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)
In describing his experience Mr. Carter said he had urged Harry Elkins
Widener to go with him to the starboard side of the vessel. Young Mr.
Widener, thinking that there was no immediate danger, remarked that he
would take his chances on the vessel.
Mr. Carter said he was in the smoking room of the Titanic when the
crash came. “I was talking to Major Butt, Clarence Moore and Harry
Widener,” he explained. “It was just seventeen minutes to 12 o’clock.
“Although there was quite a jar, I thought the trouble was slight.
I believe it was the immense size of the Titanic which brought many
of the passengers to believe there was no danger. I went on deck to
see what had happened. Almost as I reached the deck the engines were
stopped.
VESSEL LISTS TO PORT.
“I hurried down to see about my family and found they were all in bed.
Just then the vessel listed a little to port, and I told my wife and
children they had better get up and dress.
“Just then orders were issued for everyone to get on life preservers.
When we came out on the deck boats were being lowered. Mrs. Carter and
the children got into the fourth or fifth boat with Mrs. Astor, Mrs.
Widener and Mrs. Thayer.
“After I got my family into the boat and saw it pushed off the Titanic
listed more and more to one side. I decided that I had better look out
for myself and went up to a deck on the starboard side. In the meantime
a good many boats were getting off.
“There were no women on the starboard side when I reached there except
one collapsible raft load of third-class women passengers. Mr. Ismay
and myself got into the boat, which was either the last or the next to
the last to leave the Titanic.
“As we left the ship the lights went out and the Titanic started to go
down. The crash had ripped up the side and the water rushing into the
boiler-room caused the boilers to explode.
“We were a good distance off when we saw the Titanic dip and disappear.
We stayed in the boat until about 5 o’clock, Mr. Ismay and myself
pulling on the oars with three members of the crew practically all the
time.
“Never in my life have I seen such splendid discipline as was
maintained by Captain Smith and his men. There was no panic and the
order was splendid.
“Before I left Harry Widener I urged him to come with me to the
starboard side of the ship, and it was then he told me he would take
his chances on the vessel. He had on a life belt, as did every other
passenger, many of whom stayed in the smoking room playing bridge.
MR. WIDENER PARTED FROM HIS WIFE.
“I saw Colonel Astor place his wife in the same boat that I put my
family in, and at the same time Mr. Widener parted from his wife and
Mr. Thayer put Mrs. Thayer in the boat. I did not see the men again.”
Major Arthur Puechen, a wealthy resident of Toronto, Canada, was the
last man on the Titanic to say good-bye to Charles M. Hays, president
of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, who lost his life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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