Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, April 25, 1912, Image 3

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    1
u
Graphic Description Given
By a Reporter.
1,726 Lives Lost in This Most
Appalling of All Sea Tragedies
Boat Strikes Berg and Then
Boilers Explode Brave Men
and Women Meet Death With
Undaunted Courage.
BY CARTER P. HURD.
Staff Ileporter , W. Y. World , vrlio ar
rived on the Carpritlila.
( Copyright , 1912 , by Pulitzer l'ubllsl -
IHK Company ; nil rljsIitH reserved.
Any -violation of this copyright will
lie vIsoroiiHly pronecuted by the N.
Y. World.
New York , April 19. Seventeen
hundred lives the figures will hardly
vary In either direction by more than
a few dozen were lost in the sinking
of the Titanic which struck an ice
berg at 11:45 p. m. Sunday and was
at the ocean's bottom 2 hours and 35
minutes after.
The printed rolls of first and second
end cabins , compared with the list of
the survivors on the Carpathia , show
that of 341' first-cabin passengers , 212
were saved. 154 of them women and
children ; and that of 262 second-
cabin passengers , 115 were saved , 102
of them women and children , of the
third-class passengers , SOO in num
ber , 13G survive , of whom 83 are
women and children.
Of 9S5 officers and crew , 199 , In
cluding 22 women , reached the Car-
pnthia. A few in each class doubtless
escaped enumeration on the Carpa
thia.
1,688 Are Unaccounted For. .
Accepting the estimate of the Car-
pathia's officers that 700 survivors
reached the ship , comparison with the
"
total , 2.3SS , shows that 1.GS8 are un
accounted for.
There is but the faintest hope that
any of these reached any other ship.
Reports that the California , a cattle
ship , maj' have rescued a few persons ,
have given merciful respite from ut
ter despair to some of the women.
Cause , responsibility and similar
questions regarding the stupendous
disaster will be taken up in time by
the British marine authorities. No
disposition has been shown by any
survivor to question the courage of
the crew , hundreds of whom saved
others and gave their own lives with
a heroism which equaled , but could
not exceed that of John Jacob Astor ,
. Henry B. Harris. Jacques Futrelle and
others in the long list of the first
cabin missing.
Officers Knew Icebergs Were Near.
Facts which I have established by
Inquiries on the Carpathia , as posi
tively as they could be established In
view of the silence of the few surviv
ing officers , are :
That the Titanlc's officers knew ,
several hours before the crash , of the
possible nearness of Icebergs.
That the Titanic's speed , nearly 23
knots an hour , was not slackened.
That the number of lifeboats on the
Titanic was Insufficient to accommo
date much more than one-third of the
passengers , to say nothing of the
crew. Most members of the crew
Bay there were 16 lifeboats and two
collapsibles ; none say there were
more than 20 boats In all. The 700
who escaped filled most of the 16 life
boats and the one collapsible which
got away to the limit of their capac
ity.
"Women First" Rule Enforced.
That the "women first" rule , in
feome cases , was applied to the extent
of turning back men who were with
their families , even though not enough
'women to fill the boats were at hand
on that particular part of the deck.
Borne few boats were thus lowered
without being completely filled , but
most of these were soon filled with
sailors and stewards , picked up out
of the water , who helped man them.
That the bulkhead system , though
probably working in the manner In
tended , availed only to delay the
ship's sinking , the position and length
of the ship's wound ( on the starboard
quarter ) admitted Icy water which
caused the boilers to explode , and
these explosions practically broke the
ship in two.
Bulkheads Rendered Ineffective.
Had the ship struck the iceberg
head-on , at whatever speed , and with
whatever resultant shock , the bulk
head system of water-tight compart
ments would probably have saved the
vessel. As one man expressed It , It
was the "impossible" that happened
when , with a shock unbelievably mild ,
the ship's side was torn for a length ,
which made the bulkhead system In
effective.
The Titanic was 1,799 miles from
Queenstown and1.191 miles from
New York , speeding for a maiden voy
age record. The night was starlight ,
the sea glassy. Lights were out in
most of the staterooms , and only two
or three congenial groups remained
in the public rooms.
