Gilpin observer., 1912-04-25
SURVIVORS TELL
OF FIGHT IN SEA
Peril Not Known to Passengers
Until Long After Titanic
Struck.
WOMEN SENT OFF FIRST
Men In Small Boats Try to Sing to
Drown Out Cries Of the Perishing
-Heartrending Scenes At
tending Disaster Are Dra-
matically Described.

New York, April 19.-The stories OF
the survivors OF the Titanic are all
practically agreed on one thing. that
the passengers on the liner did not
realize their peril until long after the
vessel struck
A Mr.. Chambers, one OF the surviv-
orr. had this to say:
The Titanic struck the iceberg
head-on. The passengers ran out, but,
believing that the ship could not sink
and being assured by the officers,
again went back to their staterooms.
After about two hours the alarm was
sent out and the passengers started
to enter the lifeboats. There was
nothing like panic at first, as all be-
heyed that there were plenty OF life
boats to go around"
After the lifeboat in which Mr..
Chambers was had gone about 400
yards from the ship, those in 1t saw
the Titanic begin to settle quickly and
there was a rush for the remaining
lifeboats. One was swamped.
The great ship sank slowly by its
boat in which Mr.. Chambers was.
Tells Scene at Rescue.
passenger aboard the rescue ship
Carpathia, Miss Sue Eva Rule, sis
ter of Judge Virgil Rule of St. Louis,
detailed the thrilling scenes which
marked the rescue of the survivors OF
the greatest marine tragedy OF the
age
Unknown to the sleeping passen-
gers, the ship turned abruptly to the
north. None knew OF the sudden
| change of course and the first intima-
| tion anybody got OF the tact that any
| thing unusual was about to take place
was the order given the steward to
prepare breakfast for 3,UUU.
The tidings ran through the ship
like wildfire and long before the Gu
harder had come within the scene of
the tragedy we were all on deck.
Sight First of Boats.
Just as day broke tiny craft was
sighted rowing towards us and as it
came closer We saw women huddled
together, the stronger ones manning
the oars The first to come aboard
was a nurse maid. who had wrapped
in a coat an eleven-months-old baby.
the only one of a family of five per-
sons to be rescued
The men and women both seemed
dazed Most of them were almost
perished with the cold and some OF
item who had been literally thrown
into the lifeboats perished from expo
sure
"One of the most narrowing scenes
ever saw was the service OF thanks
giving and followed by the prayers
for the dead which followed the in
coming OF the little band OF survivors
which took place in the dining saloon
of the Carpathia. The means of the
women and the cries OF little children
as their loss was brought home to
them were heartrending. The hope
that by some means their beloved
ones would be saved never left the
survivors.
Survivors In Strange Dress.
How those who were saved sur
vived the exposure is a miracle. One
woman came aboard devoid OF under
wear. a Turkish towel wrapped about
her waist serving as a corset, while a
magnificent evening wrap was her
only protection
Women In evening frocks and
white satin slippers and children
wrapped in steamer rugs were ordi-
nary sights and very soon the passen-
gers themselves were almost in as
bad a plight as the rescued Trunks
were unpacked and clothing distrib.
uted right and left Finally the steam
er rugs were ripped apart and sewed
into impromptu garments
My first view of the tirst boa,
sighted led me to think we were pick
inG up the crew OF a dirigible. Back
of the boat loomeu in the shadowy
dawn the huge iceberg which had
sent the Titanic to the bottom. The
liieboat looked like the usual boat
which swings from a balloon.
Women Discuss Scenes.
AFTER an hour or so OF rest the
only relief the women who he'd been
literally torn from their husbands
seemed to have was In discussing the
last scenes. Shooting was heard by
many In the lifeboats just before the
ship took its final plunge and sunk
from sight. and the opinion OF many
was that the men rather than drown
shot themselves.
Mrs. Astor who was one OF the
first to come aboard. was taken al
once to the captains room. Others
were distributed among the cabins
the Carpathia's passengers sleeping or
the floors OF the saloons. IN the bath
rooms and on the tables throughout
tae ship In order to let the survivors
OF the wreck have as much comfort
as the ship Afforded