Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-05-02

cept for the bitter cold for any one
who had to be out in the middle OF
the Atlantic ocean in an open boat
and if ever there was a time wher
such a night was needed. surely It
was now. with hundreds of people
mostly women and children, afoat
hundreds of miles from land
The captain-stoker told US that he
had been at sea twenty-six years and
had never yet seen such a calm night
on the Atlantic AS We rowed away
from the Titanic We looked back from
time to time to watch her, and a more
striking spectacle it was not possible
for any one to see.
In the distance she looked an enor
nous length, her great bulk outlined
in black against the starry sky. every
portfolio and saloon blazing will
light. It was impossible to think any
thing could be wrong with such
leviathan were it not for that ominous
tilt downward in the bows, where the
water was by now up to the Lowest
row of portfolios. Presently about
a. m, as near as can remember, We
observed her settling very rapidly
with the bows and the bridge com
pletely under water, and concluded
it was now only a question Of minutes
before she went; and so it proved
She slowly tilted straight on end
with the stern vertically upward, and
as she did the lights in the cabins and
saloons, which had not f1ickered for
a moment since we left. died out
came on again for a single flash and
finally went out altogether. At the
same time the machinery roared
down through the vessel with a rattle
and a groaning that could be heard
for miles, the weirdest sound surely
that could be heard in the middle OF
the ocean. thousand miles away
from land But this was not yet quite
the end.
ITO our amazement she remained
in that upright position for time,
which I estimated as five minutes;
others in the boat say less, but 1t
certainly was some minutes. while we
watched, at least $50 feet of the Titan
ic towering above the level of the
sea and looming back against the
sky.
Then with a quiet slanting dive
she disappeared beneath the waters
and our eyes had looked for the last
time on the gigantic vessel we had
set out on from Southampton last
Wednesday. And there was left to us
the gentle heaving sea, the boat filled
to standing room with men and wom-
en- in every conceivable condition of
dress and undTess, above the perfect
sky of brilliant stars with not cloud
all tempered with a bitter cold that
made us all long to be one of the crew
who toiIed away with the oars and
kept themselves warm thereby-a
curious, deadening bitter cold unlike
anything we had felt before.
CRIES ARE UNANSWERED.
land then, with all these there
fell on the ear the most appalling
noise that human being ever listened
to-the cries of hundreds of our fell
low beings struggling in the icy cold
water, crying for help with a cry
that we knew could not be answered.
We longed to return and pick up some
of those swimming, but this would
have meant swapping our boat and
further loss of the lives of all of US,
+-s< 70 ~Sy +n h.n
en- from hearing the cries and rowed
hard to get away from the scene Of
the wreck, but I think the memory Of
those sounds win be one of the
things the rescued will find it diff.
cult to efface from memory. We are
trying hard not to think of 1t.
I'VE kept a lookout for lights and
several times it was shouted that
steamers lights were seen, but they
turned out to be either light from
another boat or a star low down on
the horizon. About a. m. we saw
faint lights showing on the sky and
all rejoiced to see what we expected
was the coming dawn, but after
watching for half an hour and seeing
no change in the intensity of the
light, realized it was the northern
lights.
Presently low down on the horizon
we saw a light. which slowly resolved
itself into a double light. and we
watched eagerly to see if the two
lights would separate and so prove
to be only two Of our boats or wheth.
er they would remain together. In
which case we should expect them to
be the masthead light and decB
light below of rescuing steamer.
CHEER SIGHT OF REscUER.
ITO our joy they moved as one and
and round we swung the boat and
headed for her The steersman
shouted Now, boys, sing and for
the first time the boat broke into
song with Row for the Shore, Boys,
and for the first time tears came to
the, eyes of US all as we realized that
safety was at hand. The song was
sung, but it was a very poor imita.
ton of the real thing. for quavering
voices make poor songs. A cheer was
given next, and that was better-you
keep in tune for a cheer"
mo IENhN rrTN FIHuT