Shipwrecks -- North Atlantic Ocean -- History -- 20th century; Titanic (Steamship)
_Bade good-bye to wives and daughters and sank with ship:_ Captain
Crosby, Mr. Ostby and Mr. Warren.
_Jumped from deck into boat being lowered:_ German Doctor Frauenthal
and brother Isaac, P. Maugé.
_Crew:_ 3rd Officer Pitman. Seaman: Olliver, Q. M.; Fireman Shiers;
Stewards, Etches, Guy. Stewardess ----.
_Total:_ 41.
INCIDENTS
H. J. Pitman, 3rd Officer (Am. Inq., p. 277, and Br. Inq.):
I lowered No. 5 boat to the level with the rail of the Boat Deck. A
man in a dressing gown said that we had better get her loaded with
women and children. I said: “I wait the commander’s orders,” to which
he replied: “Very well,” or something like that. It then dawned on me
that it might be Mr. Ismay, judging by the description I had had
given me. I went to the bridge and saw Captain Smith and told him that
I thought it was Mr. Ismay that wanted me to get the boat away with
women and children in it and he said: “Go ahead; carry on.” I came
along and brought in my boat. I stood in it and said: “Come along,
ladies.” There was a big crowd. Mr. Ismay helped get them along. We
got the boat nearly full and I shouted out for any more ladies. None
were to be seen so I allowed a few men to get into it. Then I jumped
on the ship again. Mr. Murdoch said: “You go in charge of this boat
and hang around the after gangway.” About thirty (Br. Inq.) to forty
women were in the boat, two children, half a dozen male passengers,
myself and four of the crew. There would not have been so many men had
there been any women around, but there were none. Murdoch shook hands
with me and said: “Good-bye; good luck,” and I said: “Lower away.”
This boat was the second one lowered on the starboard side. No light
in the boat.
The ship turned right on end and went down perpendicularly. She did
not break in two. I heard a lot of people say that they heard boiler
explosions, but I have my doubts about that. I do not see why the
boilers would burst, because there was no steam there. They should
have been stopped about two hours and a half. The fires had not been
fed so there was very little steam there. From the distance I was from
the ship, if it had occurred, I think I would have known it. As soon
as the ship disappeared I said: “Now, men, we will pull toward the
wreck.” Everyone in my boat said it was a mad idea because we had far
better save what few I had in my boat than go back to the scene of the
wreck and be swamped by the crowds that were there. My boat would have
accommodated a few more--about sixty in all. I turned No. 5 boat
around to go in the direction from which these cries came but was
dissuaded from my purpose by the passengers. My idea of lashing Nos. 5
and 7 together was to keep together so that if anything hove in sight
before daylight we could steady ourselves and cause a far bigger show
than one boat only. I transferred two men and a woman and a child from
my boat to No. 7 to even them up a bit.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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