In the crow's nest , or lookout , and
on the bridge , officers and members
of the crew were at their places ,
awaiting relief at midnight from their
two hours' watch.
Dar.oer Warning Sounded.
At 3i-i ; " > came the sudden sound of
two gongs , a warning of Immediate
danger.
The crash against the Iceberg which
had been sighted at only a quarter of
a mile , came almost simultaneously
with the click of the levers operated
by those on the bridge , which stopped
the engines and closed the water
tight doors.
Captain. Smith was on the bridge a
moment later giving orders for the
summoning of all on board , and for
the putting on of life-preservers and
the lowering of lifeboats.
Many Men In First Boats.
The first boats lowered contained
more men than the latter ones , as the
men were on deck first and not
enough women to fill them.
When , a moment later , the rush of
frightened women and crying chil
dren to the deck began , enforcement
of the "women first" rule became rigid.
Officers loading some of the boats
drew revolvers , but in most cases the
men , both passengers and crew , be
haved in a way that called for no such
restraint.
Report Captain Shot Self.
Revolver shots , heard by many
persons shortly before the' end of the
Titanic , caused many rumors. One
was that Captain Smith shot himself ,
another was that First Officer Mur-
dock ended his life. Smith , Murdock
and Sixth Officer Moody are known
to have been lost. The surviving of
ficers , Lightoller , Pitman , Bothall and
Lowe have made no statement.
Members of the crew discredit all
reports of suicide , and say Captain
Smith remained on the bridge until
just before the ship sank , leaping only
after those on the decks had been
washed away. It is also related that ,
when a cook later sought to pull
him aboard a lifeboat he exclaimed :
"Let me go ! " and , jerking away , went
down.
Life-Preservers Effective.
What became of the men with life-
preservers is a question asked since
the disaster by many persons. The
ss = = sssKa
7 Jti * ZL If f ftl A. A.ri > * rW f - - J W k. * f > -
preservers did their work of support
ing their wearers in the water until
the ship went down. Many of those
drawn into the vortex , despite the
preservers , did not come up again.
Dead bodies floated on the surface as
the last boats moved away.
Band Plays as Ship Sinks.
To relate that the ship's string band
gathered in the saloon , near the end ,
and played "Nearer , My Gcd , to
Thee , " sounds like an attempt to give
an added solemn color to a scene
which was in itself the climax of sol
emnity. But various passengers and
survivors of the crew agree In the
declaration that they heard the music.
To some of the aearers , with hus
bands among the dying men in the
water and at the ship's rail , the strain
brought in thought the words :
"So , by my woes I'll be
Nearer , my God , to thee ,
Nearer to thee. "
"Women and children first , " was the
order in the filling of the Titanlc's
lifeboats. How well that order was
fulfilled the list of missing first and
second cabin passengers bears elo
quent witness. "Mr. " Is before almost
every name.
Chose Death Y/ith Husbands.
Mrs. Isidor Straus , who chose deatn
rather than to leave her husband's
side ; Mrs. Allison , who remained be
low with her husband and daughter ,
and others who , in various ways v/ere
kept from entering the line of those
to be saved , are striking examples of
those who faced the disaster calmly.
To most of the passengers the mlci-
night crash did not seem of terrific
force. Bridge players In the smoking
room kept on with tneir game.
Once on deck , many hesitated to
enter the twinging lifeboats. The
glassy sea , the starlit sky , the ab
sence , in the first few minutes , of in
tense excitement , gave them the feel
ing that there was only some slight
mishap that those wbo got into tne
Remarkable Heroism Dis
played by All.
Enforcement of the Rule "Women
First" Sunders Family Ties
Forever Famous Americans
Show Elements of Strong Man
hood Passengers in Lifeboats
Watch Great Steamer Sink.
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 Ja
cob Astor and his wiie to refuse the
places offered them in the first boat
and to retire to the gymnasium. In
the same way H. J. Allison , Montreal
banker , laughed at the warning , and
his wife , reassured by him , took her
time about dressing. They and their
daughter did not reach the Carpathia.
