The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-04-26
WIRELESS OPERATOR TELLS TALE
OF DISASTER THAT BEFELL TITANIC

New York, April 19.-"If it had
not been for a piece of luck we
never could have sent any call for
help" said Harold Bride, a rescued
wireless operator from the Titanic.
The wireless had bothered us on
Sunday and Phillips, another opera
tor, and | worked seven hours to dis
cover the trouble, and were able to
repair it just few hours before we
struck the iceberg
There should be no criticism be-
cause more wireless messages were
not sent concerning the disaster,
because there was such large num-
her of personal messages to be sent.
We sent 119 messages yesterday and
fifty today. The Chester operators
were not competent and could not
take the Continental Morse, which
delayed the messages. | went to the
wireless room about ten hours after
being taken aboard the Carpathia,
upon being told that the Carpathia
operator. was getting queer and |
remained there having my meals
brought to me and we kept the wire
less working all the time.
"On the night of the accident |
was not on duty but was sleeping
after spending a number of hours
with Phillips repairing the trouble
with the apparatus. When the dam
age was repaired he told me to go
to bed and get up as soon as |
could SO that he could get some
rest. When | awOke | remembered
how tired he was and went out inn
mediately, not stopping to dress. |
did not even feel the shock of the
ship striking the iceberg, and was
not sure what the trouble was until
the captain came to us, just as
was urging Phillips to go to bed.
The captain said: We have struck
an iceberg and you had better pre-
pare to call for assistance while we
see what damage is done The cap
tain returned a few minutes later,
telling us to send the call for as
sistance, the C. Q. D. signal.
While Phillips was sending this
message we joked about the acct
dent and as a joke | suggested that
Souls-be sent. We sent messages
to the Frankfurth the Carpathia, the
Baltic, Olympic and another German
ship. The Carpathia was given
more detailed messages and told us
that they were putting about to
come to our assistance.
During this time | was sent to
repeat to the captain the messages
being sent by the Carpathia, and then
went to my cabin and dressed and
got my life belt. | also got more
clothing for Phillips and put his life
belt on him while he remained send
ing and receiving messages.
while ! was looking about | saw
twelve men trying to lower the last
boat, collapsable one, and | help
ed them with it. They all started
to get into the boat and | returned
to Phillips to tell him that all the
boats and RATS were gone.
THE captain came to us then ana
said: You have done your full duty
and can do no more. 1t is now every
man for himself But Phillips kept
on sending for ten or fifteen minutes
after the captain released him. While
| left Phillips to get his money for
him from his cabin a stoker APP
preached him and when | came back
found him trying to take Phillips
life belt off him. | knew that the
man had a belt of his own some
where and | finished him. We left
him lying motionless Oh the cabin
floor
81 went back to where the col
lapsibe boat was being taken Off,
and found that the boat was still
there. | was washed off with the
boat by wave and the next | re-
member | was in the boat and it
was upside down.
"The sea was dotted with men
with life belts Oh and all were at
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