Shipwrecks -- North Atlantic Ocean; Titanic (Steamship)
Nor was the captain the only faithful man on the ship. Of the many
stories told by survivors all seem to agree that both officers and crew
behaved with the utmost gallantry and that they stuck by the ship nobly
to the last.
"Immediately after the Titanic struck the iceberg," said one of
the survivors, "the officers were all over the ship reassuring the
passengers and calming the more excitable. They said there was no cause
for alarm. When everything was quieted they told us we might go back to
bed, as the ship was safe. There was no confusion and many returned to
their beds.
"We did not know that the ship was in danger until a comparatively short
time before she sank. Then we were called on deck and the life-boats
were filled and lowered.
"The behavior of the ship's officers at this time was wonderful. There
was no panic, no scramble for places in the boats."
Later there was confusion, and according to most of the passengers'
narratives, there were more than fifty shots fired upon the deck by
officers or others in the effort to maintain the discipline.
FIFTH OFFICER LOWE
A young English woman who requested that her name be omitted told a
thrilling story of her experience in one of the collapsible boats which
had been manned by eight of the crew from the Titanic. The boat was in
command of the fifth officer, H. Lowe, whose actions she described as
saving the lives of many people. Before the life-boat was launched he
passed along the port deck of the steamer, commanding the people not
to jump in the boats, and otherwise restraining them from swamping
the craft. When the collapsible was launched Officer Lowe succeeded
in putting up a mast and a small sail. He collected the other boats
together, in some cases the boats were short of adequate crews, and he
directed an exchange by which each was adequately manned. He threw lines
connecting the boats together, two by two, and thus all moved together.
Later on he went back to the wreck with the crew of one of the boats and
succeeded in picking up some of those who had jumped overboard and were
swimming about. On his way back to the Carpathia he passed one of
the collapsible boats which was on the point of sinking with thirty
passengers aboard, most of them in scant night-clothing. They were
rescued just in the nick of time.
ENGINEERS DIED AT POSTS
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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