Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-04-24

Wllte muWer6 tn6C Ooun0 MIN from
head to foot.
A camera man set on . hashlight
directly in front Of the party, but It
only seemed to please the little boy,
He shouted with JOY. Mr.. Dodge said
he estimated that the time the ship
sank was 1915 a. m. ss-s !.
He said the last man he saw was
Archibald Butt. who was standing stir
and erect on the deck. ..s..-
Mr.. Dodge was asked If he heard
any shots. He replied YES"
"Suicide?" asked reporter.
II am afraid So" said Mr.. Dodge.
First Woman In lifeboats.
Mrs. Dickinson Bishop of Detroit
said:
II was the first woman in the first
boat. was in the boat four hours be-
fore being picked up by the Carpathia.
l was in bed at the time the crash
came, got up and dressed and went
back to bed, being assured there was
no danger. There were very few pas
sengers on the deck when I reached
there. There was little or no panic,
and the discipline of the Titanic's
crew was perfect. Thank God my hus-
band was saved ALSO"
Story by Swedish Officer.
Lieut. Hakan Bjornstion Steffanson
OF the Swedish army, who was jour-
neying to this country on the Titanic
to see about the expectation of pulp
| tn 0Vv,1xy Nd hn{ - q
carried down in the sinking ship when
he leaped out from a lower deck to a
lifeboat that was being lowered past
him. Henry Woolner of London also
made the leap in safety. Lieutenant
! Steffanson thinks he made the last
boat to leave the ship and was only
about a hundred yards away when It
went down with sudden lurch.
| The lieutenant told his story al he
lay in bed at the Hotel Gotham,
utterly worn out by the strain he had
been under despite his six feet CT
muscle. 1t was also the first time be
had discarded the dress suit he had
worn since the shock of collision
startled him from his chair in the
cafe where he and Mr.. Woolner were
talking.
| ut was not a severe shock" said
the lieutenant. 1T did not throw any
one from his seat; rather 1t was a
twisting motion that shook the boat
terribly. Most of the women were In
bed. We ran up to the smoking room,
where most of the men were rushing
about trying to find out what was the
matter, but there was singular alb
sence of apprehension, probably be-
cause We believed so thoroughly in
the massive hulk in which we were
travelling
Sought to Calm Women.
I'VE helped to calm some of the
women and advised them to dress and
then set about getting them in boats.
There seemed to be really no reason
for it, but it was done because it was
the safest thing to do.
| 1.-THE men went about their tasA
quietly. Why should they have done
otherwise-the shock was so slight to
cause much ruin. Mr.. Woo1ner and
then went to a lower outside deck. 1t
was deserted, but as we wished to find
out what had happened We went down
deck lower. Then for the first time
did we realize the seriousness Of that
twisting which had rent the ship near
ly asunder. We saw the water pour.
ing into the hull and where we finally
stood water rose to our knees.
"Woolner and l decided to get out
as quickly as we could and as we
turned to rush upward we saw slid.
ing down the port side Of the drown
ing ship a collapsible lifeboat. Most
Of those it contained were from the
steerage, but two of the women were
from the first cabin. It was in charge
of two sailors.
Jump Into Swaylng Boat.
"Let's not take any chances
shouted to Woolner, and as 1t came
nearly opposite US, swinging in and
out slowly, We jumped and fortunately
landed in it. The boat teetered a bit
and then swiftly shot down to the wa
ter. Woolner and took oars, and
started TO pull with all our might tc
get from the ship before she sank, fol
now there was little doubt of what
would happen.
1--WE had hardly reached point 3
hundred yards away-and l believe
the boat was in was the last to gel
safely away-when the horrible
screams came through the night ani
the ship plunged swiftly down. 1t wa:
so terribly sudden, and then there wa.
vast quiet, during which we shiv
cred over the oars and the womeI
cried Historically. Some Of theli
tried to jump overheard and We ha&
to struggle in the shaky boat to holt
them until they quoted down.
Victims Float to Surface.
"There was little widespread SUE
ton from the sinking ship, strange II
say, and shortly after it went dowr
people came to the surface, some O
them struggling and fighting to re-
main af1oat, and some were very still
But they all sank before We couli
reach them.
1T was bitterly cold and most of U.
were partly wet. It seemed hours be
fore the Carpathia came up and tool
us aboard. Why, it was so cold tbs
on board the Titanic we had beeY
drinking hot drinks as If it were win
ter. The weather was absolutely
clear, there was not the slightest fol
or mist"
sons who had been rescued dying OF
board the Carpathia and being buriei