The Ordway new era., 1912-04-25

cept for the bitter cold for any one
who had to be out in the middle OF
the Atlantic ocean in an open boat,
and II ever there was a time when
such night was needed, surely II
was now. with hundreds Of people.
mostly women and children. afloat
hundreds of miles from land.
"The captainstoker told us that no
had been at sea twenty.six years and
had never yet seen such 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 1t was not possible
for any one to sec.
''In the distance she looked an enor-
nous length, her great bulk outlined
In black against the starry sky. every
port-hole and saloon blazing with
light. 1t was impossible to think any
thing could be wrong with such
leviathan we're It not for that ominous
tilt downward in tho bows. where the
water was by now up to the lowest
row of portfolios. Presently about
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 II proved.
She slowly tilted straight on end.
with tho stern vertically upward. and
as she did the lights in the cabins and
saloons. which had not fiickered for
a moment since we left, died out.
came on again for . single fash and
finally went out altogether. At the
same time the machinery roared
down through the vessel with rattle
and a grooming 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 fve minutes:
others In the boat say less. but 1t
certainly was some minutes. while We
watched at least $50 feet Of tho Titan.
ic towering above the level Of the
sea and looming back against the
sky.
"Thcn with n 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 fil,ed
to standing room with men and wom-
en- In every conceivable condition Of
dress and undress. above the perfect
sky OF brilliant stars with not cloud.
all tempered with bitter cold that
made us all long to be one Of the crew
who toilcd away with the oars and
kept themselves warm thereby-a
curious. dendon'ng bitter cold unlike
anything We had felt before.
CRIES ARE UNANSWERED.
And then. with all these there
fell on the ear the most appalling
to-thc cries Of hundreds OF our fcl.
low beings struggling In the icy cold
water. cry Ing fur hs!p with rrv
thrt we knew could not be answered
We longed to return and pick up some
OF those swimming. but this would
have meant swamp'ng our boat and
further loss Of the lives OF all OF us
We tried to sing to keep the WON,
en- from hearing the cries and rnwei
hard to get away from the scene q:
the wreck. hut I think the memory q!
those sounds will he one OF the
things the rescued will hnd II dif'l
cult to eFace IRON memory. We are
trying hard not 4, think OF It.
I'VE kept a lookout for lights and
several times II was shouted that
steamers lights were seen. but they
turned out to he either light from
another boat or star low down on
the horizon. About 2 a m. We saw
faint lights showing on the sky and
all reiciced to see what VIC expec,e'
was the coming dawn. but after
watching for half an hour and seeing
no change In the intensity of the
light. realized II was the northern
lights
presently low down on the horizon
We saw light. which slowly resolved
itself into n double light. and We
watched eagerly to see n the tive
lights would separate and 40 prove
to be only two Of our boats or whe,h
er they would remain together, Fr
which case We should expect them +,
he tho masthead light and deck
light below Of a rcscuIng steamer
CHEER SIGHT OF REscUER.
ITO our JOY they moved as one ant
and round we swung the boat ari
headed for her. The stecrsn2r
shouted: Now. boys. sing and 70,
the first time the boat broke into
song with Row for the Shore Roys
and for the first time tears came fo
the eyes of us all as we realized ,hn,
safety was at hand The song was
sMnX. DMt II was n NcrN nnnr t,,litn