Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-13
THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC
Gilbert ID. ictin Z The
tBy Ebert Hubbar.

Among the noted persons who went
down with the Lusitania was Ebert
Hubbard-famed as the editor of the
Philistine, as the author of Little
Journeys" and as writer who WELD
ed ono of this country's most graceful
and trenchant pens. When the Titanic
was sunk off Cape Race after collision
with an iceberg, Fra Elbertus," as he
was Familiarity known. paid tribute to
those whose lives were lost, many OF
them his intimate friends and de-
scrihed wildly the final scenes on the
sinking vessel-scenes as he Imagined
them and as he cleaned the details
from survivors. In many ways his de-
scription is that OF the last moments
on the Lusitania, which he was not
spared TO tell. Portions OF his story of
the Titanic are given here.
Would you have your name smell sweat
With the myrrh of remembrance and
chime meiodiouniy In the car OF future
give every man credit for the good he
ooes. never seeking to attribute base mo-
In process.
It is n night Of thousand stars.
The date. Sunday, April fourteenth.
nineteen hundred twelve The time
eleven twenty p. 81.
The place. of Cape Race-that ceme-
terry OF the sea.
Suddenly a silence comes-the engines
have stopped-the great iron heart OF
the ship has ceased to beat,
Such silence is always ominous to
those who go down to the sea in ships.
The engines have stopped
Eyes peer; ears listen; startled minds
watt
half-minute goes by.
L. 81;
keel CRATES and grinds. She reels,
rocks. struggles as IL to free herself
from titanic grasp. and as she rights
herself. people standing reach out TO
steady themselves.
Not a shock--only about the same
sensation that one feels when the ferry
boat slides into her la nding slip. with a
somewhat hasty hand Mt the wheel
Five minutes pHss-the engines start
again-but only for an instant
Again the steam is shut off. Then
the siren-whistles cleaye and saw the
frosty air.
Silence and the sirens! Alarm. but
no tumu!t--but why blow the whistles
when there Is no fog
The cold is piercing Some who have
come up on deck return TO their cabins
for wraps and overcoats.
The men laugh--and a few nervously
smoke.
1t is a cold. clear night of stars
There is no moon. The sea is smooth
as a summer pond.
In the lull OF the screaming siren,
the hoarse voice of the captain ie heard
calling through megaphone from the
bridge
MY men: Remember you are Britons!
Man the lifeboats! Women and chill
dren frst!"'
Stewards and walters are giving out
ru
how TO put them on.
There Is laughter-a little hysteric.
II want my clothes made to ORDER" a
woman protests. IAN outrageous fit!
You have given me a mans sizem
The order OF the captain is taken up
the lfeboats! Women and children
frst,!"
Its a boat-drili-thats all" a pas
senger Gays.
Women are loath to got into the
boats. Officers seize them. and half
lift and push them In. Children. crying,
and some half-asIeep, are passed over
into the boats.
Mothcr-arms reach out and take IT,
little ones. Percentage and ownership
are lost sight of.
Some boats are only half-hlled. so
slow are the women to believe that
rescue is necessary.
Inc DodtS are lO"eTeu, d"hwdfuly,
for there has never been a boat-drill
on this ship. and assignments are being
made haphazard.
A sudden little tilt of the deck has
tens the proceeding. The bows of the
ship are settling-there is very per-
ceptible list to starboard.
An Englishman. tired and blase, come S
out of the smoking room. having just
ceased card game. He very DELHI
erately approaches an officer who is
loading women and children into a
lifeboat.
The globe trotter is filling his pipe.
II 81. OFFICER, you know; what seems to
be the matter with this bloomin craft,
you know?"
Fool" roars the officer. with par
donable oath, "the ship is sinking!"
WELL" says the EnglIshman, as he
strikes match on the rail, We'll. you
know. IL she Is sinking. just let 'cr
down a little easy, you know"
Lower away!" calls the officer.
The ship is slowly settling by the
head
The forecastle is below the water.
The decks are a vicious angle
The icy waters are full of struggling
people.
Those still on the ship climb up from
deck to deck.
The dark waters follow them, angry.
jealous. savage. relentless.
The decks are almost perpendioular.
The people hang by the rails
A terrific explosion occurs--the ship's
boilers have burst.
Tho last lights go out
The great iron monster slips, slides.
gently glIdes. MISREPRESENTATION
down-into the sea.
Where once the great ship grandly
noated, there Is now a mass of wreck .