TITANIC DISASTER RECALLED AFTER SIXTEEN YEARS

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6808, 11 January 1929, Page 3

TITANIC DISASTER RECALLED AFTER SIXTEEN YEARS

Survivor Describes Terrors When Floating Palace Went Down

There is a terrible memory that I have been doing my best to live down fur 10 years. It was jogged into poignant life again (says a writer in the Sunday Chronicle) by the sinking of the liner Vestris, in which so many lives were lost. * I refer to the Titanic disaster. I was one of the survivors of that giim drama of the sea when a floating palace struck an iceberg and went to its doom, taking with it some of the world’s most famous men. The tragedy of the Vestris recalled it. Heading of the scramble for the boats, the struggles for life in the icycold sea, I lived again through that night of terror which turned many of the survivors white-haired. Thirty Millionaires.’ Apart from the last dread scenes of swift doom, my chief memory of the Titanic disaster is the amazing nonchalance displayed by the huge crowd of notabilities who were on board. There were at least 30 millionaires. Prominent people in the Jirst-class passenger list were Mr. Bruce Ismay, chairman of the White Star Line, Charles I’rohman, the American theatre magnate, the Countess of Rothes (now the Dowager Countess), Lady DuffGordon, Colonel and Mrs. J. J. Astor., Mr. W. T. Stead, the famous journalist, and Mr. Isidor Straus, the philanthropist.

About half an hour before we struck the iceberg I was chatting with my father’s old friend Sir Hugh Lane, t‘hc art connoisseur. The fact that we were in the track of icebergs was the subject of the usual shipboard gossip. People spoke of icebergs as though they were ice-cream cornets. They hoped they would see one. It would be a new experience. Half an hour later there was a bump. It wasn’t very severe—‘-just a crunching sound and a shiver that sent a few glasses in the bar crashing to the floor. A well-known woman I knew appeared from one of tho cabins. She was smiling, “It’s nothing,” she said, “We have only struck an iceberg.”

She was so unconcerned that she went back to her cabin. Sbo was never seen alive again. The band went on playing popular songs. People, after the lirst alarm, went on laughing and joking. I strolled on deck. With a shock I realised that the giant ship had a peculiar list forward. Then I saw the crow taking the covers off tho lifeboats. There was no doubt about tho seriousness of the disaster now. Prom Dance to Dirge, There were cries of “Women and children first!” Tho ship’s officers began to. assemble tho passengers on deck. Some of the women who came up from below were 'waltzing on deck with their men friends. Tho order was given to man the boats. Still there was no panic. Everybody thought they had plenty of time. As the boats were being lowered tho band was playing an operatic selection. Suddenly it broke off. Then it struck up that funeral dirge of the Titanic—“ Nearer My God to Thee.” It brought a sob to the throat. Owing to the confusion which suddenly reigned on board when at last the terrible truth that we were sinking was brought home to ail, it is diflicut to tell coherently all that occurred. I have a memory of beautiful women with jewels gleaming on their throats being jostled by a frantic crowd surging towards the boats. Every woman seemed determined to stay by her husband or friend; the result was chaos. Among the wives who were clinging desperately to their husbands was Mrs. Isidor Straus. I saw Mr. W. T. Stead implore her to take her place in the boats. From the raft on to which I managed to jump, I afterwards saw Mrs. Straus throw her arms round her husband. They were still locked in an embrace when the Titanic slid beneath the waves. Near my raft I caught sight of Lady Eothes at the oar of one of the lifeboats. She rowed ail night. By the time the survivors were landed at New York by tho G'arpathia she had become known as the “plucky little Countess. ’ ’