The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-19

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was launched too late to get away
and was overturned by the ship sink
ing. Some of those in it-an, say
1 some witnesses-found safety on a
raft or were picked up by life boat.
From the Marconi tower, almost TO
! the last, the click of the sending IN
! strument was heard over the waters.
Green Light Beacon.
Led by the green light. under the
| light of stars, the boats drew away,
and the bow, then the quarter, rnen
the stacks and LAST the stern or the
marvel ship Of a few days DeIore
passed beneath the waters The great
force of the ships sinking was unaid-
ed by any violence of the elements
and the suction, not so great as nao
been feared, rocked but mildly the
group of boats now quarter OF a mile
distant from it.
Sixteen boats were in the process
sion which entered on the terrible
hours of rowing, drifting and sus-
pense Women wept for lost nus
bands and sons, sailors sobbed for the
ship which had been their pride Men
choked back tears and sought to COM
fort the widowed Perhaps, they
said other boats might have put orr
in another direction toward the last'
They strove, though none too sure
themselves, to convince the women
of the certainty that rescue snip
would appear.
Early dawn brought no ship, but
not long after o'clock. the Carpa-
thia, far out of her path ana making pa
IS knots instead Of her wonted 10,
showed her single red and blacN
smokestack upon the horizon In the
Joy of that moment the heaviest grlefs
were forgotten.
soon afterward, Captain Rostron
and Chief Steward Hughes We're wei
coming chilled and bedraggled arriv-
ais over the CarPathia'S side
THE silence of the Carpathia's en-
gines, the piercing cold, the clamor OF
many voices in the conpanionWays,
had caused me to dress hurriedly and
awaken my wife at $40 a. M, Mon
day. Our stewardess, meeting me out
side, pointed to a waiting host IN the
rear dining room, said, From the II
ia mic; she's at the potion of the
ocean,
Women in Costly Furs.
AT the ships side a moment later,
l saw the last of the line of boats dis
charge their loads and saw women,
some with cheap shawls about their
heads, some with the costliest OF fur
cIoaks, ascending the ships side. And
such joy as the first sight of our ship
may have given to them had d1sap-
peared from their faces and there
were tears and signs of falterinS as
the women were helped Up the lad
ders or hoisted aboard in swings. For
lack of room to put them, several or
the Titanic's boats, after unloading,
were set adrift.
eat our north was broad ice field,
the length of hundreds of Carpathtas
Around us on other sides were sharp
and glistening peaks. One black berg,
seen about 10 a. M, was said TO De
that which sunk the Titanic.
I'm his tiny house over the second
cabin smoking room was Harold Cot
ton. the Marconi operator, rudy
English youth whose work at his post,
ID limo ~
almost midnight, had probably saved
the lives of the budding hundreds
below.
Already he was knitting his brows
over the problem of handling the mes
sages which were coming in patches
from the purser's office The haste
with which these Marconigrams was
prepared by their senders was needless
in view of the wait of two days and
two nights for a land connection.
The California, a cattle ship, came
near US and though it gave no sign OF
having any of the Titanic's refugees
on board it's presence in the vicinity
gave hope to many women who were
encouraged in the belief that the Cali
fornia might have picked up their
loved ones.
Captain Rostrons decision to aban-
don the Mediterranean trip and to re-
turn to an American port was soon
known to the passengers. At first 1t
was reported that Halifax or Boston
the notice of the intended arrival at
New York three days later was posted.
Few men of the Carpathia's pas
senger list slept in i bed in any of the
nights that followed They and the
men of the Titanic lay in chairs on
deck, on dining tables or smoking
room couches, or on the floors of the
rooms which held their hand baggage.
room, which was used as hospital.
Mrs. John Jacob Aston and the
Countess of Rothes had been taken to
staterooms soon after their arrival on
Mrs. Aston said sh5 spoke often of her
husbands ability as an Oarsman, and
said he could save himself If he had a
chance. That he could have had such
a chance. she seemed hardly to hope.
Bruce Ismay Frustrated.
ITO another stateroom a tall dark
man had been conducted, his head
bowed, anguish in his face. He was
Bruce Ismay, head of the International
Mercantile Marine and CHEF owner Of
Olympic. He had made the maiden
voyage on each Of his company's great
ships. He remained in his room in a
physicians care during the voyage
back to New York Captain Rostron,
his only caller, was not admitted to see
him until Tuesday evening.
Held Wheel When Ship Struck.
Robert FIickens, one of the six sur
viving quartermasters of the Titanic,
the man who was on duty at the wheel
when the ship struck the iceberg, told
me the story of the wreck on the Car
pathia Thursday.
Save for the surviving fourth Off
Ger. Boxhall, whose lips are sealed,
fIickens saw Sunday nights tragedy at
closer range than any man now living.
His story was:
went on watch at o'clock Sun
day night and stood by the man at the
wheel until 10. At 10 took the wheel
for two hours. On the bridge from 10
o'clock were Fourth Officer Murdoch
Fourth officer Boxhall and Sixth officer