Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-22
CABLE SHIP FINDS
BODIES OF FIFTY
CONTINUED From First Page.)

fact that many boats did get away only
half filled. I can relate merely the Incl
dent I witnessed. How many boats
obeyed the captains order to return am
unable to tell
II had on my pajamas and my slip
pers," he said, land when I felt the
shock / slipped on my overcoat and went
on deck to see what had happened. ]
was told that the ship had struck an ice
berg, and / then proceeded to the port
side, but could see nothing but some
ice which had fallen on the deck.
Assured Of Vessels Safety.
mo one seemed to think the ship was
in danger. In fact, our fears were set at
rest by the officers. who told US that the
Titanic was in no danger.
Meanwhile I returned to my cabin
and dressed. I again went on deck, and
was told to put on my life preserver. I
returned to my cabin and adjusted my
life preserver. I also took my money.
by this time the Titanic had begun
to list forward on the port side, and the
people were being assisted into the life
boats. Let me say right here that 7
never saw a drawer set of men in my life
than the officers of the Titanic, who did
all they could to assuage the fears Of
the women and see them safely launched
from the sinking ship.
MANY persons have told how the ship g
orchestra was playing all the time the
Titanic was sinking. and this 1 can re-
peat as a fact. They struck up lively
shortly before the Titanic took her final
plunge.
81 never saw the outline Of the Titanic
after / jumped into the sea- After a
struggle I found myself again on the
surface Of the water, floating on my
minute that the Titanic went out of
sight, for felt myself being drawn back
toward the vessel by the suction. know
there was suction in the wake of the
sinking ship, in spite of what others may
say, for l was twisted and turned in
the eddies and rapidly drawn toward the
ship until / was suddenly thrown away
from the spot by the force Of what must
have been an explosion.
Praise for Col. Oracle.
81 don't know whether it was minute
or hah hour that was drifting about
in the icy water when suddenly bumped
into lifeboat and called for the men to
give me a hand. I was pulled in by R.
N. Williams and George Rheims. There
were about thirty men and women In the
boat. 1 see by the statement of Col.
Oracle and Mr.. Rheims that they thought
the passengers were mostly stokers. l
do not think this is accurate, as it is
shown by the fact that Col. Oracle didn t
know Mr.. Rheims, and they may have
mistaken others in the boat who were
passengers for stOkers.
Even in the lifeboat it was a desperate
struggle for life, because of the confu-
sion. We were only saved by the bravery
and composure of such men as Rheims.
Oracle, Mellars and Williams.
Mr.. Daily says that hundreds of lives
could have been saved had the boats been
filled, and he believes they would have
been filed had the people on the Titanic
realiztd that the vessel was really sink
ing.
Il have no criticism to make of the
crew or any of the men on the Titanic
They all were heroes. / have heard that
several persons were shot for crowdinE
into the lifeboats ahead of women, but
1 think these reports which were thought
to be pistol shots were the rockets sent
up as signals. ! saw one officer with a
small pistol"