Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-09-20
STORY OF CAPT. RosTRoN.
carpathia's Captain Describes Boyhood
at Sea.

at Sea.
AS he busied himself polishing up
a large gold disk, Capt. Arthur Hen
ry Rostron, in his cabin on the Car
pathia this morning, remarked that
this was the third medal he had re-
ceived in connection with the Titanic
rescue. The first medal came from
the survivors, the second from the
Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane So
ciety, and the third, which he receiv-
ed on Saturday, from the Life Saw
ers' Benevolent association, which has
its headquarters at 81 Wall street, this
city.
There are two more medals COM
ing" said Capt. Rostron, in a modest
and matter-of-fact tone, 'the con-
gressional medal and the decoration
known as the American Cross Of Hon
or. And, by the way. would you like
to see a nice loving cup I got the
other day?"
Out of q soft blue bag he fished a
handsome silver cup standing about
five inches high. This was presented
to him on the Carpathia's arrival by
Mr.. and Mrs. Compton, survivors of
the wreck.
The skipper Of the rescue ship was
suffering from a cold and soon laid
himself down on the couch in his
snug cabin under the shelter Of red
and black bath robe. He is congrat-
ulating himself these days on the fact
that he was able to spend quite lit
tie time with his family recently be-
cause he had to return to England to
give his testimony before the Titanic
board of inquiry. Usually the cap
tains and officers of English passen-
ger ships in the New York-Mediter-
ranean trade get home only when the
ship goes to her hailing port for the
annual overhaul.
Capt. Rostron is the proud father of
three boys who make things lively
for Mrs. Rostron at their home near
Liverpool.
Are your boys going to follow in
your footsteps and go to sea?" the
captains visitor asked.
II don't know" he replied with a
grin; you never can tell what boys
will do. 1 wouldn't want them to fol-
low anything for which they did not
seem to have a natural inclination.
When 1 was a kiddie I was bound to
go to sea-couldn't keep me away
from it. My father was a bleacher at
Bolton, Lancashire. That Is not sea-
port, but 1 seemed to smell the salt
from afar and it lured me. My father
decided that he couldn't do anything
else with me, so when I was IA years
old he packed me off to Liverpool,
where I went aboard the training ship
Conway.
"She was a grand old ship, always
anchored there in the Mersey, and I
remained aboard of her as apprentice
boy for two years. Many an English
sea-faring man received his first
knowledge aboard of the Conway.
The Carpathia's commander got up
and went to the table for a cigarette,
which he smoked despite the cough.
His mind seemed to have taken a
reminiscent turn, for he smiled as he
smoked thoughtfully for a time.
THE events of my first voyage
come back to me with as much vivid
ness as those Of the night the Titanic
foundered," he continued. when 1
was 16 years old I went as an appren-
tice aboard a ship called Cedric the
Saxon. To me. she embodied all the
romance and likelihood Of adventure
that I had ever dreamed Of.
There were three other Conway
boys as apprentices on that trip. We
sailed from Hull bound for San Fran
cisco with railroad iron. The Cedric
was an iron ship Of about 1900 tons,
built in 1875, think. She was very
smart ship and had a reputation for
speedy passages, so l was very proud
-chesty I guess you call ito go in
her. can remember her fine lines
and towering masts and the black hull
with painted ports.
Nothing very much happened dur
ing the first part of the voyage. Rou-
tine work, light winds and an inti-
mate acquaintance with the carpenter
and sailmaker are what I remember.
I was fascinated by the life. learning
navigation and sailormanship. The
carpenter and the sailmaker berthed
in the deckhouse forward. where we
apprentices lived. so they came to be
very important factors in our daily
life.
when we reached Cape Horn
things took sudden change and we
ran into terrific gales. Heavy winds
and tremendous seas from the west
ward beat us back continually and
all hands were almost exhausted
shortening sail and setting the can
vass during lulls in the storm. We