THE TITANIC.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1451, 28 May 1912, Page 3

THE TITANIC.

STORY OF A MAN WHO SWAM. CAPTAIN SMITH'S LAST MINUTES. A story of tho Titanic disaster of great dramatic intensity and at the si me lime, of (jre.'it coherence, is that of Robert W. Daniel, of Philadelphia. Kot until two minutes before the Titanic went down did h« leap from her rail'clad only in :i bath rube, for an hour he swam through the U:j water, naked, the robe having drifted oil'. He was picked up by a !il'ij>oaf, frozen and seiui-eonsciuus; when he revived it was in the steerage, of the Carpathia, where he lay between two sailors. lioHi feet wers frozen. "The Titanic was running along at twenty knots an hour," he said, as he rested, after having boon assisted from the Carpathia by two stewards. "Tho night was clear, stars shining brilliantly. Danger was farthest from my thoughts even when we entered the. ice-field. 1 was in my room when the shock came. It did not seem great. I ran on deck. A huge iceberg was floating by. It was at least 150 feet in the air, and towered far above tho Titanic. Beneath I heard it tearing into the sides of the vessel, from stem to stern the Titanic was ripped. The ship was doomed at once. "No one knew it, however. That was the real tragedy. There- was no panic. Officers of the ship went among passengers, assuring them that nothing was wrong. The siiip was unsiukuble, they said. Over and over again they repeated it. Unsinknble! My friends, 1 myself even then thought the Titanic as liiisinkable as a railroad station: "The iceberg swept astern like a mist wraith. On, on, we went, momentum carrying us forward. Not until we were a mile from the scene of the shock did the Titaaiic come to a stop. Tho decks were coaled with snow and splinters of ice, thrown down from the berg at the first impact. "fully two hours elapsed between the Titanic striking the berg and her foundering. Not until the last five minutes did the awful realisation come that the end was at hand. I cannot conceive now that the ship sank. Ligljt became dim, and went out. But we could see. Slowly ever so slowly, the surface of the , , water seemed to come up towards us; so gradual was it that even after I had adjusted the life-preserver abo'ut my body it seemed a dream. "Deck after deck was submerged. There was no lurching, no grinding or crunching. The Titaiiic simply settled. I was far up on one of the top decks. Two minutes before the final disappearance of the ship I jumped. About mo were many others, in the water. My bathrobe floated away. It was icily cold. I struck out at "once. Before the last, I turned. My first glanco took in the people swarming the Titanic's decks. Hundreds were standing there, helpless to ward off the approaching death. I saw Captain Smith on his bridge. My eyes seemingly clung to him. The deck from which I had leaped was immersed; tho water had risen slowly, and was now to tho floor of tho bridge. Then it was at Captain Smith's waist. "I saw him no more. He died a hero. The bow of the Titanic was far beneath the surface. To me only her four monster funnels and the two masts were nowvisible. It was all over in an instant. Tho Titanic's stern rose completely out of the water. Up it went, thirty, forty, sixty feet into the air, then, with her body slanting at an angle of 45 degrees, slowly the Titanic slipped out of sight. There was very little suction. "Until I die the cries of those wretched men and women who went down clinging helplessly to the Titanic's rail will ring in my ears. Groans, shrieks, and sounds that were almost inhuman came across the water. "I turned and swam. Tho water was numbing me. Only the preserver about my body saved my life. When pulled into the lifebrat it was an hour later, but I knew nothing." WHAT THE CARPATHIA FOUND. HER CAPTAIN'S STORY. Arthur Henry Rostron, captain of the Carpathia, told the committee of the Senate investigating the Titanic disaster a graphic story of his part in the rescue. Rostron said that the first message received from the Titanic was at 12.35 o'clock Monday morning, according to his time. It was a signal of distress. He at once picked up his position and steered a course north by fifty-two degrees west for fifty-eight miles under a full head of steam, although he knew that ico was all about him, and was constantly picking up ]>ergs and "growlers" on the port and starboard quarters and dead ahead. He set an extra watch, consisting of three officers besides himself on the bridge, two men in the eyes and one in the crow's nest. When asked if he had taker, tho risk, lie said;— "It was a chance, of course, but I knew quite well what 1 was doing." While he was thus rushing to the rescue