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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (April 26, 1912)
fl 'APRIL 26, 1912 The Commoner. 11 native state that ho returned there, and after a citizenship of 30 years, died at a ripe old ago and peacefully sleeps in the bosom of the dear old state that ho loved so well. I state this only to show that in my advocacy of this measure I am prompted by no sectional prejudice nor actuated by any spirit of antag onism. If you say that you have patiently and uncomplainingly borne the bur dens entailed by the war for nearly half a century, I agree with you, but remind you that we have carried our full share of the same burden and at the same time have contributed something to the development of the new south, in every way so mar velous a transformation of a nation laid waste by war into a rich, pros perous land that blossoms as the rose. For many years after the civil war there was widespread distrust of your loyalty in the north a feeling which, with all my ability, I com bated since my boyhood, for I' knew you and believed in you and trusted you. But that distrust has been dis pelled forever. When the men and women of the north, who were still poisoned by the spirit of war, saw that Worth Bagley, the gallant young son of North Carolina, was the first to give up his life for the honor of his country in the Spanish American war, when they witnessed the unequaled heroism of Hobson, of Alabama, at Santiago, when they read of brave old Joe Wheeler's charge at San Juan, and saw the sons of South Carolina and Massa chusetts, the sons of Indiana and Georgia, marching side by side under the old flag in defense of jthe honor of the nation, then were 'all doubts removed, and then the union of hearts and of hands was truly consummated. The war has been ended so long ago that there are only eight men in this body .who participated in the conflict four who fought with the confederacy and an equal number who fought beneath the stars and stripes all now engaged in gener ous rivalry as to who shall render the best service for the country they all love alike. You have borne your burdens with such cheerfulness and acqui esced in the results of the war so generously and loyally that when we ask you to share with us an addi tional burden, to the end that the old and broken men who fought for the republic may have the necessi ties of life during their few remain ing days and that their short journey to the grave may be not altogether a cheerless one, we can not but hope that your generous hearts will re spond to our appeal. If I could carry you with me into some of the homes of the central west where these old soldiers abide I am sure your hearts would be so touched that you would agree to the liberal provisions of the Sherwood bill. I have in mind the case of an old white-haired veteran, who served his country faithfully and well, and who, with his old wife, the sweetheart of war times, is waiting for the summons of the Master. They have been always poor, for he has earned his bread with his hands, but has not had the money-making instinct. They can no longer work, but are trying to live on a pension of $16 per month. Half of the sum goes for the rent of an humble cot tage; out of the other $8 per month must come food, fuel, clothing, medicines, and medical treatment. The cost of living is such that, of course, they can no longer live on that amount. And the alternative there are only two places open to them the soldier's home for the old soldier and the poorhouse for the Bweet-faced old wife, for she is not allowed to accompany him -to the home. God forbid that in a rich nation like this such a tragedy should be possible in the life of any of its defenders. But there is another alternative, and that is the passago of the Sher wood bill, that will dry the tears in thousands of eyes, bring hope and joy and happiness into scores of thousands of humble homes, and cheer the hearts and quicken the steps of the hundreds of thousands of old soldiers, who during their few remaining years will bo living monuments to the generosity of a grateful country, which in the days of its greatest wealth and power did not forget the men whose valor made glorious so many pages of its history. of A TERRIBLE DISASTER (Continued from Page 5.) cent of the maximum capacity the lifeboats. "We feel it our duty to call the attention of the public to what we consider the inadequate supply of life-saving appliances provided for on modern steamships, and recom mend that immediate steps be taken to compel passenger steamers to carry sufficient boats to accommo date the maximum number of people carried on board. The following facts were observed and should be considered in this connection: "The insufficiency of lifeboats, rafts, etc.; lack of trained seamen to man same (stokers, stewards, etc., are not efficient boat handlers) ; not enough officers to carry out emer gency orders on the bridge to su perintend the launching and control of lifeboats; absence of searchlights. "The board of trade rules allow for entirely too many people in each boat to permit the same to be proper ly handled. On the Titanic the boat deck was about seventy-five feet above water and consequently the passengers wore