Shipwrecks -- North Atlantic Ocean -- History -- 20th century; Titanic (Steamship)
This boat was over the officers’ cabin at the side of the forward
funnel. It was pushed over on to the Boat Deck. It went over the
starboard side and I went over with it. It was washed off and over the
side of the ship by a wave into the water bottom side upward. I was
inside the boat and under it, as it fell bottom side upward. I could
not tell how long. It seemed a life time to me really. I got on top of
the boat eventually. There was a big crowd on top when I got on. I
should say that I remained under the boat three-quarters of an hour,
or a half hour. I then got away from it as quickly as I could. I freed
myself from it and cleared out of it but I do not know why, but swam
back to it about three-quarters of an hour to an hour afterwards. I
was upside down myself--I mean I was on my back.
It is estimated that there were between thirty and forty on the boat;
no women. When it was pushed over on the Boat Deck we all scrambled
down on to the Boat Deck again and were going to launch it properly
when it was washed over before we had time to launch it. I happened to
be nearest to it and I grabbed it and went down with it. There was a
passenger on this boat; I could not see whether he was first, second
or third class. I heard him say at the time that he was a passenger. I
could not say whether it was Colonel Gracie. There were others who
struggled to get on; dozens of them in the water. I should judge they
were all part of the boat’s crew.
I am twenty-two years old. Phillips was about twenty-four or
twenty-five. My salary from the Marconi Co. is four pounds a month.
As to the attack made upon Mr. Phillips to take away his life belt I
should say the man was dressed like a stoker. We forced him away. I
held him and Mr. Phillips hit him.
* * * * *
J. Collins, cook (Am. Inq., p. 628):
This was my first voyage. I ran back to the upper deck to the port
side with another steward and a woman and two children. The steward
had one of the children in his arms and the woman was crying. I took
the child from the woman and made for one of the boats. Then the word
came around from the starboard side that there was a collapsible boat
getting launched on that side and that all women and children were to
make for it, so the other steward and I and the two children and the
woman came around to the starboard side. We saw the collapsible boat
taken off the saloon deck, and then the sailors and the firemen who
were forward saw the ship’s bow in the water and that she was sinking
by her bow. They shouted out for us to go aft. We were just turning
round to make for the stern when a wave washed us off the deck--washed
us clear of it, and the child was washed out of my arms. I was kept
down for at least two or three minutes under water.
Senator Bourne: Two or three minutes?
Mr. Collins: Yes; I am sure.
Senator Bourne: Were you unconscious?
Mr. Collins: No; not at all. It did not affect me much--the salt
water.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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