Rostron said constant messages of cheer were sent to the Titanic. The last word frem the sinking ship told the story, of what he was to find. It was this: "Engine-room nearly full." Stili it was not known how fast the great liner was sinking. At 2.4(1 o'clofik Rostron saw a flare, which he thought to be from the Titanic itself. But, as it proved, she had gone down some time before that. At i o'clock he came upon the scene of the disaster. A gray dawn was just breaking. At 1.10 he picked up the first lifeboat. In it were but one officer and one seaman, lie saw that they did not have quite full control over the other passengers. Moreover, just as lie was about to pick them up, an iceberg came dangerously near him, and he was forced to manoeuvre and take up the boat on his weather instead of his lee quarter. Light was constantly growing over the sou, a.'.id hero and there dolled about was the other little fleet of lifeboats. AH about also \\o:v. icebergs from l'i to 100 feet high, as well as "growlers." But boat alter Iwat was brought alongside, and its contents transferred to the (Jariiathia. The behaviour of (hese people, the Carpathia's captain said, was magnificent. They came up or were hoisted up one by ono just as they were told cut, without the slightest sign of disorder. As tho boat? OBine up two or three women were pulling at the oar?. Only one body was seen floating—that of a seaman, 'Captain Kostron thought. The face, was awash, and, certain that the man was dead, he manceuvred his vessel He, that tl.e tragic remnant of the Titanic's company might not see- it. While lie was cruising about over the scene of the disaster for half an hour an Episcopal clergyman conducted a brief service of thanksgiving for those saved, and another for those who were dead. As the captain put it, at this time there was a little "lot" of a sea running, and a moderate breeze. AVhere the Titanic foundered the sea has a depth of 2500 feet. CARPATHIA'S SILENCE, HOW ME. ISMAY USED THE WIRELESS. Officers of the White Star Line have asserted repeatedly and their statements have bec-:i backed up by the wireless operators on the C'nrnnlhia, that pre.-s of urgent private messages prevented the tending out of the brief summary of the storv of the Titanic wreck, for which the world wailed. J. Bruce lsmay, managing director of the line, has said more than onco that he had no part iu censoring the wireless from the Cunardor, and "hnd nothing to do with what wa< sent out from the (,'arpathia." f. A. S. franklin, resident vice-president of the International Mercantile Marine Company, rend before the Senate Committee, of Inquiry a long series of wireless messages which passed between liimslf and Jimny, afli'i . Ismay got aboard the rescue ship. These messages of the managing director of the corporation which owned (he. Titanic are signed Yamsi, and mix the official and the personal. One of them is concerned with a request that "an ouilit of clothes, including shoes'' be provided tor lsmay on Cedric, coupled with tho other ri'cjuest that this .-hip ho he'd to rnnvey him-rlt and the siivvivnrsof the Tilanie's crew bark to England. Several subsequent mossnstes in.-ist on holding the Cedric iu Iht- face of franklin's repented replies that such a courj* wn* iiio't unwise, and one directs with particularity

that responsible tliip's officers ami fourt<oll While sta,. smlot-s be uu hand U> laltß tliar-ffp o!' the Tilanie's boats at yiuiraiitiue." .Aitop.ther, the?e ine_-si S es of .fsmay's, ami the replies which they called I'm— Hioiipli ihey were no! concerned eitlirr with arrnnginents for the aid and comfort, uf the other survivors of ihe .-u.iken .'•leainsliip, ur with the gettinjf of of tho saved and lust !o anxious mi-mIK-M «f their faniilies—conulcd up m.iis.v lninilifils oi' words, words which must have consumed many minutes of the overdriven wireless operator's time in sending and receiving. Meanlmie, from Franklin's testimony before the Senate Committee yesterday, it appears thai he had sent, among other messages to Jsmay, this: "Concise Marconigram giving details ntanic disaster greatly needed for information of public and niir.-elves." That was not answered, l'ranklin said. llore is a group of Jsniay's messages and the replies to thorn as, read by Frank- i iim"ifost desirable Titanic crew aboard Carpathia should be returned earliest moment possible. Suggest you hold Cedric, sailing here daybreak Friday, unless you sen any reason contrary. Propose returning on her myself. Vleaje send outfit of clothc-s, including shoes, tor mo to Cedric. Hove nothing of my own. l'le-nse reply.—Yamsi." Isniay, Carpathia.—Have arranged forward crew Lapland, sailing Saturday, calling I'lymout'h. We all consider most j unwise delay Cedric, considering all circumstances.