Gilpin observer., 1912-04-25

port side and most OF the men walked
across the deck to see II this was so.
I remained where l was and presently
heard the call:
ANY more ladies?' Looking over
the side Of the ship. saw the boat.
No. 13. swinging level with B deck.
half full of ladies'. Again the call was
repeated: Any more ladies'?
81 saw none come on. and then one
OF the crew looked up and said: ANY
ladies on your deck sir?'
mo replied
"'Then you had better jump
WOMEN HEAvED INTO BOAT.
'I dropped in and fell in the bot
tom as they cried: Lower away AS
the boat began to descend two ladies
were pushed hurriedly through the
crowd on deck and heaved over into
the boat, and a baby OF ten months
passed down after them. Down we
went. the crew calling to those lower
ing each end to keep her level-'aft.
stern both together'-until We were
some ten feet from the water. and
here occurred the only anxious mo
ment We had during the whole of our
experience from leaving the deck to
reaching the Carpathia.
Immediately below our boat was
the exhaust of the condensers. a huge
stream Of water pouring all the time
from the ships side iust above the
water line. II was plain we ought to
be smart away from this not TO be
swamped by 1t when We touched wa
ter. We had no officer aboard. nor
petty officer or member OF the crew to
take charge So one OF the stokers
shouted: Some one find the pin which
releases the boat from the ropes and
pull II up No one knew where 1t
was. We felt as well as We could on
the floor and sides. but found nothing.
many people-we had sixty or seventy
on board.
Down We went and presently float
ed. with our ropes still holding us,
the exhaust washing us away from
the side OF the vessel and the swell of
the sea urging us back against the
side again. The resultant of all these
forces was an impetus which carried
us parallel to the ships side and di-
rectly under boat IA. which had filled
rapidly with men and was coming
down on us in a way that threatened
to submerge our boat
STokER AvERTS GREATER LOSS.
"'Stop lowering a., our crew
shouted, and the crew OF No. "A. now
only twenty feet above, shouted the
same. But the distance to the top
was some seventy feet. and the creak-
ing pulleys must have deadened all
sound to those above. for down she
came-fifteen feet. ten feet, FIVE feet
and stoker and I reached up and
touched her swinging above our heads.
The next drop would have brought
her on our heads. but Just before she
dropped another stoker sprane to the
ropes with his knife.
lone I heard him say: two as
his knife cut through the pulley ropes
and the next moment the exhaust
stream had carried us clear. while
boat IA dropped into the water into
the space we had the moment before
occupied. our gunwales almost touch.
ing
I'VE drifted away easily as the oars
were got out and headed directly
away from the ship. The crew
seemed to me to be mostly cooks In
white jackets. two to an oar. with
n stoker at the tiller. There was n
certain amount OF shouting from one
end OF the boat to the other, and dis
cussion as to which way we should go.
but finally II was decided to elect the
stoker, who was steering, captain. and
for all to obey his orders. He set to
work at once TO get into touch with
the other boats. calling to them and
getting as close as seemed wise. so
that when the search boats came in
the morning to look for us. there
would be more chance for all to be
SEA CALM As A POND.
1T was now about 1 4. m; a beau
tiful starlight night, with no moon
and 80 not very light. The sea was
as calm a. a pond. Just gentle
heave as the boat dipped up and
down In the swell: an ideal night ex-