davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-28
Tells How He and Phillips Worked and How He
Dealt With Stoker Who Tried to Steal Phillips Life Belt
= Titanic's Band Played Autumn as She Went Down

was just lending a hand when large
wave came awash of the deck.
The big wave carried the boat off. /
had hold of an oarlock, and 1 went on
with 1t. The next l knew l was in the
boat.
But that was not ALL I was in the
boat, and the boat was upside down, and
l was under 1t. And I remember realiz-
ing that | was wet through, and that
whatever happened I must not breathe,
for / was under water.
knew had to fight for it, and / did.
How got out from under the boat do
not know, but felt a breath of air at
last.
There were men. all around me-hun-
dreds of them. The sea was dotted with
them, all depending on their life belts.
felt l simply had to get away from the
ship. She was beautiful sight then.
Smoke and sparks were rushing out of
her funnel There must have been an
explosion, but we had heard none. We
only saw the big stream of sparks. The
ship was gradually turning on her nose
just like duck does that goes down for
| a dive. I had only one thing on my mind
to get away from the suction. The
band was still playing. Il guess all of the
band went down.
They were playing Autumn then. i
swan with all my might. / suppose
was $50 feet away when the Titanic on
her nose, with her after-quarter sticking
straight up in the air, began to settle
slowly.
Pulled Into Boat.
When at last the waves washed over
her rudder there wasn't the least bit of
suction l gould feel She must have kept
going just SO slowly as she had BEEN
l forgot to mention that, besides the
Olympic and Carpathia, we spoke some
German boat, / don't know which, and
told them how we were. We also spoke
the Baltimore. remembered those things
as l began to figure what ships would
be coming toward us.
I felt, after a little while, like sink
ing. / was very cold. l saw a. boat of
some kind near me and put all my
strength into an effort to swim to 1t. 1t
was hard work. l was all done when a
hand reached out from the boat and
pulled me aboard 1t was our same col
lapsible. The same crowd was on 1t.
There was just room for me to roll on
happened. Somebody sat on my legs.
They were wedged in between stats and
were being wrenched. l had not the
heart left to ask the man to move. 1t
was a terrible sight all around-men
swimming and sinking.
I lay where I was, letting the man
wrench my feet out of shape. Others
came near Nobody gave them a hand.
The bottom-up boat already had more
men than 1t would hold and 1t was sink
ing.
At first the larger waves splashed over
my clothing. Then they began to splash
over my head, and I had to breathe
when / could.
AS we fioated around on our capsized
boat, and l kept straining my eyes for a
ships lights, somebody said, Don't the
rest of you think We ought to pray?'
The man who made the suggestion asked
what the religion of the others was. Each
man called out his religion. One was
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-28

pathia was alongside and the people
Woeo being taken up rope laddor.
Our boat drew near and one by one th9
men we're taken OF OF 1t.
One Dead on the Raft.
One man was dead. / passed him
and went to the ladder. although my
feet panied terribly. The dead man
was Phillips. He had died on the raft
from exposure and cold, I guess. He
had been all in from work before the
wreck came. He stood his ground until
the crisis had passed, and then he had
collapsed. / guess
But I hardly thought that then. I
didn't think much Of anything. I tried
the rope ladder. My feet panied terribly.
but I got to the top and felt hands
reaching out to me. The next / knew
a woman was leaning over me In a
cabin, and 1 felt her hand waving back
my hair and rubbing my face.
/ felt somebody at my feet and felt
the warmth OF a jolt of liquor. Some
body got me under the arms. Then
was hustled down below to the hospital.
That was early In the day. ! guess. I
lay in the hospital until near night.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-28
TTTANC'S &c. Cd" WAS CAUGHT BY A LUCKY FLUKE

