THE LOSS OF THE TITANIC.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14339, 26 April 1912, Page 9

THE LOSS OF THE TITANIC.

TO TltK EDITOR OK "TTIK ritESH."

Sir, —In your issue of this morning's "Press" yon publish tho following statement re tho ''Titanic" disaster:—

"Countess .ltothes is an expert oarswoman, and she. practically commanded hor boat when she found tho men could not row properly. Several women took the places of weak unskilled stewards." Although admittedly very brief, I thing this statement is doing an injustice to tho class of men. to which it refers, and individually to tho men. who happened, fortunately, to havo the Countess in their boat, inasmuch as it doesn't give thoir views on the snl>,iect. Allowing that some of tho men may not havo been such expert oarsmen as tho Countess is an oarswoman, presumably tho men who couldn't row, were, firemen and stewards. First of all, in the case of the firemen, those, men usually start their seafaring life a* trimmers at a very early aye, eventually becoming firemen. They do not Set much opportunity of furthering themselves in tbo art of roving, or do they havo time to go in for rowing to keep themselves fit, tho hard work below on tho plates being quito sufficient oxorriso if they need any. Then in tho caso of tho stewards, these, men join the ship to do their business as waiters, bedroom attendants, , etc., they, like the iiremen, havo plenty of exorcise running about attending to tho wants of tho passengers, which on tho Atlantic run necessitates the weak steward boing constantly on his feet for eighteen hours out of twenty-four for six days, the average ran across. Now as tho Titanic had been five days at sea when sho. struck, theso weak stewards had boen doing eighteen hours a day for jjvo days, and naturally had just finished a tiring day when tho trouble commenced. It is reported tho majority of stewards rescued were picked up after being in tho ice-cold water, imkl to make matters worse it is feasiblo that some of these stewards had just put in a winter ashore, out of work, which, owing to lack of money, may havo forced them to go for weeks without a proper meal. So let us imagine how some of theso first-class p&ssongers would faro if they had to endure some of the unknown troubles of some of theso stewards. As it isn't dear whether the afore-mentioned information was a direct statement by the Countess Rothes, I mustn't condemn her, but I do condemn the giver of such information, instead of making themselves appear heroines in the eyes of the world, to the detriment of others, they ought to join one another and thank God'above that they havo been delivered from death. —Yours, etc., ONE OF THE BOYS WHO HAS WORN THE BLUE CLOTH. April 22nd.