The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-04-25


ing,
We drifted away easily as the oars
were got out and headed directly
away from tho ship. The crew
seemed to me to be mostly cooks in
white jackets, two to an oar, with
a stoker at the tiller. There was q
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 it was decided to elect the
stoker. who was steering. captain, and
for all to obey his orders
SEA CALM AS A POND.
THE captain-stoker told us that he
had been at sea twenty-six years and
had never yet seen such calm night
on the Atlantic AS we rowed away
from the Titanic we looked back from
time to time to watch her, and 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
port-hole and saloon blazing with
light. 1t was impossible to think any
thing could be wrong with such a.
leviathan were 1t not for that ominous
tilt downward in the bows, where the
water was by now up to the lowest
row OF portfolios. Presently about 2
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
1t was now only question Of minutes
before she went; and so 1t 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 flickered for
a moment since we left, died out,
came on again for single fash and
finally went out altogether. At the
same time the machinery roared
down through the vessel with rattle
and a grooming that could be heard
for miles, the weirdest sound surely
that could be heard in the middle OF
the ocean, a thousand miles away
from land. But this was not yet quite
the end.
ITO our amazement she remained
in that upright position for a time.
which / 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
lie towering above the level of the
sea and looming back against the
sky.
"Then with 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 WON.
en- in every conceivable condition OF
dress and undress, above the perfect
sky Of brilliant stars with not a cloud,
all tempered with bitter cold that
made us all long to be one Of the crew
who toiled away with the oars and
kept themselves warm thereby-a
curious, deadening bitter cold unlike
anything we had felt before.
CHIES AXE OiNAN0"G hEb.
"And 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 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.
eve tried to sing to keep the wom-
| en- from hearing the cries and rowed
| hard to get away from the scene OF
! the wreck, but think the memory Of
| those sounds will be one Of the
| things the rescued will find II diff
cult to efface from memory. We are
trying hard not to think Of It,
eve kept lookout for lights and
several times 1t was shouted that
steamers lights were seen, but they
turned out to be either light from
another boat or star low down on
| the horizon. About 3 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 1t was the northern
| lights
Presently low down on the horizon
we saw aIight. which slowly resolved
/ itself into double light. and VIE
watched eagerly to see II the two
| lights would separate and so prove
to be only two Of our boats or wheth.
/ er they would remain together. In
i which case we should expect them to
be the masthead light and a deck
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 dine 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 gong was
sung, but 1t was very poor imita.
ton of the real thing, for quaverine
voices make poor songs A cheer was
| given naYt and that war ho+tor-vo,