Copyright, 1912. by the New York Times Com
pany.)
GOT the Titanic's &C. Q. D." call at
11:20 o'clock, New York time, on
last Sunday night 1t was this
~ Come at once. We've struck a
berg. It's c. Q. D. call. old man."
Then the Tftanic's operator followed
with his position. which was latitude
41.46 north and longitude sofa west.
Shall l go to the captain and tell
him to turn back at once?" I asked
Eyes, yes" came the instant reply
l went to the bridge and notified First
Ofiicer Dean of the call for help. He
reused Capt. Rostron, who was taking
his turn below, and he issued orders to
turn the ship about Immediately.
/ hurried back to my cabin, and just
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-28

as l got there l heard the Titanic work.
ing the Frankfort. The Titanic was
having trouble in getting the Frankfort
signals because escaping steam and air
from the expansion joint were making
the signals almost indistinguishable.
apparently only got the Ttanics posi-
ton. but couldn't raise him.
think received the c. 9. d. seven to
ten minutes after the Titanic struck.
1t was only a streak OF luck that
got the message at all. for on the previ-
Gus night had been up until $3.50 O clock
in the morning, and the night before that
until 3 o'clock. and had planned to get
to bed early that night.
thought I'd take some general news.
as I didn't know how the coal strike In
England was going. and Vas interested
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-28

l put those on. and an extra jacket, and
l put that on. l saw Phillips standing
out there still sending away, giving the
Carpathia details of just how we were
doing.
We picked up the Olympic and told her
We were sinking by the head and were
about all down. AS Phillips was sending
the message 1 strapped his life belt to his
back. / had already put on his over
coat
/ wondered if I could get him into his
boots. He suggested with sort of laugh
that / look out and see If all the people
were off in the boats, or If any boats
were left. or how things were.
The Last Boat Left.
l saw collapsible boat near a funnel
and went over to it. Twelve men were
trying to boost it down to the boat deck
They were having an awful time. 1t
was the last boat left. / looked at il
longingly a few minutes. Then l gave
them hand, and over she went. They
all started to scramble in on the boat
deck, and 1 walked back to Phillips.
said the last raft had gone
Then came the captains voice: Men,
you have done your full duty. You can
it's every man for himself. You look
out for yourselves. l release you. That IS
the way Of it at this kind OF a time.
Every man for himself
l looked out. The boat deck was
awash. Phillips chung on, sending and
sending. He chung on for about ten
minutes, or maybe fifteen minutes, after
the captain had released him. The
water was then coming into our cabin.
While he worked something hap
pened l hate to tell about. I was back
in my room. getting Phillips money for
saw stoker, or somebody from below
decks, leaning over Phillips from be-
hind. He was too busy to notice what
the man was doing. The man was slip
ping the life belt off Phillips back.
He was big man. too. AS you can
see, I am very small. I don't know
what 1T was 1 got hold Of / remem-
bered in a flash the way Phillips had
chung on-how 1 had to fix that life
belt in place because he was too busy
to do it.
1 knew that man from below decks
had his own life belt and should have
known where to get it.
I suddenly felt a passion not to let
that man die decent sailors death. ]
wished he might have stretched rope
or walked a plank. I did my duty. j
hope I finished him. 1 don't know.
We left him on the cabin floor of the
wireless room, and he was not moving
Band Plays in Ragtime.
From aft came the tunes of the band
It was a ragtime tune, 1 don't know
what. Then there was Autumn" Phil.
lips ran aft, and that was the last / ever
saw of him alive.
I went to the place 1 had seen the col
lapsible boat on the boat deck and to my
surprise I saw the boat and the men still
trying to push it off. I guess there
wasn't a sailor in the crowd. They
couldn't do it. / went up to them and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-28

in 1t. When l had been taking this some
time there was a batch of messages COM
ing through for the Titanic from the
ng-distance Marconi wireless station at
Cape Cod. which transmits the day news
at 1890 New York me every evening
When Cape Cod had been going some
time he started sending a batch of mes
sages for the Titanic, and. having heard
the Titanic man being pushed with work
during the afternoon, I thought I'd give
him hand by taking them and retrans-
uniting them the following morning, as
l had nothing much to work on.
As l was the nearest station to the
Titanic. it was more or less my duty to
retransmit them to him. When Cape Cod
finished made up my daily list OF COM
munications and reported them to the
officer on watch. On returning to the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-28

