From the Friday, July 10, 1998 edition

TITANIC
Survivor's dramatic tale in his own words.

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An address by Washington Dodge

Delivered before the Commonwealth Club San Francisco, May 11, 1912

Editor's Note

After our initial stories in March on Dr. Washington Dodge, Historian Carlo DeFerari received a letter from Jean E. Nicol, of Pauma Valley, San Diego County.

Dodge, his wife and young son survived the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912. He had been born and raised in Tuolumne County and later became prominent in San Francisco, where he was the city's elected assessor at the time of the disaster.

Jean Nicol's husband, Frank, is the great nephew of Dodge. She included with her letter a copy of an address by Dodge, delivered before the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco just a month after the sinking. It runs 32 pages, more than 8,000 words of, of compelling reading.

Mr. President and Fellow Members

A few days since I was approached by the chairman of the Committee on Program, Dr. Giannini, who requested me to make a few remarks to the Club on the subject of the wreck of the "Titanic." To this request I demurred. The doctor, however, was quite insistent and stated that, owing to the widespread interest in this catastrophe, and owing to the many conflicting reports of the same which had been published, he hoped I would grant his request. I knew what the doctor stated to be true, for on my return to San Francisco I had seen numerous interviews, both with myself and my wife, which purported interviews had been wired from New York and published in our local papers. My wife had never given an interview, and had made none of the statements attributed to her. With one exception, all of the interviews attributed to me were wholly unfounded. On reconsideration, I decided to comply with the doctor's request. Having little time to give to the preparation of these remarks, and desiring in the short space of time allotted to me to cover the matter as fully as possible, I decided this could best be done by me, with the assistance of my stenographer. This is my reason for reading this narrative.

In the past ten days following the first uncertain and contradictory reports in the press of the disaster, the actual occurrences connected with the same have been positively established. The full evidence given under oath before the congressional committee has been published in several of the New York papers, as well as in several weekly publications. I presume that most of those present have had an opportunity to read some such authentic report, and for that reason I have, in compliance with Dr. Giannini's request, based my narrative of events, largely on my personal experiences and observations.

I will first state briefly the facts of the wreck. On April 10th the White Star liner "Titanic" started from Southampton on her maiden trip across the Atlantic. She was the largest vessel afloat -- a little less than nine hundred feet, or over one-sixth of a mile in length -- and was heralded by her builders and owners as an unsinkable ship, having, in addition to a double bottom, fifteen water-tight compartments. She carried 2,340 persons. Five days later she was at the bottom of the ocean and through her loss over two-thirds of those on board, or 1,635 people, had perished.

The voyage, up to the time of the disaster, had been a perfect one. The weather was fine and the sea calm. At all times one might walk the decks, with the same security as if walking down Market Street, so little motion was there to the vessel. It was hard to realize, when dining in the spacious dining saloon, that one was not in some large and sumptuous hotel.

The Sunday evening of the night of the disaster was a clear cold night. The temperature had fallen rapidly after sundown until it had reached thirty-one degrees. This was undoubtedly due to our close proximity to the immense ice field, and to the numerous icebergs, which were revealed the nest morning. The temperature of the water had been taken every two hours throughout the day and evening, but had failed to show our close proximity to the icefield. The great vessel was plowing ahead at a speed of approximately 21 1/2 knots an hour. The ship's officers had been warned by wireless of their proximity to icebergs, and the orders had been given to the lookout in the "Crow's Nest" to keep a sharp watch for small icebergs.

According to the evidence given at the congressional investigation, Chief Officer Burdock relieved Second Officer Lightoller on the bridge at ten o'clock. The men discussed the icebergs, which the ship was known to be approaching, and decided that they would probably encounter them within about an hour.

At about twenty minutes to twelve, the lookout in the "Crows' Nest" rang a signal on the bridge of three bells, meaning, "Danger ahead." A few seconds thereafter he telephoned to the bridge, "Large iceberg right ahead." An order was given to the man at the wheel to throw the vessel to port. This was done and the engines reversed, but in an instant later the ship had been struck beneath the water-line by the iceberg. The lever was then thrown, which from the bridge, closes all the water-tight compartments in thirty seconds.

These facts were related to me on the "Carpathia" by Quartermaster Kitchens, who was at the wheel on the "Titanic." It was he who received the signals from the "Crows' Nest," and he to whom the order was given by the chief officer to throw the vessel to port.

