The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-19

and what I shall tell any marine court
| that may examine me-
"G Whiteman, of Palmyra, N. J., the
Titanic's barber, was lowering boats on
| deck after the collision and declares the
officers on the bridge, one of them Sec
| ond Officer Murdoch, promptly worked
| the electric apparatus for closing the
water-tight compartments. He believes
| the machinery was in some way so
! damaged by the crash that the front
compartments failed to close tightly,
| although the rear ones were secure.
Boilers Blew Up.
'Whitemans manner of escape was
unique. He was blown off the deck by
the second of the two explosions of the
boilers, and was in the water more than
two hours before he was picked up by
a raft.
The explosions Whiteman said,
were caused by the rushing in of the
icy water on the boilers. A bundle Of
deck chairs, roped together, was blown
off the deck with me and 1 struck my
back, injuring my spine, but it served
as d temporary raft.
{" The crew and passengers had faith
in the bulkhead system to save the ship
and we were lowering a collapsible boat
all confident the ship would get
through, when she took a terrific dip
forward and the water rushed up and
swept over the Geek and into the en-
CINE rooms.
The bow went clear down, and I
caught the pile of chairs as I was
washed up against the rail. Then came
the explosions which blew me Is feet
:" After the water had filed the for
ward compartments the ones at the
stern could not save her. They did de-
lay the ships going down. If it had not
been for the compartments hardly any,
one could have got away.
The water was too cold for me to
7 ha
feet away when the ship went down.
The suction was not what one would
expect and only rocked the water
around us I was picked up after two
hours. I have done with the sea-
To most of the passengers the mid
night crash againEt the mountain did
not seem of terrific force Many were
so little disturbed by it that they hest
tated to dress and put on life preserV-
ers, even when summoned by thunder
ing knocks and shouts of the stewards
Bridge players in the smoking room
kept on with their game
Once on the deck, many hesitated
to enter the swinging life boats. The
CLASSY sea, the starlit sky, the absence,
in the first few moments of intense ex-
element gave them the feeling that
here was only some slight mishap-
that those who got into the boats
would have chilly half hour below,
and might later be laughed at
Astor and Wife Refused Offer to Leave
ut was such a feeling as this, from
all accounts, which caused John Jacob
Aston and his wife to refuse the places
offered them in the first boat and to
retire to the gymnasium. In the same
way H. J. Allison, Montreal banker
laughed at the warning, and his wife,
treasured by him, took her time dress
ing. They and their daughter did not
reach the Carpathia. Their son, less
than two years old, was carried into
life boat by nurse and was taken
in charge by Major Arthur Peuchen.
The admiration felt by the passengers
and crew for the matchlessly appoint
ed vessel was translated in those first
few moments into a confidence, which
for some proved deadly.
Frederick *. Seward. who sat next
to W. T. Stead at the Titanic's saloon
table told of the veteran English jour
nalist's plans for ihs American visit.
His immediate purpose was to aid in
the New York campaign of the Men
and Religion Forward Movement.
" Mr.. Stead talked much of spirit