| that the Carpathia had been making be-
tween seventeen and eighteen knots. Her
| usual speed is about thirteen to four
teen knots.
There was double watch of men in
the engine department, and everything
that could be done to hasten our arrival
| at the location of the Titanic was being
done.
All this time we were hearing the IT,
| tanic, sending her wireless out over
! the sea in last call for help.
I'VE are sinking fast" was one which
I picked up being sent to the Olympic.
The Frankfurt kept calling and ask
ing US what was the matter, but
though she must have been nearer to
the Titanic than we were she never
arrived there until after we had picked
York.
Just before we reached the Titanic I
got this message. and 1T was the last
one I received:
flooded up to the boilers"
I answered that our boats were
ready. and for them to get theirs ready
to get there IN time doing here u
no reply. 1t was 1855 New York time
when | got this last signal from the
Titanic.
1 kept calling to warn them to look
out for our rockets which were being
constantly sent up, but 1 shall never
know whether he heard me or not.
from. lido until We reached the
spot where the Titanic foundered I
was listening for a spark from his en-
Urgency set, and when didn't hear 1t
was sure that he had gone down.
The first sign we got, shortly before
dawn, was a green light or the port
bow OF the Carpathia. It was q beacon
on one OF the small boats, and we knew
then that the Titanic had gone, but
that there were survivors for US to
pick up.
I was kept busy in the wireless room
for the next few minutes. and the first
OF the rescue that / saw was q boat
alongside and the passengers being
hauled aboard.
Most OF them were women and chill
dren. Some were crying. and they
seemed overcome by the calamity. AS
they were raised to the deck several of
them collapsed.
Daylight showed that we were right on
the scene Of the disaster. for there were
ten or q dozen boats aroun.. us when It
became light enough to see, and a. rapid
~ as possible their occupants were taken
aboard.
We remained near the spot, locking for
additional survivors. for shout three
hours. and then, convinced that there
was no human being alive IN the SEA OF
ice in which we doated. We started tor
New York.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-28

After hearing the Frankfort, then, /
heard the Olympic calling the Titanic
with a service message. and as the tt
tanic didn't reply. apparently he couldn't
hear the Olympic. said to the Titanic:
Don't you hear the Olympic calling
you? Go ahead and call.
My wireless wasn't of as late type as
that aboard the Titanic, so that my calls
would have had no effect.
The only other ship heard at this time
was the Baltic. She was calling Cape
Race The Titanic exchanged sundry
signals with the Carpathia. but appar-
emily the Olympic and the Carpathia were
the only ships that heard them.
We steamed with every ounce Of speed
In us in the direction given by the Ti-
tanic. and we reached the spot just be-
fore dawn. One Of the engineers told me
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-28
COL Graces Story Of His Miraculous Escape From the Sea-

pathetic and the most horrible scene of
all. The piteous cries Of those around
us still ring in my ears. / Will remem-
Der them to my dying day.
Hold on to what you have, old boy,
we shouted to each man who tried to get
aboard
Zone more of you aboard would sink us
all And many whom we. we refused sauss an
Good luc'- and God bless you."
Saw Lights Everywhere.
All the time we were buoyed and sus-
| tanned by hope for rescue We saw lights
in all directions, particularly in front,
where green lights shone and rockets
were fired in the air. We learned later
that the lights and the rockets came from
one of the Titanic's lifeboats. And SO we
, passed the night-with the waves wash
ing over us and the raft buried deep in
water, under our feet
Did we pray? Through all that wild
night there was not moment that our
prayers did not rise above the waves.
Men who seemed to have forgotten long
ago how to address their Creator recalled
the prayers Of their childhood. and MUIR
INJURED them over and over again. We
| said the Lords Prayer again and again
together.
Long before light we stood in columns,
two deep, back to back, balancing our
| selves. fearful to move lest the delicate
| balance should be disturbed and all Of
us thrown again into the water We
were standing and were content to stand
and pray, knowing that in that alone lay
seemed to have soothed the sea and 1t
was calm.
Carpathia Is Sighted.
An age seemed to have passed when
we first saw the twinkling lights of the
Carpathia on the horizon. We knew her
and recognized her as our rescuer The
Marconi operator-one Of the thirty-five
| on the raft-confirmed our hopes by say
| ing that he. too, knew that it was the
| Carpathia. While we looked, some one
whispered that there was also a ship be-
| hind us. We dared not look, so fearful
were we that we would disturb the bal
ance.
| one man to look behind while the
| others stayed still. The slipping Of
| one man would have meant DEATH
! probably, to all of US. The man who
| no ship behind.
When the day broke, four Of the
| THAMES lifeboats were seen on our
! port side. The second officer blew his
whistle to call attention to our pre-
carious condition, and the head life
boat, towing another. came to our
help.
The transfer, fraught with peril, fol-
lowed. The second officer was the last
| man of the raft. Just before he left
| 1T he lifted into the boat the body of a
sailor who had died of cold and ex-
posture we prayed. /, with my
soggy overcoat heavy with water,
pitched headforemost into the boat,
trying my utmost not to disturb the
equilibrium Of the raft. In this boat
! saw several OF my companions on
the raft. Others had gotten into the
other boat.
Our boat. however, had more than it's
complement. sixty-five persons. Fortu
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-28
!. and it may be your last chance to

