Sinking of the Titanic and Great Sea Disasters Part 5

Through the length and breadth of the boat, upstairs and downstairs, on all decks, the cry rang out: "All pa.s.sengers on deck with life-preservers."

A SUDDEN TREMOR OF FEAR

For the first time, there was a feeling of panic. Husbands sought for wives and children. Families gathered together. Many who were asleep hastily caught up their clothing and rushed on deck. A moment before the men had been joking about the life-belts, according to the story told by Mrs. Vera d.i.c.k, of Calgary, Canada. "Try this one," one man said to her, "they are the very latest thing this season. Everybody's wearing them now."

Another man suggested to a woman friend, who had a fox terrier in her arms, that she should put a life-saver on the dog. "It won't fit," the woman replied, laughing. "Make him carry it in his mouth," said the friend.

CONFUSION AMONG THE IMMIGRANTS

Below, on the steerage deck, there was intense confusion. About the time the officers on the first deck gave the order that all men should stand to one side and all women should go below to deck B, taking the children with them, a similar order was given to the steerage pa.s.sengers. The women were ordered to the front, the men to the rear. Half a dozen healthy, husky immigrants pushed their way forward and tried to crowd into the first boat.

"Stand back," shouted the officers who were manning the boat. "The women come first."

Shouting curses in various foreign languages, the immigrant men continued their pus.h.i.+ng and tugging to climb into the boats. Shots rang out. One big fellow fell over the railing into the water. Another dropped to the deck, moaning. His jaw had been shot away. This was the story told by the bystanders afterwards on the pier. One husky Italian told the writer on the pier that the way in which the men were shot down was horrible. His sympathy was with the men who were shot.

"They were only trying to save their lives," he said.

WIRELESS OPERATOR DIED AT HIS POST

On board the t.i.tanic, the wireless operator, with a life-belt about his waist, was. .h.i.tting the instrument that was sending out C. Q. D., messages, "Struck on iceberg, C. Q. D."

"Shall I tell captain to turn back and help?" flashed a reply from the Carpathia.

"Yes, old man," the t.i.tanic wireless operator responded. "Guess we're sinking."

An hour later, when the second wireless man came into the boxlike room to tell his companion what the situation was, he found a negro stoker creeping up behind the operator and saw him raise a knife over his head.

He said afterwards--he was among those rescued--that he realized at once that the negro intended to kill the operator in order to take his life-belt from him. The second operator pulled out his revolver and shot the negro dead.

"What was the trouble?" asked the operator.

"That negro was going to kill you and steal your life-belt," the second man replied.

"Thanks, old man," said the operator. The second man went on deck to get some more information. He was just in time to jump overboard before the t.i.tanic went down. The wireless operator and the body of the negro who tried to steal his belt went down together.

On the deck where the first cla.s.s pa.s.sengers were quartered, known as deck A, there was none of the confusion that was taking place on the lower decks. The t.i.tanic was standing without much rocking. The captain had given an order and the band was playing.

{ill.u.s.t. caption = WAITING FOR THE NEWS

A Bird's eye view of the great crowds...}

{ill.u.s.t. caption = WIRELESS STATION AT CAPE RACE

Where the first news of the t.i.tanic disaster was received.}

CHAPTER VI. "WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST!"

COOL-HEADED OFFICERS AND CREW BRING ORDER OUT OF CHAOS--FILLING THE LIFE-BOATS--HEARTRENDING SCENES AS FAMILIES ARE PARTED--FOUR LIFE-BOATS LOST--INCIDENTS OF BRAVERY--"THE BOATS ARE ALL FILLED!"

ONCE on the deck, many hesitated to enter the swinging life-boats. Tho gla.s.sy sea, the starlit sky, the absence, in the first few moments, of intense excitement, gave them the feeling that there was only some slight mishap; that those who got into the boats would have a chilly half hour below and might, later, be laughed at.

It was such a feeling as this, from all accounts, which caused John Jacob Astor and his wife to refuse the places offered them in the first boat, and to retire to the gymnasium. In the same way H. J. Allison, a Montreal banker, laughed at the warning, and his wife, rea.s.sured by him, took her time dressing. They and their daughter did not reach the Carpathia. Their son, less than two years old, was carried into a life-boat by his nurse, and was taken in charge by Major Arthur Peuchen.

