Gilpin observer., 1912-04-25
JOHN C. PHILLIPS,
WIRELESS HERO
REMAINED AT POST AS LONG AS
HE COULD SEND A
MESSAGE.
URGED TO SAVE HIMSELF
AFTER USEFULNESS GONE, HE
LEAPED INTO THE SEA AND
DIED ON LIFERAFT.

New York.-At the very head of
wireless heroes must be placed the
name Of John George Phillips. the
young Englishman who was in charge
OF the wireless room on the ill-fated
Titanic. and who paid with his life the
price Of his faithfulness to duty.
Phillips was at his key when the
Titanic struck the iceberg which
broke her back" His assistant, Har-
to relieve him and was standing be-
side Phillips. clad in his pajamas,
when they both felt slight jar. A mo-
ment later Captain Smith came to the
door of the wireless room and told
Phillips that the ship had struck an
iceberg and the extent of the damage
was being ascertained.
You may have to send out the call
for assistance" said the captain, as
he left. In ten minutes he was back.
He told Phillips to send the call tor
help of the international code. The
two wireless operators were laughing
and joking as Phillips flashed the call,
having no idea that they were in any
real danger. The Carpathia soon TN.
swered and Phillips sent Bride to tell
the captain that she was coming to
help them.
Then l dressed" said Bride, who
was found in the wireless room of the
Carpathia when she docked, helping
the Carpathias overworked operator.
Il slipped an overcoat on to Phillips,
too, and for some time l ran back and
forth between him and Captain Smith
with messages. The wireless kept
growing weaker and weaker as the wa
ter got into the engine rooms and
flooded the current, but Phillips stuck
to his key.
Il strapped life belt on myself and
another on Phillips. He was talking
to the Olympic and telling her how
desperate our plight, when Captain
Smith came and told US We had done
all We could and for us to look out for
ourselves.
But Phillips stayed at his post. The
water came up around his legs, but he
stuck at his key, trying to reach any
ship he could. to get out every call for
help that he could possibly send. It
must have been ten minutes, anyway.
after the captain released him before
the current gave out and he had to
quit.
Il had gone out to see what chance
we had of getting into boat, and just
as came back for him a man from
ha1n toll ~ 10 har rL
the life preserver had put on him.
laid the man out and Phillips and
ran aft. We separated and never
saw him alive again.
Ill never forget his sticking to that
key, with the water washing his legs.
when the captain himself had told him
to save himself. He would have stuck
longer II he had been able to send any
thing"
Bride was saved in one OF the last
boats that left the Titanic, and after a
few hours rest on the Carpathia he
turned in and helped her operator send
and receive the flood Of messages that
deluged the rescue ship.
Phillips stuck to his post until the
last. jumped from the sinking ship.
was taken aboard the life raft and
died before rescuers reached him &C.
cording to the story told here by Thom-
as Whitley, who was a waiter in the
saloon OF the Titanic. Whitley IL in
st. vincent's hospital, suffering from
fractured right leg and numerous
bruises.
phillips was on the overturned life
bot with me-" Whitley said. HE was
dead when taken aboard the Carpa-
thia. They tried to revive him. but It
was to late. There were four burials
at sea-one sailor, two firemen and
Phillips"
1t is believed Whitely's story clears
the doubt surrounding the identity OF
the fourth man buried from the Car
pathia. 1t was at first believed this
man was n cabin passenger. but
Whitley declares 1t was Phillips.