The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1912-04-25
WOMEN AND CHILDREN
HAD FIRST CHANCE
FOR LIFEBOATS.
BAND WAS PLAYING
AS 1895 DROWNED
Strains of Nearer My God to
Thee Heard as Giant Steam
ship Went to Ocean Grave
Officers Use Pistols.

New York-With the arrival OF the
sorrow ship Carpatha has come q bet.
ter realization of the Titanic horror.
TIL" story of the passing Of the giant
liner as related by survivors is one Of
tears and heroism. 1t deals with the
courage Of men and the fortitude of
women. It is a story OF terror; OF in.
spring bravery; of hardships and mis-
cry 1t runs the gamut cf human emo
lions
Fifteen hundred and scventy.fve
persons died in the wreck Seven hun
dred and forty.hye wero saved
The Titanic went down with the
band playing During the long hours
while the Icerlvcu hulk was settling
lower and lower for the final PLUNGE.
the musicians rendered selection after
selection
Capt L. ] Smith followed the ira
ditions OF the sea. He stayed Mt his
post of duty on the bridge until the
last. then shot himself through the
head. according to some OF the sur
vivors
Others say Capt Smith jumped into
the sea. holding an infant in bis arms.
when the ship went down The child
he placed on a life raft. then took off
his life belt aud slipped into the icy
waters with the words Il will follow
the ship
Certain There Was an Explosion.
That there was an explosion OF boil
ers in the bowels Of the Titanic which
tore out much Of the double bottom.
soon after she smashed full TIT into Il
great mountain OF ice, seems a GER
tainty II was caused by n sudden in
rush of water after the keel plates Of
the great new liner had been torn
away when she hit the "grower" or
submerged horn of the big berg This.
experts soy. solves the problem Of
why the disabled liner did not remain
floating Her watcrtight compart-
ments were rendered useless and she
sank slowly beneath the surface,
Liner Was Going at Fearful Speed.
The mountain of ice that destroyed
the Titanic was almost the color of
water It was almost impossible to
distinguish II at great distance, and
the big liner was rushing through the
water at such n fearful rate of speed
that when the lookout in the GROWS
nest" reported "Ice ahead" there was
no one there to transmit the reverse
order before the crash came.
The captain was not standing watch
when the ship struck. Chief Officer
Murdoch was on the bridge. and he
Immediately pushed the electric but
ton which automatically closed the
doors. As he did this Capt. Smith
rushed to the bridge and at once made
tests of the lighting apparatus and
called for u report from the engine
room, while Murdoch was signalling
full speed astern,
Shock Causes No Alarm.
But already there was drop from
the bow, and the engine room sent
the word that the vessel was taking
water forward The shock had been
felt everywhere, but there was no
alarm How could hitting some ice
hurt the biggest vessel afloat7" Not
a soul on the steamer had even the
faintest inkling OF the horrible trag-
edy that impended. But soon Capt.
Smith noticed the big ship was drop
ping forward. and the indications were
that the bulkheads were giving way
and the engine rooms were being en-
dangered
Then he gave the order to get the
boats ready and the passengers over
the side, and at the same time sent
word to Wireless Operator Jack Phil.
lips to send out the international call,
the continental appeal for aid,
Get all persons in boat decks"
came the sharp order, and The array
of stewards oDcyed at once Evoryon.'
was ordered TO Assemble on deck with
the, ,i,, belts IN, Many refused. II Y
coula vot realize tina; there was GAN.
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