The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-14

time of the year SO. far South. He
opened his hand and showed me
some ice, fiat like my watch, and
coolly suggested that / might take
some home as a souvenir.
While we stood there the story of
the collision came to us--how some
one in the smoking room rushed out
when she struck, and told them that
he had had a glimpse of an iceberg
, towering fifty feet above deck A.
which. IL true, would indicate height
Of over 100 feet. Here too / learned
that the mail room was flooded. and
that the plucky postal clerks. in two
feet of water, were at their posts
They were engaged in transferring to
the upper deck, from the ships post
office, the 200 bags of registered mail
of 100000 letters. The names of these
men, who all sank with the ship, de-
serve to be recorded. They were
James s. Marsh. William l.. Gwynn.
Oscar s. Woody, 1ago Smith and T..
ID. Williamson.
ut was now the band began to play
and continued while the boats were
being lowered. We considered this a
wise provision. tending 70 aliay ex-
element. I did not recognize any of
the tune, but they were all cheerful
ones. If, as has been reported. Near
er, Ny God, to Thee was one Of the
selections I assuredly did not hear IT,
and I know l would have noticed il
and regarded it as tactiess warning
Of an immediate death to us all and
one likely to create a panic which
! 1t was our special plan to avoid
"Our hopes were buoyed with the
| Information impaired by the Ship's
officers that there had been an inter-
| change of wireless messages with
passing ships, one OF which was GER
| tainly coming to our rescue. Colonel
Astor heard me telling this te some
+ ladies who were beside me, and /
pointed out to them a light which
seemed about FIVE miles away He
asked me to show him the light and
| did so. In doing so we both had
to lean over the rail of the ship and
look close in toward the bow 10 avoid
a lifeboat which was even then being
made ready for launching.
But instead of growing brighter
the light grew dim and less distinct
and passed away altogether This
fearful regret, was the steamer Cali
/ fornia Of the Leyiand Line, and had
! she come to us then all on board
/ might have been saved.
This was the ship from which two
of the six ice messages were sent. The
/ first one, received and acknowledged
! by the Titanic, was at 7:30 p NJ.
/ The next was about II p. NJ, when
/ the captain of the California saw a
ship approaching from the eastward
/ which he took to be the Titanic, and
under his orders this message was
sent: we are stopped and surround
ed by ice To this the Titanic wire
less operator brusquely replied Shut
up! I am busy. I am working Cape
/ Race
"From my own conclusions and
those of others IT appeared that about
forty-fve minutes had elapsed since
the collision when Captain Smith $
orders were transmitted to the crew
to order the lifeboats loaded with wo-
men and children first. The self-a
negation of Mr.. and Mrs. Straus here
shone forth heroicalIy when she
promptly and emphatically exclaimed
No. / will not be separated from my
husband: as we have lived. so will
VIC die together and when ne too re-
fused the proffered assistance into g
lllfeboat, which l earnestly solicited
him to enter, urging his ago and help
lessness, which should make him ar
exception.
No he answered. 'I do not wish
any exception made in my favor and
no privileges not granted 10 others