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


many graphic Narrative has been |
printed of the sinking Of the great |
steamship, special interest attaches TO
the foThcoming publication Of The 1
Truth About the Titanic" written by
Colonel Archibald c. Oracle.
Colonel Oracle spent the six months
follow!ug the loss Of the Iincr in.Vrit /
ing his book and at tho time Of his
death the book had been finished al
bar the last chapter. He may there
fore lac considered the HISTORIAN Of
this. one of the greatest calamitics OF
modern times.
Colonel Oracle, as is we'll known,
was member of an old New York
family. lie was born in Alabama.
His parents returned to the North
when ne was four yeara Old. His
father served as general in the
Confederate army and fell at the
siege Of Petersburg. Colonel Oracle
was the Hffh Of the name IN 81 direct
line. lie WAS educated at st. Paul. x,
Concord n. II, and was afterward
graduated from West Point For
years he WAS an officer Of the Seventh
regiment of New York.
He retired from active business. de-
voting practically his entire time to
I historical research, and one Of his
volumes. 1.-THE Truth About Chick
amauga,@ which appeared a year be-
fore his death, caused widespread
comment and resulted in his appoint
ment on the stan Of tho governor of
Alabama.
In preparing his last work. "The
Truth About the Titanic" Colonel
Oracle did not rely on mere hearaay
and his own personal experience, but
used every effort to obtain all his IN
/ formation from authentic sources. He
wrote To every prominent survivor
whom he knew ana with but few
exceptions received replies adding TO
the sum Of accurate information.
1t is probable TINT there is no &C
count Of the catastrophe which con-
tains So many Of the intimate details
that give life and yividness to a mar
! rative and mono 50 fun Of PERSONAL
ties as the one which Colonel Oracle
wrote. It is valuable especially on
account Of the acquaintance which
he enjoyed with many prominent pas
senEcrs whose names were on the
tongue Of every one at the time OF the
calamity. With no attempt at fine
writing, the whole narrative is sim
pie and full Of interest. Here are
some extracts from the book;
"The day we left Southampton we
Witnessed the accident to the American
liner New York lying at her pier,
which happened when the displacement
of water by the gigantic ship Titanic
caused 81 suction which pulled the
srnHiier ship from her nOorirgs. and
nearly caused a collision. BY some
this incident was looked upon as an
III omen, and / recall the comments
which were made at the time.
IN speaking Of this accident Mr..
Isidor Straus, who stood beside me at
the time, told me that it seemed only
y few years since he had taken pas
Sapa on the smaller ship, tho New
York then on her maiden trip. The
widespread comments on the perfec-
ttun ut this great Titanic recalled TO
Mr. Straus mind the fact that at tho
time Of the launching of the New
York, which now looked a mere piSmy
beside the colossal vessel we Were on,
she had been spoken OF in the same
complimentary terms as were now
used in reference to the Titanic, BEING
then referred to as the last word in
shipbuflding' He then turned to his
wife and called her attention to the
wonderful progress which had been
n achieved by man inventive mind, and
( the difference In our ideas as to the
I acme of perfection today and conpar-
atively only few years before.
During the days which followed
this accident was entirely eliminated
from the minds of the passengers. The
weather was ideal, and tho days were
spent by most Of us In sightseeing In
various parts of the vessel in viewing
the supposed safety appliances which
! had been added, In admirlng AMI COM
menting on the new and unique con-
4 trivanCes fer comfort, convenience ana
luxury. So that on this memorable
/ Sunday morning, April 4th, this mar
H.. : ), tod "a
the perfection of shipbuilding.
Each day the captain had improved
on the speed of the preceding day and
+ prophesi2ed that with continued fair
weather we would reach our destina-
ton after r. record making trip for a
maiden voyage. But his reckoning ala
not take into consideration that pro-
team monster of the northern seas
which. before this, had been so fatal
to the navigators calculations ana
; which was TO prove 20 the world that
the unsuitable ship which the Eng
lish owners and builders had heralded
with pride was after all the invention
Of man and not inVinctble.
THE pleasures and comforts which
all of us enjoyed upon this floating
palace seemd almost too good to last
without some terrible retribution,
THAT this beautiful Sunday morning
/ should he the final day OF reckoning
. fox most Of those on beard was the
, / thought nrthest from the mind OF
. the least optimistic among us.
Daring this mai day ! saw much
Of MIR and Mrs. Straus. In fact, We
had been together almost continually
each day. I-ivldly recall how happy
they were IN anticipation of being able
20 communicate by wireless with their
SON and has wife, who Were on theil
way td Europe on the passing shiI
America In the early evening they
/ told me with delight OF having re-
. ceiyed a reply to their greeting Again
MIR. strains spoke OF the marvellous
strides toward perfection for the con
veuicuce of transatlantic travellers and
I lauEhingly remarked, If things con-
finue there will be soon nothing more
10 look forward to in the way Of in
vention' How consoled in their grief
must this son ana daughter have felt
when they realized that their had beer
the last message sent by Mr., and
Mrs. Straus to their loved ones
AS is usual among the men on
board, we all gathered in the smoking
room after dinner. However, I re-
tired early to read q book I can
Z not regard 1t as a mere coincidence
that this particular book was an ex-
citing tale OF the sea and one which
, was recalled WILDLY, with its desCrip-
ton OF shipwreck, during my hard
ships of the next fortyveight hours
= = Drowsiness evcrcame me while read
7