Dewey County advocate. [volume] (Timber Lake, S.D.) 1910-1913, 1912-04-26
depression of death was ON the wait

depression of death was on the wait
ing men and women. 80
The crowds were held back two
blocks from the pier on the north,
east and south. Everything was done
to expedite the passage Of the res
cued ones and make their transfer
from pier to homes or hotels as easy
and as comfortable as possible. With
in the pier shed were hundreds who
had the keenest personal interest in
the survivors. From a score Of pas
sengers came the story Of their awful
experience.
The great liner was plunging
through a comparatively placid sea
on the surface of which there was
much mushy ice and here and there
a number of comparatively harmless
looking foes. The night was clear
and stars visible.
Chief officer Murdoch was in charge
of the bridge. The first intimatiOn
of the presence Of the iceberg that
he received was from the lookout in
the crews nest. They were SO close
upon the berg at this moment that
it was practically impossible to avoid
a collision with it. The first officer
did what other unstartled and alert
commanders would have done under
similar circumstances, that is he made
an effort by going full speed ahead
q. lis starboard propeller and re-
versing his port propeller simultane-
ously throwing his helm over to make
rapid turn and clear the berg.
These maneuvers were not sue
cessful. He succeeded in preventing
his bow from crashing into the ice
cliff, but nearly the entire length of
the great ship on the starboard side
was ripped.
The speed of the Titanic estimated
to be at least twenty-one knots, was
so terrific that the knifelike edge Of
the icebergs spur protruding under the
sea cut through her like a can-opener.
The shock was almost imperceptible.
The first officer did not apparently
realize that the great ship had re-
ceived it's death wound and none Of
the passengers it is believed had the
slightest suspicion that anything more
than a usual minor accident had hap
pened. Hundreds who had gone to
their berths and were asleep were not
awakened by the vibration.
Mr.. and Mrs. Astor were in their
room and saw the ice vision flash
by. They bad not appreciably felt
the gentle shock and supposed that
nothing out of the ordinary had hap
pened. They were both dressed and
came on deck leisurely. It was not
until the ship began to take heavy
list to starboard that a tremor of fear
pervaded it.
The crew had been called to clear
away the life boats of which there
were twenty-four which were collap-
sible. The boats that were lowered
on the port side Of the ship touched
the water without capsizing. Some
Of the others lowered to starboard, in
GLIDING one collapsible were cap
sized. All hands on the collapsible
boats that practically went to pieces
were rescued by the other boats.
Sixteen boats in all got away safely.
1t was even then the general impress
sion that the ship was all right and
there is no doubt that, that was the
belief of even some Of the officers.
At the lowering of the boats the Of
1lcers experimenting it were armed
with revolvers but there was no nee
essity for using them as there was
nothing in the nature Of panic and
no man made an effort to get into a
boat while the women and children
were being put aboard.
As the ship began to settle to star
board heeling at an angle Of nearly
forty-five degrees those who had be-
lieved it was all right to stick by the
ship began to have doubt and few
jumped into the sea. These were fol
lowed Immediately by others and in a
few minutes there were scores swim
ming around. Nearly all of them wore
life preservers.
Under instructions from officers
and men in charge, the life boats
were rowed a considerable distance
from the ship herself in order to get
away from the possible suction that
would follow the laundering. The
marvellous thing about the disappear
ance was so little suction as to be
hardly appreciable from the point
where the boats were floating. There
was ample time to launch all boats
before the Titanic went down, as it
was two hours and twenty minutes
afloat. So confident were all hands
that she had not sustained a mortal
wound that 1t was not until 1915 a.
m. or thirty-five minutes after the
berg was encountered, that the boats
were lowered. Hundreds of the crew
and large majority of the officers in
Guiding Captain Smith. stuck to the
ship to the II It. 1t was evident after
there were several explosions. which
doubtless were the boilers blowing
up, that she had but a few minutes
more of life.
The ship broke in half amidshil
and almost simultaneously the after
half and the forward half sank, the
forward half vanishing bow first and
the other half stern first.