The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1912-04-26

Fond du Lac Woman Saw IT.
tanic Sink as Husband
Waves Last Farewell.
WAS IN LIFE BOAT WITH ISMAY
Declares Score of Women Remained
on Titanic's Deck When Ship
owner Left Vessel in Small Boat
Already Overloaded.
Chicag feebly upon the
arms of their brother, Dr. j. r. Min
ahan of Green Bay, their eyes moist
with the tears of four days, Mrs. w.
E. Minahan of Fond du Lac, Wis.
and Miss Daisy Minahan of Green
Bay, Wis, alighted from the platform
the LaSalle street station, ct GLE
o'clock yesterday morning-the first
survivors of the Titanic disaster to
reach this city
TRAGIC END OF TRIP.
Mrs. Minahan, physically worn
out, nervously a wreck, burst into
historical sobs. 1t was at the same
station four months ago that she and
her husband, perhaps Fond du Laos
best known physician and surgeon,
had boarded the Twentieth Century
flyer, with Miss Minahan, bound for
New York, whence they had planned
a delightful Mediterranean voyage
They were a happy party then. But
yesterday, as she left the train, Mrs
Minahan realized that she was a
widow-her husband had persisted
with the hundreds of oilers in the
most terrible accident in the annals
of marine history.
Mrs. Minahan tried in vain to re-
late the terrible story. Before each
word there was the barrier of a
throat choked with sobs, and it was
impossible to gain a coherent idea
of what she and her sister had en-
dured during the few, though long
days, since the tragedy, until short
ly before she left on a Northwestern
train for the home of her brother in
Green Bay.
MRS. MINAHAN'S STORY.
Partly through DR.. ]. P. Minahan,
Mre, 49,
ing frequently, about as follows:
Or. Minahan, his sister and my
self had retired early Sunday night
on account of the frigid temperature,
which was even felt in the cabins.
In the salon of the first cabin a party
was in progress, and before retiring
we had Joined those in the salon for
while. Cards were played by some,
others were chatting and others were
enjoying the musical entertainment
1T was about $50 when | got
into bed, and | know | had been
sleeping soundly for two hours or
more when both the doctor and my
self were awakened by frantic cries
outside our door My husband peer
ed into the corridor and saw Mrs
John Jacob Astor running frantically
and shrieking: "The boats sinking
The boats sinking! Help! Help
Help
Both fully awakening from our
sleep we felt the huge ship reclin-
ing upon it's portside My husband
threw several blankets about me-
hurried into some clothes himself
and ran to the adjoining state room
where Daisy was sleeping After
throwing a blanket about her, he
took us to the main deck, where we
found things in confusion. Life boats
were being lifted down into the sea
and two were already being put of
with frightened and hysterical WON
en- in them.
WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST.
1.-The first thing that l heard was
this cry: Not one man must leave
the boat until all Of the children anC
women are cared for 1t was Mr.
Aston shouting, and the cry was re
echoed by a number of brave men al
his side. Among them | saw Ben
| jamin Guggenheim, ]. B. Thayer, C
M. Hayes and Isidor Straus, and a.
his side his wife.
There was a heart-rending wal
| from the steerage, as the words tha
| the ship is sinking went up, anC
women clinging to their babies ant
| children were frenzied.
HEARD SHOTS FIRED.
'Then l heard members of the
| ships crew crying out orders, which
| no one seemed to hear or heed.
can't remember any one vivid pic
! ture, it was all so awful. Both me1
| and women were praying and 1 re
member someone shouted that the
wireless operator had called for hell
and that a steamer was coming tt
our aid. But that did not quie
many, for the huge ship was sink
ing faster and faster.