Omaha daily bee., 1912-04-20

peared TO me as ~ were propelled by
some great force through the water. This
might have been occssioned by explosions
under the water I recall that was
most fearful of being boiled 20 death.
Tha second officer. who was on the tor
deck, told me he had similar experiences,
Innumerable thoughts flashed through
my brain.
Again and again | prayed for deliver.
ance. although | felt sure that the end
had come. My greatest difficulty was
In holding my breath until came to the
surface. 'ffF
Il reached the surface after 4 time
that seemed intending There was moth
my Ia sight save the Ice. which dotted the
ocean and a large field OF wreckage.
There were dying men and women all
about me. grooming and crying piteously.
The second officer and J. ID. Thayer.
jr.. who were swimming near, told me
that just before my head appeared aboye
the water one Of the Titanlcs tunnels
separated and fell apart near me. scatter
ing the bodies In the water.
Il saw wreckage everywhere. All that
came within my reach l chung to. A
great, crateIlke block Of wood floated
within my grasp and l grabbed 1t. Il
seemed to be sufficiently large to keep
me afloai. At this moment. however. !
saw an overturned boat a short distance
away and swan to H. l caught the arm
OF a man who grasped II. threw my leg
over the boat and rested on H.
on this raft-it was really a collapsi-
Bile boat that was called q raft-there
were already lying more than twenty
men, who seemed TO belong TO the IT.
aahle's crew. Two men. one In the bow.
the other IN the stern propelled Us
through the wreekage with pieces Of
wood which answered for oars.
Raft Becomes Full.
Presently the raft came so full that
II seemed that IL would sluk il more
came aboard and the crew. for self pre-
eeryation. had TO refuse 10 permit others
10 climb aboard. This was, at once the
most pathetic and horrible scene Of all
The piteous cries OF those around US
stu r.ng in my. ears win Remember
thern TO my dying aay
Hold on to-what you have, old boy,
We shouted to each man who tried TO get
aboard. One more OF you aboard would
sink Us all. And many whom we re-
fused answered. as they went 10 their
death: Good luck and God bless YOU
AL the time we were buoyed and
sustained b. hope for rescue We saw
lights In all directions. particularly in
front where green lights shOne and rock
cts were fired IN the air. We learned
later that the lights and the rockets came
from one OF the THAMES llfeb0ats.
And so passed the nisht-wth the
waves washing ever US and the raft bur
led deep In the water under our feet.
Did We pray? Men who seemed to have
forgotten long ago how to address their
Creator recalled the prayers q their
childhood and murmured them over and
over again. We said the Lords prayer
again and again together.
Long before light we stood in col
umns. two deep. back TO back, balancing
ourselves. fearful to move lest the deli.
cate balance should be disturbed and all
Of Us thrown again In the water. The
hand Of God seemed to have soothed the
sea and II vas calm.
An age seemed TO have passed when
we first saw the twinkling lights Of the
carpathia. We recognized Il as our res.
cuer. The Marconi operators-one Of the
thlrty-flys on the raft-confirmed our
hopes BY saying that he knew ii was the
csrpathia. While We looked some one
whispered that there was also a ship be-
hind Us. We dared not turn about 70
look. 30 fearful were We that we would
disturb the balance.
The second officer finally ordered one
man TO look behind The slipplns q one