The shock to the steamer was so slight, that many of the passengers, who had already retired, were not awakened thereby. My wife and I, however, were both awakened by the shock to the vessel. Listening for a moment, I became aware of the fact that the engines had been stopped, and shortly afterwards hearing hurried footsteps on the boat decks which was directly over our stateroom, I concluded that I would go out and inquire what had occurred. Partially dressing I slipped out of our room into the forward companionway, there to find possibly half a dozen men, all speculating as to what had happened. While we stood there an officer passed by somewhat hurriedly, and I asked him what was the trouble; he replied that he thought something had gone wrong with the propeller, but that it was nothing serious.

Leaving the few passengers that I had observed, still laughing and chatting, I returned to my stateroom. My wife being somewhat uneasy desired to arise and dress. I assured her that nothing had occurred which would harm the ship, and persuaded her to remain in bed. I informed my wife what the officer had told me, that something had gone wrong with the propeller. We both agreed, however, judging from the nature of the shock, that something had struck the vessel on its side. This however, owing to the slight jar to the vessel, and to our knowledge of her immense size, and unsinkable construction, did not alarm us. I decided, nevertheless, to again go out and investigate further.

This time I went from the companionway out onto the promenade deck, where I found a group of possibly six or eight men, who were gaily conversing about the incident. I heard one man say that the impact was due to ice. Upon one of his listeners questioning the authority of this, he replied: "Go up forward and look down on the poop deck, and you can see for yourself." I at once walked forward to the end of the promenade deck, and looking down could see, just within the starboard rail, small fragments of broken ice, amounting possibly to several cartloads. As I stood there an incident occurred which made me take a more serious view of the situation, than I otherwise would.

Two stokers, who had slipped up onto the promenade deck unobserved, said to me: "Do you think there is any danger, sir" I replied: "If there is any danger it would be due to the vessel having sprung a leak, and you ought to know more about it than I." They replied, in what appeared to me, to be an alarmed tone: "Well, sir, the water was pouring into the stoke 'old when we came up, sir." At this time I observed quite a number of steerage passengers, who were amusing themselves by walking over the ice, and kicking it about the deck. No ice or iceberg was to be seen in the ocean.

Not observing any sign of apprehension on the part of any one, nor seeing any unusual number of persons on any part of the ship, I again returned to my cabin and told my wife what I had seen and heard.

As the vessel was still stationary, I again stepped out into the companionway, and observing our steward standing in the center of the same, I asked him if he had heard anything. He replied that the order had just come down, for all passengers to put on life-preservers. Asking him if he really meant it, and being convinced from his manner and answer, that the command had actually been given, I at once sprang to my stateroom door, which was but a few steps from where I was standing, and hurriedly told my wife to throw on something warm and come with me. While she partly dressed herself and our child, I pulled down the three life-preservers which were in the stateroom, and threw them over my arm. We then quickly made our way to the boat deck. In order to reach this we had to ascend only one short flight of stairs, and passing onto the boat deck on the starboard side, we were at once next to the forward lifeboats. I learned afterwards that the order was given by the officers, for the women and children to go to the port side of the vessel. It was on this side that the captain had taken charge of the launching of the lifeboats. At the time that we reached the boat deck, the first boat on the starboard side, No. 1, was hanging over the side of the vessel from the davits, and a few persons, men and women, were seated therein. The officer in charge was calling for women and children to fill the boat, but seemed to have difficulty in finding those who were willing to enter. I myself, hesitated to place my wife and child in this boat, being unable to decide whether it would be safer to keep them on the steamer, or to entrust them to this frail boat which was the first to be launched, and which hung over eighty feet above the water. In the meantime I busied myself with strapping on their life-preservers, and heard the officer give the command to "Lower away." This boat was launched with but twenty-six persons in it, although its capacity was over fifty, and about one-third were male passengers.

As I observed this boat lowered without accident, I placed my wife and child in the next boat, No. 3, -- boats on the starboard side having the odd numbers. This boat was ordered lowered when it contained less than thirty-five persons. In neither case were additional women to be found. Each of these boats contained at least ten male passengers. As I saw this boat lowered, containing my, wife and child, I was overwhelmed with doubts, as to whether or not I was exposing them to greater danger, than if they had remained on board the ship.

During the ensuing half or three-quarters of an hour, I watched the boats on the starboard side, as they were successively filled and lowered away. At no time during this period, was there any panic, or evidence of fears or unusual alarm. I saw no women nor children weep, nor were there any evidences of hysteria observed by me.

Many expressed their determination to take their chances with the steamer rather than embark in the lifeboats. This unusual circumstance may be accounted for by the fact that the officers had insisted that under the worst conditions possible, the "Titanic" could not sink in less than eight or ten hours, and that a number of steamers had been communicated with by wireless, and would be standing by to offer relief within an hour or two.