Their son , less than two years old ,
was carried into a lifeboat by his
nurse and was taken In charge by
Maj. Arthur Petichen.
The admiration felt by passengers
and crew for the matchlessly appoint
ed vessel was translated , in those
first few moments , into a confidence
which , for some , proved deadly.
Lifeboats Are Lacking.
In the loading of the first boat , re
strictions of sex were not made , and
It seemed to the men who. piled in be
side the women that there would be
boats enough for all. But the ship's
officers knew better than this , and as
the spreading fear caused an earnest
advance toward the suspended craft
the order , "Women first ! " was heard ,
and the men were pushed aside.
To the scenes of the next two hours
MOST DREADED PART OF ATLANTIC OCEAN.
on those decks and In the waters be
low , such adjectives as "dramatic"
and "tragic" do but poor justice. With
the knowledge of deadly peril gaining
greater power each moment over
those men and women , the nobility
of the greater part , both among cabin
passengers , officers , crew and steer
age , asserted itself.
Straus Held Back by Guard.
Isidor Straus , supporting his wife
on her way to a lifeboat , was held
back by an inexorable guard. Another
officer strove to help her to a seat of
safety , but she brushed away his arm
and clung to her husband , crying , " 1
will not go without you. "
Another woman took her place , and
her form , clinging to her husband's ,
became part of a picture now drawn
Indelibly In many minds. Neither wife
nor husband , so far as anyone knows ,
reached a place of safety.
Astor and Wife Part.
Colonel Astor , holding his wife's
arm , stood decorously aside as the
officers spoke to him , and Mrs. Astor
and her maid were ushered to seats.
Mrs. Henry B. Harris parted in like
manner from her husband , saw him
last at the rail , beside Colonel Astor.
Walter M. Clark of Los Angeles ,
nephew of the Montana senator ,
joined the line of men as his young
wife , sobbing , was placed in one of
the craft.
"Let him come ! There Is room ! "
cried Mrs. Emil
Taussig as the men
Qi the White Star line motioned to
her husband to leave her. It was with
difficulty that he released her hold to
permit her to be led to her place.
George D. Widener , who had been
In Captain Smith's company a lew
moments after the crash , was an
other whose wife was parted from
Him and lowered , a moment later , to
the surface of the calm sea.
Butt , Hays and Stead Lost.
Of-Major Archie Butt , a favorite
with hts fellow tourists ; of Charles .
Hays , president ot the Grand Trunk ;
of Benjamin Guggenheim , and of Wil
liam T. Stead , no one seems to know
whether they tarried too long in their
staterooms or whether they forebore
tc approach the fast filling boats
None of them was In the throng
which , weary hours afterward , reached
the Carpathia.
Pistols Check Steerage Men.
Simultaneously on the upper decks
of the ship the ropes creaked with the
lowering of boats , and as they reached
the water those in the boats saw
what those on the decks could not
see that the Titanic was listing rap
idly to starboard , and that her stern
was rising at a portentlous angle. A
rush of steerage men toward the
boats was checked by officers with
revolvers in hand.
Some of the boats , crowded too full
to give rowers a chance , drifted for a
time. None had provisions or water ,
there was a lack of covering from tne
icy air , and the only lights were the
still undimmed arcs and incandescents
of the settling ship , save for one of
the first boats. There a steward , who
explained to the passengers that he
bad been shipwrecked twice before ,
appeared carrying three oranges and a
green light.
Green Lantern as Savior.
That green light , many of the sur
vivors say , was to the shipwrecked
hundreds as the pillar of fire by night.
Long after the ship had disappeared ,
and while confusing false lights
danced about the boats , the green lan
tern kept them together on the course
which led them to the Carpathia.
As the end of the Titanic became
manifestly but a matter of moments ,
the oarsmen pulled their boats away ,
and the chilling waters began to echo
splash after splash as passengers and
sailors in life preservers leaped over
and started swimming away to es
cape the expected suction.
Icy Water Brings Death.
Only the hardiest of constitutions
could endure for more than a few mo
ments such a numbing bath. The
first vigorous strokes gave way to
heartbreaking cries of "Help ! Help ! "
and stiffened forms were seen , the
faces related in death.
