THE TITANIC WRECK

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 151, 26 June 1912, Page 10

THE TITANIC WRECK

TO THE KDIXOQ. Sir, — Those who* are responsible and have control of news cabled are unfair in their reports of events that have taken place on several occasions concerning a large body of the general public — the Roman Catholic body. During the recent Eucharist Congress, held in Montreal, the Catholic population in this country anxiously looked and awaited cable reports of the great open procession on the day following this notable event. What was the result? No news or report was cabled. Thus our interested Catholic readers were deprived of learning how this very great demonstration was carried out. Now. recently the Titanic wreck news wa« cabled, and trifling items such as a gentleman appearing in his drees suit at the (shipmde, saying tell his wife he jiied like- a gentleman. Now, hsre i*

an item of important news that the cable people avoided sending which tho Catholic world were indeed deeply interested in. The following report appeared in all the English and American papers, and it is strange indeed that such an important and eoul-etirring occurrence should have been treated ac a blank. The following is the report :— "No nanwe of priesta were given in the list of passengers saved in the Titanic disaster; and there was some speculation in clerical circles at this end* of the world as to whether any priests had actually made the journov. The view generally taken was that it was practically certain that there would be some priests on board, and that it was equally certain that they would stand by the ship so long as there were souls to absolve and bless, and would, if nemeary, go down in the discharge of their duty. It turns out that this conjecture was entirely correct. Two priests at least (latest exchanges gay three) are now known to have been aboard, and to have perished in the final catastrophe. Father Thomas Bylea, of Ongar, in the Archdiocese of Westminster, who entered the priesthood after his convention some years ago at Oxford, vras going "to America to officiate at his brother's marriage. The other priest certainly known to have been amongst the passengers was Father Peruschoetz, a German priest. Their place, as priests, was with the dying; and with the dying they remained until the ship took her final plunge. As the result of nersonal interviews with a. large number of the survivors, our contemporary, America, is able to give the following authentic description of the final scenes, in which our Catholic priests played bo worthy and heroic a. part. 'All the Titanie'e aurvivors," says our contemporary, 'with whom we have spoken, some forty in number, referred to one very striking and consoling incident connected with the tragedy. Father Bylee, of England, and Father Peruschoetz, a German priest, had held Sunday services that morning and evening for the Catholics of various nationalities, addressing them in English and German. The Rosary and the Litanies were- recit«d by all. When the disaster came and the women were being put into the . boats' the two priests were quickly on the scene, attending to their people and to all others whom they could help and comfort. Some were unaware of their peril, and as the sense of danger grew into alarm they sought the priests' services more eagerly, and Father Byles was soon busy consoling the Englishspeaking passengers and giving absolution to the many Catholics, who either knelt afe hie feet or cried out to him from a distance. Tall, thin, pale, and ascetic, he seemed tho picture of hope and faith, and his calm, self-possession assured and quieted as he went about blessing and absolving, and urging all to prayer. When the last life-boats were launched, and stood out from the vessel their occupants saw distinctly the two priest* reciting the Kosary and heard a large number of the kneeling passengers, many of them just come up from the steerage, responding fervently. , Some would interrupt to ask for absolution, and again the priests would resume the ' Eosary, or Litany, the kneeling crowd growing larger as the end draw near. Some- had been moving excitedly on deck, but as the ship was sinking all appeared to be on their knees. Then the lights went out, so that in the hist moments nothing could be seen; but no shrieks were heard nor cries of terror, only the sound of prayer as .she sank into the waters.' j America's account is corroborated by the I following brieJhbut'-.eipteesive presfr cable '• which was, despatched from New York to the English papers : 'Survivors enthusiastic over Father Byles's final zeaL j —I am, etc., I "FAIB PLAY.'i 22nd June. [We gladly publish the above extract, i but our correspondent is hardly justified in His general allegation of unfairness on the part of the cable agent. ■ Naturally, with such an appalling disaster as tha Titanic wreck there was some confusion in supplying the details, but it is generally admitted by those who have studied the reputable newspapers in America and England that the New Zealand public was remarkably well served With news concerning the catastrophe.]