required to embark before lowering 'boats, thus endan gering the operation and preventing the taking on of the maximum num ber the boats would hold. Boats at all times to be properly equipped with provisions, water, lamps, com passes, lights, etc. Life-saving boat drills should be more frequent and thoroughly carried out and officers should be armed at boatdrills. Great reduction in speed "in fog and ice, as, if collision actually occurs, damage and loss of life are liable to be less. "In conclusion we suggest that an international conference be called, to recommend the passage of identical laws providing for the safety of all at sea, and we urge the United btates government to take the initiative as soon as possible. Although the foregoing was given out as a signed statement .by a com mittee of passengers, their signa tures were omitted, attendant upon the confusion when the Carpathia docked. The statement was signed by Samuel Goldenberg, chairman, and a committee of some twenty-five pas sengers. A passenger on the Carpathia made the following statement: "I was awakened at about half past twelve at night by a commotion on the decks which seemed unusual, but there was no excitement. As the boat was moving I paid little atten tion to it and went to sleep again. About 3 o'clock I again awakened. I noticed that the' boat had stopped. I went on the deck. The Carpathia had changed her course. Lifeboats were sighted and began to arrive and soon, one by one, they drew up to our side. There were sixteen in all and the transferring of passen gers was most pitiable. The adults were assisted in climbing by .ropes adjusted to their waists. The little children and babies -were hoisted to the decks inbags. Some of .the-boats wore crowded, a few were not half full. This I could not understand. "Some people were in full evening dress. Others were in their night clothing and were wrapped in blan kets. Those of tho immigrants, in all sorts of shapes, were hurried into the salon for a hot breakfast. They had been in tho open boats four and five hours in the most biting air 1 ever experienced. Ther.o were hus bands without wives, wives without husbands, parents without childron and children without parents. But there was no demonstration, no sobs, scarcely a word was spoken. They all seemed stunned. "immediately after breakfast di vine service was held. One woman died in the lifeboat; three others died soon after reaching our decks and their bodies were buried in the sea at 5 r 'clock that afternoon. None of tho rescued had any clothing, ex cept what they had on, and a relief committee was formed and our pas sengers contributed enough for their immediate needs. "When her lifeboats pushed away from the steamer the Titanic was brilliantly lighted, the band was playing and the captain was standing on the bridge giving directions. The bow was well submerged and the keel was rose high above the water. Suddenly the boat seemed to break in two. The next moment every thing disappeared. The survivors were so close to the sinking steamer that they feared the lifeboats would be drawn into the vortex. "On our way back to New York we steamed along the edge of a field of ice which seemed limitless. As far as the eye could see to the north there was no blue water. At one time I counted thirteen icebergs." STRIKING STORIES New York, April 18. E. Z. Tay lor of Philadelphia, one of the sur vivors, jumped into the sea just three minutes before the boat sank. He told a graphic story as he came from the Carpathia. "I was eating when the boat struck the iceberg," he said. "There was an awful shock, that made the boat tremble from stem to stern. I did not realize for some time what had happened. No one seemed to know the extent of the accident. Wo were told that an iceberg had been struck by tho ship. -I felt the boat rise and it seemed to me that she was riding over the ice. I ran out on deck and then I could see ice. It was a veritable sea of ice, and the boat was rocking over it. I should say that parts of the iceberg were eighty feet high, but it had been broken in two sections probably by our ship. "I jumped into the ocean and was picked up by one of tho boats. I never expected to see land again. I waited on board the boat until the lights went out. It seemed to me that the discipline on board was won derful." Colonel Archibald Gracie, U. S. A., the last man saved, went down with tho vessel, but was picked up. He was met tonight by his daughter, who had arrived from Washington, and son-in-law, Paul H. Fabricius. Colonel Gracie told a remarkable story of personal hardship and de nied emphatically the reports that there had been any panic on board. He praised in the highest terms the behavior of both the passengers and crew and paid a high tribute to the heroism of the women passengers. "Mrs. Isidor Straus," he said, "went to her death because she would not desert her husband. Al though he pleaded with her to take her place in the boat she steadfastly refused and when the ship settled at the head the two wpre engulfed by the wave that swept her." . Colonel Gracie told of how he was-driven tothe topmost-deck-when the. ship--, settled, and -was .the. sole Rent 10 Months Then It's Yours! 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