Revolver shots were heard In the
ship's last moments. The first report
spread among the boats was that Cap
tain Smith had ended his life with a
bullet. Then it was said that a mate
had shot a steward who tried to push
his way upon a boat against orders.
None of these tales have been veri
fied , and many of the crew say the
captain , without a preserver , leaped
in at the last and went down , refusing
a cook's offered aid.
Last Lifeboat Is Capsized.
The last of the boats , a collapsible ,
was launched too late to get away ,
and was overturned by the ship's
sinking. Some of those in it all , say
some witnesses found safety on a
raft , or were picked up by lifeboats.
In the Marconi tower , almost to the
last , the loud click of the sending in
strument was heard over the waters.
Who was receiving the message , those
in the boats did not know , and they
would least of all have supposed that
a Mediterranean ship in the distant
South Atlantic track would be their
rescuer.
Music Was a Sacrament.
As the screams In the water multi
plied another sound was heard , strong
at first , then fainter in the distance.
It was the melody of the hymn ,
"Nearer , My God , to Thee , " played by
the string orchestra In the dining
saloon. Some of those on the water
started to sing the words , but grew
silent as they realized that for the
men who played , the music was a sac
rament soon to be consummated by
death. The serene strains of the
hymn and the frantic cries of the dy
ing blended in a symphony of sorrow.
Titanic Goes to Bottom.
Led by the green light , under the
light of the stars , tjie boats drew
away , and the bow , then the quarter ,
then the stacks , and at last the stern
of the marvel-ship of a few days be
fore passed beneath the waters. The
great force of the ship's sinking was
unaided by any violence of the ele
ments , and tbe suction , not so great
as had been feared , rocked but mildly
the group of boats now a quarter of a
mile distant from it.
Sixteen boats were in the forlorn
procession which entered on the terri
ble hours of rowing , drifting' and sus
pense. Women wept for lost hus
bands and sons. Sailors sobbed for
the ship which had been their pride.
Men choked back tears and sought to
comfort tbe widowed. Perhaps , they
said , other boats might have put off In
another direction toward tbe last.
They strove , though none too sure
themselves , to convince the women of
the certainty that a rescue ship would
appear.
Carpathia Brings Joy.
Early dawn brought no ship , but not
long after 5 a. m. the Carpathia , far
out of her path and making 18 knots
an hour Instead of her wonted 15 ,
showed her single red and black
smokestack upon the horizon. In the
joy of that moment , the heaviest
griefs were forgotten.
Soon afterward , Captain Rostron
and Chief Steward Hughes were wel
coming the chilled and bedraggled
arrivals over the Carpathia's side.
The list of survivors given out after
the Carpatbia reached port did not
contain the name of Arthur Ryerson ,
formerly of Chicago , although the
other members of his family were
saved. Miss Elizabeth Isham of Chicago
cage Is not in the list of rescued. E.
G. Lewy , Chicago jeweler , was not on
the Carpathia.
A survivor says tbe crew acted with
great courage but not with more
heroism than was shown by John Ja
cob Astor , Jacques Futrelle and others
of the noted
passengers who per-
Isned.
Story of a Bible.
A case that had to do with the theft
of a Bible was before tbe grand jury
some time ago and after it had been
disposed of , George W. Seibert. fore
man of the jury , related a story in
which a Bible figured prominently. Mr.
Seibert said that his mother had giv
en him an old-fashioned family Bible
when he married. About two years
after his marriage Mr. Seibert needed
money , he said , and had almost de
cided to dispose of the Bible. When
such thoughts were occupying his
mind , Mr. Seibert picked up the Bible
one day and began turning over the
leaves of the book. He had passed
over several pages when his eyes fell
on two $50 bills. His mother had
placed them in the Bible when she
had presented the book to him. Mr.
Seibert still has the Bible. Indian
apolis News.
Logical Millinery.
