Sinking of the "Titanic" : $b most appalling ocean horror; with graphic descriptions of hundreds swept to eternity beneath the waves ...Mowbray, Jay Henry
History
Sinking of the "Titanic" : $b most appalling ocean horror; with graphic descriptions of hundreds swept to eternity beneath the waves ...
Mowbray, Jay Henry
Shipwrecks -- North Atlantic Ocean -- History -- 20th century; Titanic (Steamship)
“There was very little confusion on the deck. Once a group of men
shouted that they would not be separated from their wives if it became
necessary to take to the boats and made a rush to find accommodations
for themselves. The captain seemed to straighten out his shoulders and
his face was set with determination.
“‘Get back there, you cowards,’ he roared. ‘Behave yourself like men.
Look at these women. Can you not be as brave as they?’
“The men fell back, and from that moment there seemed to be a spirit of
resignation all over the ship. Husbands and wives clasped each other
and burst into tears. Then a few minutes later came the order for the
women and children to take to the boats.
“I did not hear an outcry from the women or the men. Wives left their
husbands’ side and without a word were led to the boats. One little
Spanish girl, a bride, was the only exception. She wept bitterly, and
it was almost necessary to drag her into the boat. Her husband went
down with the ship.
“The last person I remember seeing was Colonel Astor. When he had been
told by the captain that it would be impossible for the husbands to
take to the boats with their wives, he took Mrs. Astor by the arm and
they walked quietly away to the other side of the vessel. As we pulled
away I saw him leaning tenderly over her, evidently whispering words of
comfort.
“There were thirty-five persons in the boats in which the captain
placed me. Three of these were ordinary seamen, supposed to manage the
boat, and a steward.
“One of these men seemed to think that we should not start from the
sinking ship until it could be learned whether the other boats would
accommodate the rest of the women. He seemed to think that more could
be crowded into ours, if necessary.
“‘I would rather go back and go down with the ship than leave under
these circumstances,’ he cried.
ORDERED TO PULL FOR THE LIGHT.
“The captain shouted to him to obey orders and to pull for a little
light that could be just discerned miles in the distance. I do not know
what this little light was. It may have been a passing fishing vessel,
which, of course, could not know our predicament. Anyway, we never
reached it.
“We rowed all night. I took an oar and sat beside the Countess de
Rothes. Her maid had an oar and so did mine. The air was freezing cold,
and it was not long before the only man that appeared to know anything
about rowing commenced to complain that his hands were freezing.
“A woman back of him handed him a shawl from about her shoulders.
“As we rowed we looked back at the lights of the Titanic. There was not
a sound from her, only the lights began to get lower and lower, and
finally she sank. Then we heard a muffled explosion and a dull roar
caused by the great suction of water.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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