Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-06-25

10 one $ Sca-going friends IN TACT II
is exceedingly doubtful VIII ther there
will b. many, even those who remain
on solid earth at home, who will be
willing 10 have their feelings narrowed
up so soon again by reading Of the
great sea tragedy which occurred only
a year ago But this complete and
connected and deeply serious and NOV
ing story which Colonel Oracle tells
contains record of such heroism and
sac rifiee and courage in the face of
death that we all should read it, since
it is calculated to make mortal SHINING
man lift up his head and be proud.
And if it is sensation and horror and
thrill that one Is looking for-well. ev-
cry one knows the sinking of the big
sh p in mid-ocean provides these in
greater measure than may be found in
NEST manufactured romances
Take the case of Colonel Gracie's
own miraculous escape, for example.
Perhaps we NAV br ely summarize it
here. As is known, he was the sole
survivor of all the men passengers sta
toned on the port side of the ship, first
en- the glass-eovered deck, and later on
The boat deck al owe, who. after assist
| ing in the launching of six lifeboats
! fl He'd with women and children. TO-
manned behind to die. Colonel Oracle
went down with the ship. but was
saycd. AS he tells the story, be and
| his friend Clineh Smith were standing
with the others on the boat deck when
suddenly some fifteen minutes after the
| depart ure Of the last lfeboat they
hearl the OMNIBUS sound of rushing
water. He and his fl lend decided To
, so 10 the stern of the ship. As they
started however. they met an onrush-
ing mass of humanity, third class pas
,Sengefs, suddenly released and seeking
safety when the people saw the wa
ter they also turned and ran toward
| h stem, uatil they were suddenly
stopped by the railing separating first
and 81 cond cabin passengers. When
\ they realized they were trapped. Colo-
| mel Oracle relates, there was no out
cry. no sign of panic among these I'M
| named. uncounted people They were
dumb, hut. as he writes, "Oh, the ago
| ny of it,"
Seeing a man stretched Nat on the
Roof of the officers house. Colonel
| Oracle and his friend decided to at
tempt to reach it. Both jumped and
both failed the first time. They made
| a second effort, and this time ColontI
| Oracle jumping with the wave as one
| does in surf bathing. reached the roof
His friend did not. Il was thus part
| ed forever from my friend. Clinch
Smith, with whom | had agreed to re-
/ main until the last struggle" Cnce on
The roof, however, before he could get
to his feet. Colonel Oracle WAS in Il
whi lpool of water, swirling around
and around, and as he was still making
the effort To get to his feet the ship
went down.
Down, down, he says it seemed a
tgreat distance. He retained his sense
lcf direction ana swan under water
furiousls away from the starhoard
side, which he knew he must do. The
length Of time that he was under wa
ter may be est mated by the fact that
he sank with the ship, and when he
came up the ship was no longer there.
Only a hazy vapor seemed to hover
ever The water where the giant ship
had been. He was reminded of Dante
land hell. Then-and this was the most
nc tribe of all-there arose to the sky
the mos wretched sounds ever heard
BY mortal man. These We're the agon-
izing cries of death from over thous-
and throats. These sounds floated over
the surface of dark waters for over an
hour, gradually growing less and less,
until finally there was silence.
Colonel Oracle made good use of a
piece of wreclkage until he saw the
upturned boat at whose launching he
had assisted short time before.
Standing on its bottom were about a
dozen men, most of them apparently
of the crew. Swimming toward it, he
last no one made any protest as he
climbed to safety. Others found refuge
on the capsized boat, until there were
| more than thirty, and as the boat was
becoming more and more submerged.
| it was realized one more would swamp
them all Then they had to refuse TO
let others join them Colonel Oracle
says after pulling up one exhausted
fellow, he shut his eyes so that he
might not see the faces in the water.
| He tells of one man, however, whose
name he wishes might have been
known. When one on the boat ex-
lplained the situation to him. and said:
Hold on to what you have, old boy;
one more of you aboard would sink US
laIl," the man replied, in a full manly
voice. "All right. boys; good luck and
God bless you
After his miraculous rescue, Colonel
IGracie, as is now known, only lived
eight months, which makes one ponder
Ion the strange destinies of man. He
was able to finish his book, however,
before he died, and it probably con-
ltains the most connected and un-
Ibiassed account of the disaster that
may be had. Through a great deal of
personal investigation, hes was4ab to
describe with much detail the launch
ling of each lifeboat and how many and
Iwho were in it. He also incorporated
in his story the principal findings. of
both the American and british inquiry
boards. p44sa
The Wet and Dry Line.