The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-04-26

podt IA dropped into the Wafer tn,-
the space we had the omen ba,ass
occupied. u gunwales almost ,oasa
ing.
We drifted away easily as the o,-
were got out and headed directs
away from the ship. The e,...
seemed TO me to be mostly COOKS 1.
white jackets. two to an oar, with
a stoker at the tiller. There wa. !.
certain amount OF shouting from ons
end OF the boat to the other. ana AZ.
cussion as 10 which way we sbor,d =
but finally 1t was decided to elect IN.
stoker, who was steering, captain ana
for all to obey his orders
SEA CALM AS A POND.
The captain-stoker told us that h.
mad been at sea tw~enty-six years and
had neve yet Vel such a calm niyh,
on the Atlantic. AS we rowed AVA
from the Titanic we looked back from
time to time to watch her, and A mo,.
striking spectacle it was not possible
for any one to see.
In the distance she looked an eno,.
nous length, her great bulk oatllnaa
in black against the starry sky. eyery
portfolio and saloon blazing viii
light. 1t was impossible to think an,.
thing could be wrong with such .
leyiathan were 1t not for that omlnsr.
tilt downward In the bows. where the
water was by now up to the lowest
row OF portfolios. Presently abou, I
a. m, as near as ! can remember. wa
observed her settling very rapidly
with the bows and the bridge com.
pletely under water, and concluded
1t was now only a question of minutes
before she went; and so It 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 fickered 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 II
certainly was some minutes, while we
watched at least $50 feet OF the Titan.
lie towering above the level OF the
sea and looming back against the
sky.
"Then with a 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 as
the gentle heaying 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 a 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 listed
to-.he cries of hundreds OF our "a
low beings struggling in the fey cold
water, crying for help with a cry
that we knew could not be answered.
We 1onged to return and pick up some
of those swimming, but this would
have meant swamping u boat and
further loss OF the lives OF all Of US,
I'VE tried to sing to keep the won,
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 II diff.
cult to efface from memory. We are
hard not to think OF It.
I'VE kept a lookout for lights and
several times it was shouted that
steamers lights were seen, but they
turned out to be either a light from
another boat or a star low down on
the horizon. About 3 a. m. We saw
faint lights showing on the sky and
all rejoiced to see what we expected
was the coming dawn, but after
watching for half an hour and seeing
no change in the intensity Of the
light. realized 1t was the northern
Presently low down on the horizon
saw a light, which slowly resolved
Itself into a double light. and we
watched eagerly to see If the two
lights would separate and so prove
be only two Of our boats or wheth.
sr they would remain together. In
which case we should expect them to
,e the masthead light and a deck
light below Of a r~escuing steamer.
CHEER SIGHT OF REscUER.
ITO our Joy they moved as one and
md round we swung the boat and
for her. The steersman
houted; Now, boys, sing and for
he first time the boat broke into
ong with Row for the Shore. Boys,
nd for the first time tears came to
he eyes of us all as we realized that
afety was at hand. The song was
ung, but It vas a very poor imita.
ION OF the real thing. for quavering
oices make poor songs. A cheer was
v next, and that was better-~yon
.eep In tune for a cheer"