I watched all boats on the starboard side comprising the odd numbers from one to thirteen, as they were launched. Not a boat was launched which would not have held from ten to twenty-five more persons. Never were there enough women or children present to fill any boat before it was launched. In all cases, as soon as those who responded to the officers' call were in the boats, the order was given to "Lower away."

At no time were there many people on the starboard side that night. Why was that? The most reasonable explanation that I can give is that the captain was in charge of the launching of the boats on port side. Now, in times of danger the captain always drams a crowd. The more notable men on board, who were known by sight to the other passengers, knew Captain Smith personally and remained near him. These men attracted others. In this say the crowd grew on the port side, while at no time was there anything like a crowd on the starboard side. Again, the orders for women and children to go to the port side greatly increased the number there.

Now this condition may explain many things. It may explain why the boats were launched from the starboard side so much more quickly and successfully, and why when the last boats on this side were reached, Nos. 13 and 15, there were practically no women around, and not many men. When the order to launch the boats was given Captain Smith took command of the port side and never left there. Chief Officer Burdock took command on the starboard side.

What the conditions were on the port side of the vessel I had no means of observing We were in semi-darkness on the boat deck, and offing to the immense length and breadth of the vessel, and the fact that between the port and starboard side of the boat deck, there were officers' Cabins, staterooms for passengers, a gymnasium, and innumerable immense ventilators, it would have been impossible, even in daylight to have obtained a view of but a limited portion of this boat deck. We only knew what was going on about us within a radius of possibly forty feet.

Boats Nos. 13 and 15 were swung from the davits at about the same moment. I heard the officer in charge of No. 13 say, " We'll lower this boat to deck A." Observing a group of possibly fifty or sixty about boat 15, a small proportion of which number were women, I descended by means of a stairway close at hand to the deck below, deck "A." Here, as the boat was lowered even with the deck, the women, about eight in number, were assisted by several of us over the rail of the steamer into the boat. The officer in charge then held the boat, and called repeatedly for more women. None appearing, and there being none visible on the deck, which was then brightly illuminated, the men were told to tumble in. Along with those present I entered the boat.

As there seems to be in the minds of a few of the people in this community, a question as to why any of the eighty men saved from the first class passengers should have been, when later events disclosed the fact that there were women remaining on board, I would like to quote here from an article of The New York Times of recent date, by Mr. Lawrence Beesley, a very intelligent man, and a close observer evidently, also wrote a review of the disaster for the London Times. On reading this article I ascertained that Mr. Beesley had left the steamer in the same boat that I had. His words on the subject were as follows:

"I will finish with a few purely personal remarks. My only excuse for putting them on record is that to me they are absolutely true. I do not make them with any intention of asking a single person to believe in them, or to agree with me in what I say, but, having been face to face with the possibility of death, and having seen its shadow rather near, I may perhaps not be trespassing on the columns of the Times in saying how I consider I was saved.

"I left in boat 13, when a call for ladies had been made three times and not answered, and no ladies were visible, and was then invited to enter the boat. I had stood quietly on the deck watching boats being launched, until the moment arrived when I was able to get a seat in a boat without depriving any one of room. I was asked to go by one of the crew, and when the boat was lowered, the deck was left quite clear."

This statement of facts by Mr. Beesley coincides exactly with my observations. Mr. Ismay, who left in the next boat, No. 15, which was being launched about the same time, testified, under oath, before the Congressional Committee, to exactly the same conditions.

Curiously enough another newspaper record of the experiences of a survivor who escaped in my boat, came into my possession a few days since. This paper was handed to me by Mr. Madison Kirby, of this city, with the remark that he had just received it form his old home in Illinois, and he thought the account referred to might interest me. To my surprise I again found that the narrative was given by an occupant of the boat 13. This article appeared in the Roseville Times-Citizen, printed under date of April 26th in Roseville, Illinois. The article, which is rather lengthy, gives a detailed account written by the Rev. A. F. Caldwell of the escape of himself, wife, and little son from the "Titanic." Mr. Caldwell, it appears gave this interview on arriving at his home in Roseville. He describes in this article the incidents connected with the filling and launching of boat No. 13, and the narrow escape of the boat from being swamped, which I will relate presently.