THE LIFE-BOATS LOWERED

The admiration felt by the pa.s.sengers and crew for the matchlessly appointed vessel was translated, in those first few moments, into a confidence which for some proved deadly. The pulsing of the engines had ceased, and the steams.h.i.+p lay just as though she were awaiting the order to go on again after some trifling matter had been adjusted. But in a few minutes the canvas covers were lifted from the life-boats and the crews allotted to each standing by, ready to lower them to the water.

Nearly all the boats that were lowered on the port side of the s.h.i.+p touched the water without capsizing. Four of the others lowered to starboard, including one collapsible, were capsized. All, however, who were in the collapsible boats that practically went to pieces, were rescued by the other boats.

Presently the order was heard: "All men stand back and all women retire to the deck below." That was the smoking-room deck, or the B deck. The men stood away and remained in absolute silence, leaning against the rail or pacing up and down the deck slowly. Many of them lighted cigars or cigarettes and began to smoke.

LOADING THE BOATS

The boats were swung out and lowered from the A deck above. The women were marshaled quietly in lines along the B deck, and when the boats were lowered down to the level of the latter the women were a.s.sisted to climb into them.

As each of the boats was filled with its quota of pa.s.sengers the word was given and it was carefully lowered down to the dark surface of the water.

n.o.body seemed to know how Mr. Ismay got into a boat, but it was a.s.sumed that he wished to make a presentation of the case of the t.i.tanic to his company. He was among those who apparently realized that the splendid s.h.i.+p was doomed. All hands in the life-boats, under instructions from officers and men in charge, were rowed a considerable distance from the s.h.i.+p herself in order to get far away from the possible suction that would follow her foundering.

COOLEST MEN ON BOARD

Captain Smith and Major Archibald b.u.t.t, military aide to the President of the United States, were among the coolest men on board. A number of steerage pa.s.sengers were yelling and screaming and fighting to get to the boats. Officers drew guns and told them that if they moved towards the boats they would be shot dead. Major b.u.t.t had a gun in his hand and covered the men who tried to get to the boats.

The following story of his bravery was told by Mrs. Henry B. Harris, wife of the theatrical manager:

"The world should rise in praise of Major b.u.t.t. That man's conduct will remain in my memory forever. The American army is honored by him and the way he taught some of the other men how to behave when women and children were suffering that awful mental fear of death. Major b.u.t.t was near me and I noticed everything that he did.

"When the order to man the boats came, the captain whispered something to Major b.u.t.t. The two of them had become friends. The major immediately became as one in supreme command. You would have thought he was at a White House reception. A dozen or more women became hysterical all at once, as something connected with a life-boat went wrong. Major b.u.t.t stepped over to them and said:

"'Really, you must not act like that; we are all going to see you through this thing.' He helped the sailors rearrange the rope or chain that had gone wrong and lifted some of the women in with a touch of gallantry. Not only was there a complete lack of any fear in his manner, but there was the action of an aristocrat.

"When the time came he was a man to be feared. In one of the earlier boats fifty women, it seemed, were about to be lowered, when a man, suddenly panic-stricken, ran to the stern of it. Major b.u.t.t shot one arm out, caught him by the back of the neck and jerked him backward like a pillow. His head cracked against a rail and he was stunned.

"'Sorry,' said Major b.u.t.t, 'women will be attended to first or I'll break every d.a.m.ned bone in your body.'

FORCED MEN USURPING PLACES TO VACATE

"The boats were lowered one by one, and as I stood by, my husband said to me, 'Thank G.o.d, for Archie b.u.t.t.' Perhaps Major b.u.t.t heard it, for he turned his face towards us for a second and smiled. Just at that moment, a young man was arguing to get into a life-boat, and Major b.u.t.t had a hold of the lad by the arm, like a big brother, and was telling him to keep his head and be a man.

"Major b.u.t.t helped those poor frightened steerage people so wonderfully, so tenderly and yet with such cool and manly firmness that he prevented the loss of many lives from panic. He was a soldier to the last. He was one of G.o.d's greatest n.o.blemen, and I think I can say he was an example of bravery even to men on the s.h.i.+p."