"People say there is no reason , no
logic , in Easter millinery. What a
falsehood. "
The speaker was George Ade. He
continued ( the occasion was an after-
theater supper in Chicago ) :
"Hats , whether Easter or otherwise ,
are full of logic , full of reason. A
little boy said to his father one day :
" 'What's a wide-awake hat , pa ? '
"That father logically and reason
ably replied :
" 'A wide-awake hat , my son , is , of
course , one without a nap. ' "
Found Imitation Difficult.
Bert , a freshman , closed a letter to
his cousin Joe , five years old , by say
ing : "Now , I must quit and write
five pages on Esther. "
The next day his father found Jce
armed with tablet and pencil , trying
to hold down his young brother Rob
ert , and said to him : "Joe , what are
you doing ? "
"I'm trying to write five pages on
Bob , but he won't be still , " replied
the little fellow. "
Important to NJothers
Examine carefully every bottle of
CASTORIA , a safe and sure remedy for
infants and children , and see that it
Bears the
Signature of
In Use For Over 3TYears. (
Children Cry for Fletcher's Castoria
A Correction.
"We are drifting toward a paternal
form of government , " said tbe econo
mist.
"Pardon me if correct you , " re
sponded the suffragette , gently ; "to
be accurate , you sbould say a mater
nal form of government. "
A better thing than tooth powder to
cleanse and whiten the teeth , remove
tartar and prevent decay is a preparation
*
tion called Paxtine Antiseptic. At
druggists , 25c a box or sent postpaid
on receipt of price by The Paxton
Toilet Co. , Boston , Mass.
The Worst of the Week. \
"If you will come back Monday
night , " she said , "I'll give you some \
of my home-made fudge. "
'
"I'll sure come , " he said , "for this
is the year for candy-dates. " Judge
If You Are a Trifle Sensitive <
About the size of your shoes , you can .
wear a size smaller by shaking Allen's Foot
Ease , the antiseptic powder , into them.
Just the thing for Dancing Parties and for
Breaking in Xew Shoes. Sample Free.
Address Allen S. Olmsted , Le Roy , N. Y. ]
A man ceases to be a good husband ,
when he begins to feel sorry for him I
self.
Mrs. Wfnslow's Soothing Syrup for Children i
teething , softens the gums , reduces inflamma
tion , allays pain cures wind colic , 25c a bottle.
The American husband is lucky in
one respect , at least. He doesn't have
to buy hair for a harem.
Good health cannot be maintained where
there is a constipated habit. Garlield Tea
overcomes constipation.
Nothing pleases a woman more than
her inability to show her age :
SUFFERED
EVERYTHING
For Fourteen Years. Restored
To Health by Lydia E. Pink-
ham's Vegetable
Compound.
Elgin , III. "After fourteen years of
suffering everything from female com
plaints , I am at last
restored to health.
"I employed the
best doctors and
even went to the
hospital for treat
ment and was told
there was no help for
me. But while tak
ing Lydia E. Pink-
ham's Vegetable
Compound I began
to improve and I
continued its use until I was made well. "
Mrs. HENRY LEISEBERG,743 Adams St.
Kearneysville , W. Va. "I feel it my
duty to write and say what Lydia E.
Pinkham's Vegetable Compound has
done for me. I suffered from female
weakness and at times felt so miserable
I could hardly endure being on my feet.
"After taking Lydia E. Pinkham'a
Vegetable Compound and following your
special directions , my trouble is gone.
Words fail to express my thankfulness.
I recommend your medicine to all my
friends. " Mrs. G. B. WHITTINGTON.
The above are only two of the thou
sands of grateful letters which are con
stantly being received by the Pinkham
Medicine Company of LynnMass.which
show clearly what great things Lydia E.
Pinkham's Vegetable Compound does
for those who suffer from woman's ills.
If yon ivant special advice irrite to
Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine Co. ( confi
dential ) Lynn , Mass. Your letter will
bo opened , read and answered by a
woman arid held in strict cuniidencc *
Make the Liver
Do its Duty
Nine times in ten when the liver is
right the stomach and bowels are right.
CARTER'S LITTLE
LIVER PILLS
gently butfirmly conwi
pel a lazy liver to , * ' CARTERS
do its duty.
