The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-04-19
TITANIC GAVE GREAT
SILVER BEFORE SINKING

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Nathalie hung her watch around heI
neck We both wore two or three
coats, II was so cold outside.
When We got on the deck uncle and
aunt were there and went down
again 10 another part OF the steamer
and got my aunt Elizabeth. When
got back with her, there We're crowds
OF people standing all around No
body seemed very excited; everyone
was talking and II seemed to be tho
general idea that we would soon be
ordered back to bed.
Just then an officer came to us and
said we should go up TO the next deck
the boat deck By that time nearly
everyone was up. Mrs. John Jacob
Astor was there sitting in a steamer
chair. Her husband, Col. Astor, was
beside her and her maid was helping
her TO finish her dressing.
There was no confusion here even
yet. although we noticed that the boat
was beginning 10 list to the starboard
considerably. The men who had been
In the smoking room at the time the
ship struck said that they had seen
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of II was under water. Whatever
damage was done the vessel was done
beneath her water line. We knew. for
above she was in perfect condition.
She had hit the berg alongside, we
found out, and not in front.
After we had been on the top deck
for while, considerably more than
an hour, should say, the women
were told to stand in group by them
selves and TO be ready to get into the
Ilfe-boats. The men drew back and
the women stood at the railing.
This was the condition which pre-
vailed on our side of the boat. On
the other side the men and women
were not told 10 separate and that ac-
counts for the men who were saved.
Mr.. Ismay, director of the line, was
on that side OF the boat and so or
course got in one of the life boats
with the other men.
There was very little discipline In
fact there was practically none. Peo-
pie had 10 be begged 10 get into the
life-boats. No one thought the
Titanic was going TO sink and pas
sengers did not feel like trusting
themselves TO tiny open rowboats
when they were aboard the biggest
liner In the woSld,
At least they so argued with the
officers.
As soon as the men withdrew the
women were told to get into the life
boats. Most of them that did SO were
urged to il by their men relatives the
officers taking little part in H. We
never once saw the captain.
The boat we were in was the Sec
Ond to be let down over the side, but
the first to strike the water. In il,
though II would have held more, were
but 20 women, two sailors and a stew
ard The latter were 10 do the row.
ing. As We took to the oars the Of
fcer shouted 10 us TO row over 10 a
distant light and TO land there, send
ing the boat back for others.
We watched the other boats being
lowered as we got under way. And
then, In a few minutes, we noticed
that the Titanic began TO list more
heavily. After a while, when we were
a considerable distance away, whole
deck Of lights, the lowest deck, was
suddenly snuffed out. At the same
time, the mast lights dropped little
farther down in the star pointed oky.
After this, the tragedy moved with a
relentless swiftness. Deck by deck,
we watched the lights go out as the
boat dropped lower and lower into the
sea. At last but four rows Of lights
were left. Then the water reached
the portfolios, and, as il rushed in
here, there was one great explosion
and another and then the ship left
the horizon unbroken.
And those that were in the life
boats which were close to the vessel
say that the orchestra played till the
very last, and that the men went down
into the sea playing, Nearer My God
To Thee"
As soon as the ship sank We start
ed to row in good and earnest. All
right long we made those three men
keep to the oars. They wanted TO
stop but we teld them We had been
told to get to that light and that we
were going to do so, but the light
never seemed TO come nearer. As the
dawn crept out over the silent. cold
sea the light seemed only very little
larger than 1t had when we started
for Ii.
In the lifeboats il was terrible.
Some OF the women had scarcely any
clothes on at all and they suffered
greatly with the cold. One woman
had white satin slippers and an even.
ing dress on. | don't know whether
she had that attire on when we
struck, or whether in her excitement
she put Il on by mistake.
We were provided with the most
miserable little oil lamp have ever
seen. guess IL didn't have any kero-
sene In il for it kept going out as fast
az we could light it with the matches
which the steward happened TO bring
along. We couldn't have seen at all
nor signaled had It not been for the
fact that one woman had a cane that
had little electric light in the end
of IT, =
AS far as know there was no 1000
nor water in the craft, but ] will not
complain OF that, for we were the
luckiest ] guess, of all the survivors.
The other boats all leaked, and the
women told us afterwards that the
water was up to their knees. And
that water was below freezing point
81 degrees to be exact.
For nearly eight hours these 10
boatloads OF hysterical, cold wet,
hungry women and men were at the
mercy OF the elements.
During the darkness IL was bad
enough but the dawn brought fresh