send it,
Philips with laugh Ehs cn nsnsn the ,o,a sis
we had been struck amidships, or just
back of amidships. 1t was ten minutes,
Phillips told me. after he had noticed
the iceberg that the slight jolt that was
the collisions only signal to us oc-
Cured We thought we were good
distance away.
We said lots of funny things to each
other in the next few minutes. We
picked up first the steamship Frank
said we had struck an Iceberg and
needed assistance. The Frankfurt opera
tor went away to tell his captain.
He came back and We told him we were
sinking by the head. BY that time we
could observe distinct list forward.
The Carpathia answered our signal.
We told her our position and said we
were sinking by the head. The opera
tor went to tell the captain, and in five
minutes returned and told us that the
captain Of the Carpathia was putting
about and heading for US.
Great Scramble on Deck.
Our captain had left, us at this time
and Phillips told me to run and tell him
what the Carpathia had answered. did
so. and went through an awful mass of
people to las cabin. decks were full of
scrambling men and women. / saw no
fighting. but heard tell of it.
1 came back and heard Phillips giving
the Carpathia fuller directions. Phillips
told me to put on my clothes. Until
that moment / forgot that / was not
dressed.
/ went to my cabin and dressed.
brought an overcoat to Phillips. 1t was
very cold. / slipped the overcoat upon
h.sn while he worked.
Every few minutes Phillips would send
me to the captain with little messages.
They were merely telling how the Car
pathia was coming our way and gave
her speed
that they were putting off women and
children in lifeboats. I noticed that the
list forward was increasing.
Phillips told me the wireless was grow
ing weaker. The captain came and told
us our engine rooms were taking water
much longer. We sent that word to the
Carpathia.
I went out on deck and looked around
The water was pretty close up to the
boat deck. There was a great scramble
aft. and how poor Phillips worked through
it don't know.
He was a brave man. 1 learned to love
him that night, and I suddenly felt for
him great reverence to see him stand
ing there sticking to his work, while
never live to forget the work Of Phillips
for the last awful fifteen minutes.
l thought it was about time to look
about and see If there was anything de-
tached that would float. l remembered
that every member of the crew had a
special lifebelt and ought to know where
it was. I remembered mine was under
my bunk. / went and got it. Then I
thought how cold the water. was.
l remembered 1 had some boots, and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-28

cabin I put the telephones on to verify
time rush which I had exchanged with
the Partisan early that afternoon. A
''time-rush is the slang wireless word
for the exchange of ships time, which is
always made when you encounter an
other ship to see IL your clocks agree.
l put the telephones on and called the
Titanic and asked ii he was aware that
a batch of messages were being trahs-
mitted for him, via Cape Cod. And his
answer was:
Come at once. We have struck
berg"
Previous to reporting the communica-
ton to the bridge had been in constant
watch, SO that I was certain that she
must have struck while was ON the
bridge. and that was seven to ten min
|utes before.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-28