Cures Constipation - , JT7LE
stipation , IVER
digestion , PILLS.
Sick
Headache , '
and Distress After Eating.
SMALL PILL , SMALL DOSE , SMALL PRICE ,
Genuine must bear Signature
LIVE STOCK AND
MISCELLANEOUS
IN GREAT VARIETY
FORj SALE t > lT THE
LOWEST PRICES BY
WESTERN NEWSPAPER UNION
521-531 W. Adams St _ Chicaeo
THENEW FRENCH REMEDY.Xo.Io.2.-o.3.
Used in French
_ Hospitals with
GREAT SUCCKSa , CUKKS KIDNEY , ULADDKU DISEASES ,
PILES , CUKOSICDLCEKS SKIN" EROTTIONS-EmiKK SHI
Send adilreia enrflop * for FKEK booil't to DR. LB CLERO
1ED. CO. . HAVERSTOCIT RD. IIAMPSTEAD. LONDON. E.S'Q.
THOMPSON'S
WATS' ' B Sold every where 2So.
iVMlbn Booklet free.
JOHN L. THOMPSON SONS & CO. , Troy. N. Y.
FIRST GLASS OPEHIHB
nine mills. Soap , sash and box factory , laundry.
bakery , tannery Also retailers , wholesalers and
builders with some capital. Clieap electric power.
fater. fUCL 110AUU OF TIUIIE , Wrjburn , Sukttcbcnuv.
.CoIomnnWapl >
Ington.D.C. Bookalree. Hitch-
. ess references. .Best reauiu.
There arc unhappy married lives , but a large percentage o these unhappy
homes are due to the illness of the wife , mother or daughter. The feelings of
nervousness , the befogged mind , the ill-temper , the pale and wrinkled face , hollow
and circled eyes , result most often from those disorders peculiar to women. For
the woman to be happy and good-looking she must naturally have good health.
Dragging-down feelings , hysteria , hot-flashes or constantly returning pains and
aches are too great a drain upon a woman's vitality and strength. Dr. Pierce'a
Favorite Prescription restores weak and sick women to sound health by regu
lating and correcting the local disorders which are generally responsible for the
above distressing symptoms.
symptoms."I
"I suffered greatly for a number of years and for the pat three
years \vaa so bad that life was a misery to mewrites MRS. B. F. DICK-
OVER , of Utica , Ohio , Route 4. "The doctors told me I would have to
go to a hospital before I would ever be better. A year ai o this winter
and spring I was worse than ever before. At each period I suffered like
one in torment , I am the mother of six children. I was so bad for
five months that I knew something must be done , so I wrote to Dr. R. V.
Pierce , telling : him as nearly as I could how I suffered. He outlined a
course of treatment which I followed to the letter. I took two bottles
of Favorite Prescription' and one of ' Golden Medical Discovery' and a
fifty-cent bottle of Smart-Weed , ' and have never suffered much since.
I wish I could tell every suffering woman the world over what a boon ,
' Dr. Pierce's medicines are. There is no use wasting time and money
doctoring with anything else or any one else. "
The Medical Adviser by R.V. Pierce , M. D. , Buffalo ,
N. Y. , answers hosts of delicate questions about which
every woman , single or married ought to know. Sent free
Efos. DICXOVEB. on receipt of 31 stamps to pay for wrapping and mailing only.
SHO
S2,25 S2,50 $3OQ $3,50 $400 & $5.00
For Rae * , WOMEN and BOYS
THE STANDARD OF QUALITY
FOR OVER 3O YEARS
WEAR W. L. DOUGLAS SHOES
You can save money because they are
more economical and satisfactory in
style , fit and wear than any other makes.
W. L. Douglas name and price stamped
on the bottom guarantees full value and
protects the wearer against high prices
and inferior shoes. Insist upon having the
genuine W. L. Douglas shoes.
If your dealer cannot supply W. L. Donclas shoes , write W. L.
Doui'las , Brockton , Mass. , lor cataloc. Slices sent everywhere
oeliTerr cliarcea DreualcL _ _ Fast Color Eyelets used.