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)
“Hurry up, May, you’re keeping the others waiting,” were his last
words, as he lifted me into a lifeboat and kissed me good-bye. I was in
one of the last lifeboats to leave the ship. We had not put out many
minutes when the Titanic disappeared. I almost thought, as I saw her
sink beneath the water, that I could see Jack, standing where I had
left him and waving at me.”
Mrs. Futrelle said she saw the parting of Colonel John Jacob Astor and
his young bride. Mrs. Astor was frantic. Her husband had to jump into
the lifeboat four times and tell her that he would be rescued later.
After the fourth time, Mrs. Futrelle said, he jumped back on the deck
of the sinking ship and the lifeboat bearing his bride made off.
George D. Widener and his son, Harry Elkins Widener, lost in the wreck
of the Titanic, died the death of heroes. They stood back that the
weaker might have a chance of being saved.
Mrs. Widener, one of the last women to leave the ship, fought to die
with her husband and her son. She would have succeeded probably had
not sailors literally torn her from her husband and forced her on to a
life-raft.
As she descended the ladder at the ship’s side, compelled to leave
despite her frantic, despairing pleas, she called to Mr. Widener and to
her son pitifully:
“Oh, my God!” she cried. “Good-bye! George! Harry! Good-bye! Good-bye!
Oh, God! this is awful!” And that was the last she saw of her husband
and of her son, who waved a brave farewell as she disappeared down the
ladder.
Mr. Widener, according to James B. McGough, 708 West York street,
Philadelphia, a buyer for the Gimbel store, one of those rescued, was
as calm and collected, except at the time of the final parting from his
wife, as though he were “taking a walk on Broad street.”
HELPED WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
The financier’s son, too, was calm. The two men helped the women and
the children to make their escape, but always stood back themselves
when a boat or raft was launched. As soon as the vessel had struck the
iceberg Mr. and Mrs. Widener had sought out Captain Smith.
“What is the outlook?” Mr. Widener was heard to inquire.
“It is extremely serious,” was the quick reply. “Please keep cool and
do what you can to help us.” And this is what Mr. Widener did.
Mr. McGough, when he returned to his home, contributed to the several
versions of the escape of John B. Thayer, Jr., son of John B. Thayer,
second Vice president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, who was lost. One
version was that the boy jumped from the Titanic just as she sank, and
that he swam about among big cakes of ice until taken aboard a lifeboat.
Mr. McGough in his account of the lad’s rescue says the boy jumped as
the vessel sank, but that he alighted near a life-raft, to which, half
frozen, he clung until taken aboard a boat.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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