The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1912-04-25

we 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
a stoker at the tiller. There was a
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 1t 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 a 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.
TN the distance she looked an enor-
nous length, her great bulk outlired
in black against the starry sky. every
port-ho!e and saloon blazing will
light. 1t was impossible to think amy
thing could be wrong with such 3
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
it 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 a single fash and
finally went out altogether. At the
same time the machinery roared
down through the vessel with a rattle
and a groaning 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 I estimated as five minutes
others in the boat say less. but It
certainly was some minutes, while We
watched at least $50 feet of the Titan.
ic towering above the level Of the
sea and looming back against the
sky.
"Then with O 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.
CRIES ARE UNANSWERED.
"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 fel
low beings struggling in the icy cold
water. crying for help with a cry
that we knew could not be answered
We longed to return and pick up some
of those swimming, but this would
have meant swamping our boat and
further loss of the lives Of all of us
I'VE tried to sing to keep the won
en- from hearing the cries and rowed
hard to get away from the scene Of
the wreck but I think the memory Of
those sounds will be one Of the
things the rescued will find It diff
cult to efface from memory. We are
trying hard not to think Of it.
I'VE kept lookout for lights and
several times it was shouted that
steamers lights were seen, but they
turned out to be either light from
another boat or a star low down or
the horizon. About a. m. we saw
faint lights showing on the sky and
all rejoiced to see what we expected
was the coming dawn, but aftel
watching for half an hour and seeing
no change in the intensity of the
light, realized it was the northern
lights.
Presently low down on the horizon
we saw-a light, which slowly resolved
itself into double light. and we
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, ir
which case we should expect them tt
be the masthead light and decl
light below Of rescuing steamer
CHEER SIGHT OF REScUER.
ITO our joy they moved as one ant
and round we swung the boat ant
headed for her The steersmar
shouted: Now, boys, sing and fol
the first dine the boat broke int
song with Row for the Shore, Boys,
and for the first time tears came tc
the eyes Of US all as we realized thai
safety was at hand The song wai
sung, but it was a very poor imita
ton of the real thing, for quaverinf
voices make poor songs. A cheer wa!
given next. and that was better-yo,
keep in tune for cheer"