The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1913-01-20
VISION OF TITANIC.
Great Disaster Pictured by W. 7.
Stead in 1886.
Enormous Loss Of Life Predicted by
the Distinguished English Jour
nalIst in His Own kews-
paper.


for material for biography of w. 7
Stead. the Englishman who went dowr
with the Titanic, has discovered I
strange prediction of his own doom
made by Mr.. Stead in the Pail Nal
Gazette on March 20. 1886.
This article, written by Mr.. Stead
was headed. How the Mail Steamer
Went Down in Mid-Atlantic.
The article appeared couple oi
days after the Oregon was lost, and
purported TO give q description oi
the scene OF horror that ensued on the
then biggest Atlantic liner. when al
last the passengers realized the shin
was doomed In footnote, Stead
wrote:
This is exactly what might take
place and what will tako place II
the liners are sent To sea short OF
boats"
Here are some extracts from Stead's
grim prediction:
From below there came queer
sucking sound, with an occasional long
gurgle. and saw that the ship seemed
20 hang as the seas met her
The boats were made fast to stand
heavy weather, and only skilled sail
ors could launch them.
81 calculated that, by loading all
the eight boats down to the waters
edge and by packing the children
along the bottom boards, we might
accommodate 900 pepole. We were
carrying 9l6 altogether.
"A loud crack. followed by walbw
ing nCise like thunder, rendered
all other sounds Insignificant, and a
captain who was going out to New
York, said: The bulkhead's gone.
We must take our chance The ship
stopped nearly dead, and began to
tismble curiously. but II was only the
river of water pouring aft. and We
soon saw the hremen driven up like
rats from burrow. Stand by the
boats
The order was given. and the boat
swain's call rose In 4 long, tremulous
screech. One OF the starboard boats
was successfully launched. and the
ofricer stood, revolver in hand. 'Wo.
men first here. Thompson. you will
steer her. Take four men and no
more The young English lady was
lowered down, although she clung to
her father and begged him to let her
stay No. darling goodbye Be hap,
py,' he said, and then stood composed
iy amid the hurly-burly.
BY an extraordinary coincidence
Stead describes the girl as "a dark
beauty, about eighteen years OF age ="
One could almost fancy that he saw as
In a glass darkly the then yet unborn
Mrs John Jacob Astor.
"At last only one light boat re-
manned. and still there were over 700
of us jammed In the narrow space left
by the aAful list The captain has
dropped his hands-he could do no
more. One sailor said We've stood
1t long enough, Tom Let's have our
turn
And he. with three sturdy Swedes
managed to get at the davits. They
were Just In time. for the steamer be-
gan to sway as they noated. and they
were all but swamped by the charge
and leap of crowd who flung them.
selves into the water Then | was
left with a great multitude. whose
agonized clamor stunned me
Il felt mighty conyulsiye move
ment. then the sea seemed to fash
down on me in one mass, as II the
wall OF water fell from high crag
Then | heard humming noise in m,
ears and with gasp was up annie
a blackened. wriggling sheet OF drown
ing creatures
"A boat came past me and strucl
out Justify raised myself to tn,
gunwale Shall hit his fingers?' sale
man. No, let him come, and
laid, sick and dizzy, ON the bottom
boards of crowded boat You know
that We were picked up after mast,
time
The great journalists frienes woult
have wished that last sentence of hi
vivid forecast could have applied t,
his own case, when the mammoth
White Star liners great multitude
.gra h,,,l,I 20 fhafr coaop