The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-06-13
SURVIVORS OF TITANIC
WRECK TELL OF HEROES
from the Omaha yolce.

.Winnowed among many pathetic sto-
ries of the Titanic's catastrophe war
tne story OF two priests who went down
with the Titanic while ministering to
me strlcken passengers. One of the
clergymen was Rev. Thomas r. D
Byles, pastor Of the parish OF st. Helen,
ongar. Essex, England, in the afchdio-
cese OF Westminster, who was on his
way. to off1ciate at the marriage of his
brother in Brooklyn, n the other q
German priest whose name Is un-
known.
Father Byles was in the second cabin
as was the German priest. The story
OF their death was related by three
women survivors OF the Titanic, Ellen
Mocklare, Bertha Moran and Miss Nc
Coy.
When the liner struck the iceberg.
they SAID. Father Byles came down
the steerage passageway with hand up
llfted commanding the people to be
calm and giving them his blessing.
He led us to where the boats were
being lowered" said Miss Mocklare,
saying his prayers and
aelplng women n children into the
boats. He whispered words of COM
fort and encouragement to all. The
passengers were deeply impressed by
his self control. Twice he refused to
enter the boat and save himself"
rather Byles was last seen leading
- SiSuP ~ layer vi Inc second CABIN
deck of the Titanic when the ship sank.
on the morning of the day the boat
struck the iceberg Sunday Father
Byles had preached to the passengers
IN the steerage n most of them knew
him by sight.
When the Titanic struck the priest
was on the upper deck walking back
and forth reading his office, the daily
prayers which form part Of the duties
or every Catholic priest. After the
real danger was apparent, survivors
say, Father Byles went among the pas
sengers,. hearing confessions of some
and giving absolution. At the last he
was the center of a group on the deck
Where the steerage passengers had
crowded and was leading in the recita-
ton of the rosary.
Il saw Father Byles when he cpoke
70 us IN the steerage," said Agnes Nc
coy, and there vas another priest
with him there. He was a German
and spoke in that language. / did not
see Father Byles again until we were
old to come UP and get into the boat.
he was reading out Of a leather bound
book"-hts priests book of hours
and did not pay any attention. He
thought as the rest OF us did that there
wasn't really any danger. Then 1 saw
him put the book in his pocket and
hurry around to help women into the
boats. We were among the first to
get away ana 1 didn't see him IN
more.
But there was a fellow on the Car
pathia who told me about Father
Byles. He was an English lad who
was coming over to this country with
his parents and several brothers and
sisters. They were all lost. He was
on the deck with the steerage passen-
gers until the boat went down. He
was holding to a piece OF iron, he told
me, and had his hands badly cut. One
of the explosions threw him out of the
water and he was picked up later.
H said that Father ByIes and an
other priest stayed with the people
after the last boat had gone. and that
a big crowd, a hundred, maybe, kneIt
about him They were Catholics. Prot
estants n Jewish people who were
kneeling there, this fellow told me-.
Father Byles told them to prepare to
meet God and said the rosary. The
others answered him. Father Byles and
the other priest, he old me, were still
standing there praying when the water
came owe the deck"
Father Byles was a convert and was
ordained in Rome in 1903.