The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-04-26
VICTIMS Of SEA HORROR
WENT DOWN LIKE HEROES

New York, April 1s.-The followinI
account of the sinking Of the Titani'
and the rescue of 745 Of its passen
gers and crew was given by MI
Beasley Of London, one OF the pas
sengers on the ill-fated steamer:
The voyage from Queenstown hat
been quite %uneyentful; very fin
weather was experienced and the sci
was quite calm. The wind had beef
westerly to southwesterly the whol'
way, but very cold. particularly thu
last day; IN fact, after dinner on Sun
day evening II was almost too cold t.
be out ON deck at all. | had been II
my berth for about ten minutes, when
at about 11:15 .. NJ, | felt a Sign
jar, and then, Don after, a secont
one, but not sufficiently large to caust
any anxiety to any one, however nerv
GUS they may have been. However
he engines stopped Immediately aft
~erwards, and my first thought was
She has lost a propeller went W
on the top tboat) deck in a dressing
gown and found only a few people
there, who had come up similarly to
inquire why we had stopped, but
there was no sort Of anxiety in the
minds of any one
CARD PLAYERS SAW ICEBERG.
we saw through the smoking.room
window a game Of cards going on and
went in to inquire If they knew any.
thing; 1t seems they felt more OF the
Jar. and looking Through the window
had seen a huge iceberg go by close
to the side OF the boat, They thought
We had just grazed 1t with a glancing
blow and the engines had been
stopped to see II any damage had
been done. No one, of course, had any
conception that she had been pierced
below by part of the submerged Ice
berg. The game went on without any
thought Of disaster, and l retired to
my cabin to read until we went on
again. ! never saw any Of the players
or the %onlookers again. A little later,
hearing people going upstairs, ! went
out again and found every one want
ing to know why the engines had
stopped. No doubt many were awak-
ened from sleep by the sudden stop
ping Of a vibration to which they had
become accustomed during the four
days We had been on board. Natural.
ly, with such powerful engines as the
Titanic carried, the vibration was very
den stopping had something the same
effect as the stopping of a loud tick
ing grandfather's clock In a room.
"On going on deck again | saw that
there was al u%ndoubted list down
wards from stern to bows, but, know
Ing nothing Of what had happened.
concluded some Of the front compart-
ments had filled and weighed her
down. I went down again to put on
warmer clothing and as l dressed
heard an order shouted:
LiFERoATs ORDERED.
"'All passengers on deck with life
belts on
I'VE all walked slowly up with them
tied on over our clothing, but even
then presumed this was a wise pre-
caution the captain was taking, and
that we should return in a short time
and retire to bed. There was a total
absence Of any panic or any expires.
sions Of alarm, and | suppose this |
can be accounted for by the exceed
ingly calm night and the absence of
any signs Of the accident. The ship
was absolutely still and except for a
gentle tilt downward, which | don't
think one person in ten would have
noticed at that time, no signs Of the
approaching disaster we're visible.
She lay Just as IL she were waiting
the order TO go on again, when some
trIfing matter had been adjusted.
But in a few moments we saw the
lifted from the boats, and the
crews allotted to them standing by
and curling up the ropes which we're
to lower them by the pulley blocks
into the water.
I'VE then began to realize II was
more serious than had been supposed.
and my first thought was to go down
and get more clothing and some
money, but seeing people pouring up
the stairs decided It was better to
cause no confusion to people coming
up by doing so. Presently we heard
the order:
WOMEN TORN FROM HUSBANDS.
IAN men stand back away from
the boats and all ladies' retire to
next deck below!'--the smoking-room
deck or B deck. The men all stood
away and remained In absolute 81.
Ience, leaning against the end ratings
of the deck or pacing slowly up and
down. The boats were swung out
and lowered from A deck. When they
we're to the level of B deck, where all
he ladies were collected. the ladies'
got in quietly, with the exception OF
who refused to leave their hus-
In some cases they were torn
rom them and pushed into the boats.
but In many instances they we're al
owed to remain because there was
10 one to insist they should go.
Looking over the side, one saw