He relates that after being awakened by the shock he dressed and went out on the deck, and was told by an officer that the vessel has struck an iceberg, but he not being conscious of the real peril and seeing so few scenes of serious danger, returned to bed. When awakened later by the shouting of orders for all to go on the deck, he and his family dressed fully and went to A deck. He then proceeds: "As we joined the group gathered there, lifeboat No. 13 was about to be lowered and Mrs. Caldwell was put into it. She was the last woman left in the group, and I was about to lower the baby down to her when she said, 'can't my husband come too?' There being ample room, I was put into the boat and other men followed and the work of lowering away began."

Mr. Caldwell also states in his account that just before he left the steamer, the passengers were repeatedly assured that there was no danger; that the "Olympic" was near and would take off the passengers and crew. He believed, when he embarked in the lifeboat, that it could be more prudent to stay on the steamer. In common with others he felt that the "Titanic" was so big, and so strongly constructed, that her sinking was unbelievable, and he remarks that it was this belief that resigned so many to stay on board, as they thought that no matter how seriously she was injured she would certainly keep afloat for hours, and perhaps days.

At the Congressional investigation Fifth Officer Lowe testified as follows:

Q. Did you have any difficulty in filling No. 31

A. Yes, sir; I had difficulty all along. I could not get enough people.

Q. Did any women attempt to get in either of these boats (3 or 5) and did not succeed in getting in?

A. No, sir.

Q. Did any men so attempt and fail to get in?

A. No, not one.

Q. What did you do about it yourself; did you arbitrarily select from the deck?

A. You say "select." There was no such thing as selecting. It was simply the first woman, either first class, second class, third class, or sixty-seventh class; it was all the same -- women and children were first.

Q. Do you mean that there was a procession of women?

A. The first woman was first into the boat; the second woman was second into the boat, no matter whether she was a first-class passenger or another class.

Q. Now as they came along, you would pass them one at a time into the lifeboat? What order did you have -- "to pass women and children?"

A. I simply shouted, "Women and children first; men stand back."

Q. How did it happen that you did not put more people into lifeboat No. 3 than forty-five?

A. There did not seem to be any people there.

Q. You did not find anybody that wanted to go?

A. Those that were there did not seem to want to go. I hallowed out: "Who's next for the boat?" And there was no response.

In view of these conditions the query arises, why were any women lost? The list of survivors shows that of the first class women passengers only fifteen were lost. Of these nine were ladies' maids traveling with their ladies. What follows may account for so many of these latter being lost It was related to me by a woman in my lifeboat, that just before she came on deck, and got into the boat, she saw the purser's office surrounded by a crowd demanding their valuables, which the purser and his assistant were endeavoring to hand out as quickly as possible. In this crowd were many women. I believe further, that there were some women, on some of the lower decks, who were not awakened at all. One of the crew of the "Titanic," the head baker, testified at the official investigation in London, that some women had to be carried from the lower decks up to the lifeboats. That many refused to get into the boats under any consideration. In this connection your attention is drawn to the fact that the "Titanic' had twelve steel decks, and that passengers had rooms on decks which were seven and eight decks below the boat deck.

The boat in which I embarked was rapidly lowered, and as it approached the water I observed, as I looked over the edge of the boat, that the bow, near which I was seated, was being lowered directly into an enormous stream of water, three or four feet in diameter, which was being thrown with great force from the side of the vessel. This was the water thrown out by the condenser pumps. Had our boat been lowered into the same it would have been swamped in an instant. The loud cries which were raised by the occupants of the boat, caused those who were sixty or seventy feet above us to cease lowering our boat. Securing an oar with considerable difficulty, as the oars had been firmly lashed together by means of heavy tarred twines and as in addition they mere on the seat running parallel with the side of the lifeboat, with no less than eight or ten occupants of the boat sitting on them, none of whom showed any tendency to disturb themselves -- we pushed the bow of the lifeboat, by means of the oar, a sufficient distance away from the side of the "Titanic" to clear this great stream of water which was gushing forth. We were then safely lowered to the water. During the few moments occupied by these occurrences I felt for the only time a sense of impending danger.

We were directed to pull our lifeboat from the steamer, and to follow a light which was carried in one of the other lifeboats, which had been launched prior to ours. Our lifeboat was found to contain no lantern, as the regulations require; nor was there a single sailor, or officer in the boat. Those who undertook to handle the oars were poor oarsmen, almost without exception, and our progress was extremely slow. Together with two or three other lifeboats which were in the vicinity, we endeavored to overtake the lifeboat which carried the light, in order that we might not drift away and possibly become lost. This light appeared to be a quarter of a mile distant, but in spite of our best endeavors, we were never enabled to approach any nearer to it, although we must have rowed at least a mile.

When I left the steamer, which, as near as I can fix the time, must have been from an hour to an hour and a half after the collision, I was not conscious that the "Titanic" showed any list or displacement whatever.