I Catholic, one a Methodist, one a Presby-
| terrain.
1t was decided the most appropriate
prayer for all was the Lords Prayer.
! We spoke 1T over in chorus with the man
who first suggested that we pray as the
leader.
Some splendid people saved us. They
had right-side-up boat, and 1t was
us and loaded us all into it. I saw
some lights off in the distance and
knew a steamship was coming to our
aid.
| l didn't care what happened. / just
| lay and gasped when / could and felt
| the pain in my feet. At last the Car
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-28

band. Although he pleaded with her to
take her place in the boat, she steadfast-
ly refused, and when the ship settled at
the head the two were ingulfed in the
wave that swept her.
He was driven to the topmost deck
when the ship settled, and was the sole
survivor after the wave that swept her
just before her final plunge had passed.
jumped with the wave just as / often
have jumped with the breakers at the
seashore. By great good fortune 1 man.
aged to grasp the brass railing on the
deck above, and hung on by might and
main. When the ship plunged down
was forced to let go, and l was swirled
around and around for what seemed to
be an interminable time. Eventually
came to the surface to find the sea
mass of tangled wreckage.
Pulls Others on to Raft.
Luckily. I was unhurt. and, casting
about, managed to seize wooden grating
floating nearby. When / recovered my
breath discovered a larger canvas and
corkline raft, which had f1oated up A
man whose name I did not learn was
struggling toward it from some wreckage
to which he had chung. 1 cast off and
helped him to get onto the raft, and we
then began the work of rescuing those
who had jumped into the sea and were
floundering in the water.
When dawn broke there were thirty
OF us on the raft, standing knee deep
in the icy water and afraid to move,
lest the cranky craft be overturned.
Several uhfortunates. benumbed and
half dead, besought us to save them,
and one or two made an effort to
reach us. but we had to warn them
away Had we made any effort to save
them we all might have persisted.
The hours that elapsed before we were
picked up by the Carpathia were the
longest and most terrible that 1 ever
spent. Practically without any sensa-
ton of feeling. because of the icy wa
ter. we were almost dropping from
fatigue. We were afraid to turn
around to look to see whether we were
seen by passing craft, and when some
one who was facing astern passed the
word that something that looked like
a steamer was coming up, one of the
men became hysterica1 under the strain.
The rest of us, too, were nearing the
breaking point.
/. Only One Shot Fired.
I deny emphatically that any men
were fired upon. and declare that only
once was a revolver discharged
This was for the purpose Of intimi-
dating some steerage passengers who
had tumb1ed into a boat before it was
prepared for launching. This shot was
fired in the air, and when the foreign
ers were told the next would be
directed at them they promptly return
ed to the deck There was no con-
fusion and no panic.
Contrary to the general expectation,
there was no Earring impact when the
vessel struck. 1 was in my berth when
the vessel smashed into the submerged
portion of the berg, and was aroused by
the jar.
Prophecy of MT. Hays.
Before retired had a long chat with
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-28

nately. the Carpathia was close. Other
wise. so officers of the Carpathia after
ward told me, all in the boat would have
persisted in the moderate blow that came
up an hour later
We all suffered from cold, especially
those of us who had no hats 1t seemed
an age before we reached the Carpathia,
where all were ready for us with medi-
cal aid and food and drink to restore us.
Nothing can exceed the kindness of the
ministering angels who tenderly provided
for our needs aboard the Carpathia.
Mrs. Isidor Straus went to her death
because she would not desert her hus-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-28
Warned of Icebergs.

The officers. I am credibly informed,
had been advised by wireless from other
ships of the presence Of icebergs and
dangerous foes in that vicinity. The sea
was as smooth as glass, and the weather
clear, so that it seems that there was no
occasion for fear.
When the vessel struck. the passengers
were so little alarmed that they joked
over the matter. The few that were on
deck early had taken the time to dress
properly, and there was not the slightest
indication of panic. Some of the frag-
ments of ice had fallen on the deck and
these were picked up and passed around
by some of the facetious ones. who Of
fered them as mementos of the occasion
On the port side glance over the side
failed to show any evidence of damage
and the vessel seemed to be on an even
keel James Clinch Smith and I, how
ever soon found the vessel was listing
heavily few minutes later the officers
ordered men and women to don life pre-
servers.