The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-28

un!nterruptedly for seven hours TO re-
pair it. Had Philips neglected the
work or had his skill been unequal to
making the repairs the fate of the
Titanic might have been one Of the
mysteries of the sea.
Phi.ips's watch ended ordinarily at
midnight, Early in the evening the
assistant operator. Harold Bride. was
awakened by hearing the instrument
sending to Cape Race. ard remember
ing that Philips was tired he rose and
insisted on relieving him. Phil. ps was
receiving with Bride standing beside
him when the ship hit the iceberg. \
few moments later the captain came
to the door and explained hat the
Titanic had struck an iceberg and sug-
gested that Philips prepare To send out
a wireless call for assistance. No one
yet realized The danger.
Ten minutes later the captain re-
turned and directed Philips TO send
out the 5 . 5 call. The wireless APP
paratus worked perfectly. Several
ships We're picked up, including the
Carpathia. Philips continued at the
key, sending with a steady hand. 1t
was shortly after this that the opera
tor at Cape Race was terrified to note
that the THAMES messages Were
growing blurred and gradually weaker.
The confusion on deck meanwhile
was rapidly increasing. The ship had
sunk perceptibly at the head and al
ready the decks We're awash when the
captain returned and ordered the wire
less men to abandon ship. For fully
ten minutes more Philips he'd on,
Sending out the call for help.
When Philips finally left his in
strument the last of the lifcboats had
gone. 1t Is believed that he remained
on board until the final plunge. H
was later rescued from the icy waters
by one of the crowded life RATS,
Throughout the night the water con-
~tinua,ly washed over him and when
with the dawn the Carpathia arrived
il was found that he had died during
the night from exposure.
Lawrence a. Prudhunt, who lost his
life on the Rosecrans, was the young
est of the wireless heroes, being
scarcely Is years of age. The wreck
occurred on the Pacific on January I,
1918. Six of the nine deaths COM
memorated by the fountain occurred
on the Pacific Ocean and all In north
ern attitudes. The Rosecrans carried
no passengers and of the thirty-siN
forming the crew only three were
saved. Prudhunt was new to the SER
vice and had sailed on his particular
voyage as an accommodation To the
ships company.
The RoseCrans was sunk after strik-
ing a rock. While the crew were busy
with the boats Prudhunt remained in
the wireless booth sending out the call
for help until the md Had he left
the instrumcnt he would have had a
chance in the boats, but he stood by
tho key until the ship literally broke to
pieces beneath him. When the res
cucrs sought him they found that he
had been pinned under the wreckago
Of the wireless house II washed
overheard. \ monument has already
been erected at Venice, cal, to the
memory of P%rudhunt.
1t was in the wreck of the State OF
California that Donald Campbell Per-
kins persisted. The ship struck "A reef
on the Alaskan coast and sank within
three minutes.
Perkins was asleep when the cras!
came. He rushed into the wireless
room in his pajamas. With every one
else struggling for the boats his first
thought was TO reach his instrument
The thrush of water had put the main
wireless instrument out of comm. s.
sion. Perkins coo!ly adjusted the
auxiliary wireless set and began send
ing. The call was answered by the
steamship jefferson, which CHANGED t.
be near by,