The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-05-25
TITANTIC DISASTER.

DR. Dodge then read from this
settlement. which sulstantta,ed his &C
count of the situation
In view Of these conditions, the
query arises, why were any women
lost2 The list of survivors shows that
OF the frst-class women passengers
only fifteen we're lost or these, n'ne
( were ladies' maids travelling with their
employers What follows may account
for so many of the latter being lost.
/ II was related to me by a woman in
my lifeboat that just before she came
on deck and got into the boat, she saw
/ the purser's office surrounded by a
| crowd demanding their valuables,
which the purser and his assistant
we're endeavoring to hand ont as
quickly as possible In this crowd
we're many women. believe further,
/ that there were some women on some
of the lower decks who were not
! awakened at all.
No Sailors in Boat.
After we had been afoat possibly
Eal an hour | observed on looking
at the steamer, that the line of lights
from the portfolios showed that the
vessel had settled forward into the
water, but to no great extent This
vas a matter of considerable surprise
to me at the moment Watching the
vessel closely, it was seen from time
to time that this submergence forward
was increasing No one in our boat
however had any idea that the ship
was in any danger of sinking. In spite
OF the intense cold, a cheerful atmos
rhere pervaded those present, and
they INDUCED from time to time m
testing and even singing Pull For the
Shore, Sailor
Our boat contained no lantern, as
the regulations require. Nor was there
a single sailor or officer in the boat
Those who undertook to handle the
oars were poor oarsmen almost with
out exception, and our progress was
extremely slow Together with two
or three other lifeboats which were in
the vicinity, we endeavored to over
take the lifeboat which carried the
light, in order that we might not drift
away and possibly become lost This
light appeared to be quarter of a
mile distant, but in spite of our best
endeavors we were never able to
approach any nearer to it, although
We must have rowed at least a mile.
Heard Deaths Walls,
ANY impression which l had had
that there were no survivors aboard
vas speedily removed from my mind
by the faint, yet distinct, cries which
were waited across the waters Some
there We're in our boat who insisted
that these cries came from occupants
of the different lifeboats, which were
nearer the scene of the wreck than we
we're, as they called. one to another.
To my ear however, they had but one
meaning, and the awful fact was
borne in upon me that many lives
were perishing in those icy waters.
with the disappearance of the
steamer a great sense of loneliness
and depression seemed to take pos
session of those in our boat. Few
words were spoken. I heard the re-
mark This is no Joke! we may
knock about here days before we are
picked up, if at all And the hours
between this and daylight were spent
in ceaselessly scanning the ocean for
some sign of a steamers light. It
was recalled how we had been told
that four or five steamers would Be
J standing by within an hour or two,
and every pair Of eyes were strained
to the utmost to discover the first
| SlSH Vi approaching nelp,
Realized Situation.
"Out of the twenty lifeboats there
were probably four or I'VE that carried
lanterns The occupants of the Other
boats were, from time to time, appar
emily burning a piece of paper, as
were We in our boat. These facts lee
several in our boat to assert many
times that they saw a new light
which certainly must be a steamers
) light. With each disappointment add
ed gloom seemed to settle upon ou
little company, as they began to real
ize the seriousness of our situation.
About this time quite a breeze be
gan to spring up and the ocean be
came more rough. 1t was apparen
that we were drifting with the wind
being only partially able to keep tn,
how of the boat headed into the wind