Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-05-02
VICTIMS Of SEA HORROR
WENT DOWN LIKE HEROES

New York, April 1e-The following
account Of the sinking of the Titanic
and the rescue OF 745 Of its passen-
gers and crew was given by Mr.,
Beasley of London, one of the pas
sengers on the Inflated steamer:
The voyage from Queenstown had
been quite uneYentful; very fine
weather was experienced and the sea
vas quite calm. The wind had been
westerly to southwesterly the whole
way, but very cold, particularly the
last Gay; in fact, after dinner on Sun
day evening 1t was almost too cold to
be cut on deck at all. | had been in
ny berth for about ten minutes, when,
a. about 11:15 p. m, l felt slight
far, and then, soon after, a second
one, but not sufficiently large to cause
any anxiety to any one, however nerv-
GUS they may have been. However,
the engines stopped Immediately aft
| erwards, and my first thought was
She has lost propeller l. went up
on the top (boat) deck in a dressing
gown and found only a few people
there, who had come up similarly to
inquire why we had stopped, but
there was no sort of anxiety in the
minds of any one.
CARD PLAYERS SAW ICEBERG.
I've saw through the smoking-room
window a game Of cards going on and
went in to inquire if they knew any
thing; it seems they felt more of the
jar, and looking through the window
had seen huge iceberg go by close
to the side of the boat. They thought
we had just grazed it with a glancing
blow and the engines had been
stopped to see if any damage had
been done. No one, of course, had any
conception that she had been pierced
| below by part of the submerged ice
| berg. The game went on without any
thought of disaster, and l retired to
my cabin to read until We went on
again. l never saw any Of the players
or the onloOkers again. A little later,
hearing people going upstairs, I went
out again and found every one want
ing to know why the engines had
stopped. No doubt many were awak-
ened from sleep by the sudden stop
| ping of vibration to which they had
become accustomed during the four
days we had been on board. Natural
ly, with such powerful engines as the
Titanic carried, the vibration was very
noticeable all the time, and the sud-
den stopping had something the same
effect as the stopping of a loud tick
ing gTandfather's clock in a room.
con going on deck again I saw that
there was an undoubted list down
wards from stern to bows, but, know
ing nothing of what had happened
| concluded some of the front compart
ments had filled and weighed her
down. I went down again TO put on
warmer clothing and as I dressed
heard an order shouted:
EIFEBoATS ORDERED.
"'AI passengers on deck with life
belts on
1--WE all walked slowly up with them
tied on over our clothing, but even
then presumed this was wise pre-
caution the captain was taking, and
that we should return in a short time
and retire to bed. There was a total
absence of any panic or any express
| siOns Of alarm, and I suppose this
can be accounted for by the exceed
ingly calm night and the absence of
any signs of the accident. The ship
was absolutely still and except for a
| gentle tilt downward, which I don't
think one person in ten would have
| noticed at that time, no signs of the
approaching disaster were visible
| She lay just as if she were waiting
/ the order to go on again, when some
trifing matter had been adjusted
/ But in a few moments we saw the
/ covers lifted from the boats, and the
crews allotted to them standing by
and curling up the ropes which were
/ to lower them by the pulley blocks
| into the water.
eve then began to realize it was
! more serious than had been supposed,
/ and my first thought was to go down
and get more clothing and some
money, but seeing people pouring up
/ the stairs decided it was better to
cause no confusion to people coming
up by doing so. Presently we heard
the order:
WOMEN TORN FROM HUSBANDS.
All men stand back away from
/ the boats and all ladies retire to
/ next deck below!'-the smoking-room
deck or B deck. The men all stood
away and remained in absolute 81
lence, leaning against the end ratings
/ of the deck or pacing slowly up and
down. The boats were swung out
/ and lowered from A deck When they
were to the level of B deck, where all
the ladies were collected, the ladies
got in quietly, with the exception OF
some who refused to leave their hus-
bands. In some cases they were torn
from them and pushed into the boats,
but in many instances they were al
lowed to remain because there was
no one to insist hey should go.
Looking over the side, one saw
boats from aft already in the water,
slipping quietly away into the dark
ness, and presently the boats near to
me were lowered and with much
creaking as the new ropes slipped
| through the pulley blocks down the
ninety feet which separated them
from the water. An officer in uni
form came up as one boat went down
and shouted: When you are a1oat,
row round to the companion ladder
and stand by with the other boats for
orders
Aye, aye, sir came up the reply,
but I don't think any boat was able
ESTIMATED WEALTH {