.
Ofacers came of the Titanic: and
every blessed one Of them came safe
away from the White star steamer
Republic including her captain. when
she was lost.
And Bruce 1smay. the heroic naan.
aging director who saved hlmself---
what OF him? After his rescue he wal
given state room 70 himsAlf on the
not kpock) over the wood. Tho poor
man! And In another part of the
same Carpathia were rescued Wo-
men Auddied. twenty-six OF thAm In
ono room. sleeping on tho moor. soms
OF them. Bruce Isinay ought 70 70
down in history
The true. heroes and heroines OF the
Titanic went down with her. and
there thsy will lie until thsir bones
are gathered on Judgment Day In thA
southeastern cornor u the brand
BankI With two rntleu II green watNt
above them for burial mound
~ heaQt1ful. elAaA oSAve, tn4 oesN.
Ca ro6f fho1P noU3Gs N II. N 4. MI