—Franklin." "Carpathia, via Siasconsctt, IS. "Islcfrnnk, New York: "Unless you have good and substantial reason for'not holding the Cedric, please arrange to do ?o. Most undesirable to have crew in New York so long."—(No signature.) "Send responsible ship's officers and fourteen 'White Star Line sailors and two boats to take charge of thirteen Titanic s lifeboats at Quarantine.— Yamsi." "lsmay. Carpathia—Begret after fullest consideration decided Cedric must sail as scheduled. Expect join Carpathia at Quarantine, but cannot remove boats, as everything arranged for steamer proceed dock immediately.—Franklin." "Steamship Carpathia, via Sinsonsett, April IS.-Islefrank, New York: Widcner not aboard. Hope to see you Quarantine. Please cable wife am returning Cedric— Yamsi. ,, "Extremely sorry, authorities refuse to allow me on board steamer Quarantine; we have made all arraneements for landing of passengers. Will meet you at pier.—Franklin." URGED TO DRIVE TITANIC, ENGINE-ROOM TESTIMONY ABOtT ORDERS FOE SPEED. At the American Senate inquiry important testimony was u'iven by the crew of the Titanic to the effect that the oShcers had urged every man to work to his utmost to get speed out cf the vpfsel. That was the statement made by Joiin Thompson, a stoker, and William M'lntyre, a coal passer, in St. Vincent s Hospital. "The work was so terrific, said Thompson, "that a number of us talked together and agreed not to go back on the Titanic. We simply could not stand the rush. Second Engineer Fnrgcson was constantly coming to .us and telling us to do more. We did not have- time to get a drink of water or to light a cigarette. It is customary to give little breathing spelis on. those big liners, but there were no rest periods on the Titanic. "Tho first three days I was in the engine-room; then they transferred me to tho stokc-hold. I watched the gauges a great deal, and they were constantly gftting higher. We were increasing speed all tho time. "Whenever any one from the engineroom came to the stoko-hole, we always asked about the speed. In fact, that was about tho only thing we talked about. Then Sunday they put in those additional bailers. That doubled our work, They carried 2)5 pounds of steam all the time. The boilers could not stand any more." "The things which Thompson says about the hard work was h'ue," added M'lntyre, the passer whose duty it was to help supply the stokers with coal. "We wore constantly getiuia; orders to do more work. . The tbinj? which strikes me is that there, was no suction wheii the ship sank. Thompson and I were in the sea when the ship sank not more than thirty yards away. It was after she sank that the collapsible lifeboat picked us up. "Tho decks were crowded as she went doirii. 1 never heard such shrieks and moans. It seemed as though the sea was packed with struggling men and women. Wt could hear them shriek for half an hour or so. They were not drawn down by the vortt-x. They died a slow death. At the end of half an hour it was as quiet as a graveyard. No one on the boats said a word, and those in the water were all drowned. i "No, wo did not see Mr. lsmay, ho didn't have, anything to do with those of our class, and I do not know that the orders for speed came from him. All wo ever heard from him was on. the Carpathia. Hβ sent word down that we wore, not to worry, that we were to go bick to England on the first available ship, and that, our pay would go on until we reached Liverpool. IN WOMAN'S CLOTHES. HOW A COWARD ESCAPED. Added to confirmation of the stories that it was necessary to shoot down certain men who tried to rush the Titanic's boats, or to storm the lines formed between the Jirst cabin and the steerage, is the story of one male survivor who smuggled himself aboard a lifeboat dressed in woman's clothes and veiled. A woman, who was in the same bent with this individual, tells the story, awl tells also how the boat, otherwise, in addition to women and children, contained only two men—a stoker and a Chinaman. The woman did not discover the coward's name. The women got into lifeboat 10, which was terribly overcrowded, and, with the exception of a Chinaman—a stoker—and four seamen, all in it were supposed to be women. One person, dressed us a woman and heavily veiled, sat near Ihe !>3w. It was necessary to transfer the [our men to another boat, erowlcss. This icl't only the China.mau to row. Then it was found that the veiled pcr.-cm in women's clothes was a man. No one asked his name, nor did any one learn it later. Ho was asked to take an oar. This ho did reluctantlv. The Chinaman and sti-ker knew almost nothing about rowing, and the mnsi in women's clothes knew less.