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)
As the officers were loading the women of the first cabin list into the
boat they came upon Mrs. Isador Straus, the elderly wife of the noted
philanthropist. She started to get into a boat, but held back, waiting
for her husband to follow. Mr. Straus tenderly took her in his arms,
bade her farewell and explained that he must abide by the inexorable
rule of the sea, which says women and children must be saved first.
“If you do not go I don’t go,” exclaimed the devoted wife. She clung to
her husband’s arm, and, despite his efforts and the efforts of officers
to persuade her to get into one of the boats, she refused. The devoted
couple went to death together.
While the vessel was going down the call for help was picked up and
acknowledged by the White Star liners Olympic and Baltic. They turned
their heads toward the Titanic, but were too far away to render aid.
STRAINS OF MUSIC DROWNS ALL CRIES.
The band, which had been playing incessantly in the main saloon, moved
out to the open deck and the strains of music rose above the shouts of
the officers and the cries of the passengers. By 1 o’clock even those
who knew nothing of seamanship began to realize by the angle at which
the giant liner careened that she was in grave danger. By this time
more than half of the life boats had been sent away and they formed a
ring in the darkness about the great vessel.
Excitement began to run high. Major A. W. Butt, U. S. A., military aide
to President Taft; William T. Stead, the famous journalist; Colonel
Aster, and others of the passengers volunteered their services to
Captain Smith. They helped the officers hold back other male passengers
who by this time had become thoroughly frightened.
As one of the lifeboats was being swung over the ship’s side, a frantic
mother who had been separated from her eight-year-old boy, cried out
hysterically. Colonel Astor was standing by the boat, assisting the
officers. The little boy, in fright and despair, stretched out his arms
appealingly to his mother, but the officer in command of the boat said
that it would not be safe for another to enter.
Colonel Astor, seeing a girl’s hat lying upon the deck, stealthily
placed it upon the boy’s head. Lifting up the child, he called out:
“Surely you will not leave a little girl behind.” The ruse worked and
the child was taken on board.
Up in the wireless room, Bride had placed a life preserver upon his
companion, Phillips, while Phillips sat at his key. Upon returning
from Captain Smith’s cabin with a message, Bride saw a grimy stoker
of gigantic proportions bending over Phillips removing the life belt.
Phillips would not abandon his key for an instant to fight off the
stoker. Bride is a little man (he was subsequently saved) but plucky.
Drawing his revolver he shot down the intruder and the wireless work
went on as though nothing had happened.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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