Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-19
Asleep When Crash Came.

on the Lusitania. l joined the Titanic
at Belfast.
Asleep When Crash Came.
didn't have much TO do aboard the
Titanic except to relieve Phillips from
midnight until some time in the morning,
when he should be through sleeping. On
Tho night of the accident l was not
sending. but was asleep. | was due to
hc alp and relieve Phillips earlier than
usual. And that reminds me-if it hadn'
been for lucky thing. We never could
have sent any call for help.
The lucky thing was that the wireless
hroBe down early enough for us to fix
it before the accident. We noticed some
thing wrong Sunday. and Phillips and l
worked seven hours to find it, We found
a secretary" burned out. at last, and
repaired it just few hours before the
iceberg struck.
Phillips said to me as lie took the night
shift, You turn in. boy. and get some
sleep. and go up as soon you can and
give me chance. I'm all done for with
this work of making repairs
There were three rooms in the wireless
cabin One was a sleeping room. one a
dynamo room, and one an operating
room. 1 took off my clothes and went to
sleep in bed Then | was conscious of
waking up and hearing Phillips sending
TO Cape Race. | read what he was send
lHS. II WAS matter.
! remembered how tired he was, and |
got out Of bed without my clothes on to
relieve him. | didn't even feel the shock.
] hardly knew it had happened after the
captain had come to us. There was no
jolt whatever.
"We've Struck an Iceberg"
| was standing by Phillips telling him
TO go to bed when the captain put his
head in the cabin.
We've struck an iceberg the captain
said, land I'm having an inspection made
TO tell what it has done for us. You bet
ter get ready to send out call for as
sistance. But don't send i until 1 tell
YOU"
The captain went away and in ten
minutes. i should estimate the time, he
came back. We could hear terrible con-
fusion outside. but there was not the
least thing to indicate that there was
any trouble. The wirless was working
perfectly.
Send the call for assistance" ordered
the captain, barely putting his head in
the door.
What call should / send?'' Phillips
asked.
The regulation International call for
help. Just that
Then the captain was gone. Phillips
away at it and we joked while he did SO.
All Of us made light of the disaster.
Joked at Distress Call.
We joked that way while he flashed
signals for about Ave minutes. Then the
captain came back.
What are you sending?' he asked.
&C. @. d." Phillips replied.
The humor Of the situation appealed to
mo II N n rk
made US all laugh. including the captain.
Send IS. o. S. said. Its the new
call. and it may be your last chance to
send It,"
Phillips with a laugh changed the sig
nal to IS. O. s. The captain told us
we had been struck amidships. or just
hack of amidships. 1t was ten minutes,
Phillips told me. after he had noticed the
iceberg. that the slight jolt that was the
collisions only signal to us occurred. We
thought We were a good distance away
We said lots of funny things to each
other in the next few minutes. We
picked UP first the steamship Frankfurt
We gave her our position and said we
had struck an iceberg and needed assist
ance- The Frankfurt operator went away
TO tell his captain
Great Scramble on Deck.
He came back and we told him we wer,
sinking by the head. BY that time W,
could observe distinct list forward
The Carpathia answered our signal w,
told her our position and said we wer,
sinking by the head. The operator wen
to tell the captain. and in five minutes
returned and told us that the captain O
the -Carpathia was putting about ant
heading for us.
Our captain had left us at this tim
and. Phillips told me to run and tell hin
What the Garpathia had answered.
mass Of people to his cabin. The deck
were full Of scramblins, men and women
] saw no fighting. but heard tell OF it.
| came back and heard Phillips Eivinl
the Carpathia fuller directions. Phillip
told me to put on my clothes. Until tina
moment l forget that | was not dressed
| went TO my cabin and dressed.
brought an overcoat 10 Phillips. 1t wa
very cold | slipped the overcoat upo
him while he worked
Every few minutes Phillips would SEN
me to the captain with little messages
They were merely telling how the Car
pathia was coming our way and gave he
speed.
Wireless Began to Weaken.
I noticed as I came back from on,
and children in lifeboats I noticed tina
the list forward was increasing
Phillips told me the wireless was grow
ing weaker. The captain came and toll
us our engine rooms were taking wate
and that the dynamos might not las
much longer. We sent that word to tn,
Carpathia.
went out on deck and looked around
Tho water was pretty close I'D to tn
boat deck. There was a great scrambi
aft. and how poor Phillips worke,
through IL I don't know
He was a brave man. I learned to Low
him that night and suddenly felt for hin
a great reverence 10 see him standin
there sticking to his work while every