Shipwrecks -- North Atlantic Ocean -- History -- 20th century; Titanic (Steamship)
Miss Compton, who lost her brother, I had the pleasure of meeting on
the _Carpathia_. She is still a sufferer from injuries received in the
wreck, and yet has been very kind in sending me an account of her
experience, from which I cite the following:
As she stood on the rail to step into boat No. 14 it was impossible
to see whether she would step into the boat or into the water. She was
pushed into the boat with such violence that she found herself on her
hands and knees, but fortunately landed on a coil of rope. This seemed
to be the general experience of the women. All the passengers entered
the lifeboat at the same point and were told to move along to make
place for those who followed. This was difficult, as the thwarts were
so high that it was difficult to climb over them, encumbered as the
ladies were with lifebelts. It was a case of throwing one’s self over
rather than climbing over.
Miss Compton from her place in the stern of the lifeboat overheard the
conversation between Officer Lowe and another officer, which the
former gave in his testimony.
Just before the boat was lowered a man jumped in. He was immediately
hauled out. Mr. Lowe then pulled his revolver and said: “If anyone
else tries that this is what he will get.” He then fired his revolver
in the air.
She mentions the same difficulties, elsewhere recorded, about the
difficulties in lowering the boat, first the stern very high, and then
the bow; also how the ropes were cut and No. 14 struck the water hard.
At this time the count showed 58 in the boat, and a later one made
the number 60. A child near her answered in neither of the counts.
“Mr. Lowe’s manly bearing,” she says, “gave us all confidence. As I
look back now he seems to me to personify the best traditions of the
British sailor. He asked us all to try and find a lantern, but none
was to be found. Mr. Lowe had with him, however, an electric light
which he flashed from time to time. Almost at once the boat began to
leak and in a few moments the women in the forward part of the boat
were standing in water. There was nothing to bail with and I believe
the men used their hats.
“Officer Lowe insisted on having the mast put up. He crawled forward
and in a few moments the mast was raised and ready. He said this was
necessary as no doubt with dawn there would be a breeze. He returned
to his place and asked the stewards and firemen, who were acting as
crew, if they had any matches, and insisted on having them passed to
him. He then asked if they had any tobacco and said: ‘Keep it in your
pockets, for tobacco makes you thirsty.’ Mr. Lowe wished to remain
near the ship that he might have a chance to help someone after she
sank. Some of the women protested and he replied: ‘I don’t like to
leave her, but if you feel that way about it we will pull away a
little distance.’”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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