After we had been afloat possibly half an hour I observed, on looking at the steamer, that the line of lights from the portholes, showed that the vessel had settled forward into the water, but to no great extent. This was a matter of considerable surprise to me at the moment. Watching the vessel closely, it was seen from time to time that this submergence forward was increasing. No one in our boat, however, had any idea that the ship was in any danger of sinking. In spite of the intense cold, a cheerful atmosphere pervaded those present and they indulged, frown time to time, in jesting and even singing, "Pull for the shore, sailor."

The gradual submersion of the vessel forward increased, and in about an hour was suddenly followed by the extinguishment of all the lights, which had been burning brightly, illuminating every deck and gleaming forth from innumerable portholes. We saw the vessel then clearly outlined as a great dark shadow on the water, probably at a distance of about a mile. It was remarked by several, that if the vessel should sink, fortunately there had been plenty of time for every one aboard to get off. I had the same feeling, believing that if events subsequent to our departure had shown that the ship was liable to sink, all those on board would have had an opportunity to leave her.

Suddenly, while I was looking at the dark outline of the steamer, I saw her stern rise high from the water, and then the vessel was seen to completely disappear from sight with startling rapidity. A series of loud explosions, three or four in number, were then heard, due, as we all believed, to bursting boilers.

Any impression which I had had that there were no survivors aboard, was speedily removed from my mind by the faint, yet distinct, cries which were wafted across the waters. Some there were in our boat, who insisted that these cries came from occupants of the different lifeboats, which were nearer the scene of the wreck than we were, as they called one to another. To my ear, however they had but one meaning, and the awful fact was borne in upon me that many lives were perishing in those icy waters.

With the disappearance of the steamer, a great sense of loneliness and depression seemed to take possession of those in our boat. Few words were then spoken. I heardthe remark: "This is no joke, we may knock about here days before we are picked up, if at all." And the hours between this and daylight were spent, in ceaselessly scanning the ocean for some sign of a steamer's light. It was recalled how we had been told, that four or five steamers would be standing by within an hour or two, and every pair of eyes were strained to the utmost, to discover the first sign of approaching help.

Out of the sixteen lifeboats there were probably four or five that carried lanterns. The occupants of the other boats were, from time to time, apparently burning a piece of paper, as were we in our boat. These facts led several in our boat to assert many times, that they saw a new light, which certainly must be a steamer's light. With each disappointment, added gloom seemed to settle upon our little company, as they began to realize the seriousness of our situation.

About this time, quite a breeze began to spring up, and the ocean became more rough. It was apparent that we were drifting with the wind, being only partially able to keep the bow of the boat headed into the winds

Shortly before dawn, one of the occupants announced that he was sure that he saw a new light on the horizon. No one, however, placed any credence in his statement, although all could see dimly a light, which appeared to be similar to those that we bad seen repeatedly in the different lifeboats. It was not many minutes, nevertheless, before the same person declared that he could now see two lights, where formerly there was but one: Personally, I was unable to distinguish but one light. Five minutes later, however, two lights were plainly discerned, one above the other, appearing to be close together. The conviction grew that help was approaching. This was made a certainty a very few moments later, when the lights of a large steamer could be plainly discerned. The steamer was bearing directly down upon our lifeboat, when suddenly she was seen to change her course, and steam off in the direction of a lifeboat which had been, from time to time, displaying colored lights.

Just about this time, day began to dawn, and we could see the steamer come to rest, where we knew this lifeboat to be located. At this time, the man who was pulling the oar next to the one which I handled turned to me and said: "Doctor, are your wife and baby safe? I told him that I had placed them in one of the first boats to be launched. Recognizing the speaker as our table steward, I said to him: "I had no idea that you were here." To which he replied: "Why, I was right behind you as we left the steamer, and called to you to get in."

We now began to pull towards the vessel, but although it was not more than two miles distant, we did not reach her until long after sunrise, notwithstanding that the wind was directly astern of us. We could now see numerous other lifeboats coming from all points and rowing towards the "Carpathia," for such our rescuing steamer proved to be. We could also see numerous icebergs, and an ice field to the north of us, which proved to be over fifty miles long.

When our boat reached the ship's side we passed in front of her bow, to reach the port side, where we would have the shelter from the wind, and a smoother sea to disembark. An officer of the "Carpathia" called to us to come up on the starboard side. The vessel was then unloading lifeboats on each side Those of us who were rowing endeavored for five minutes to pull back across the bow of the ship, but so ineffective were our efforts, that we were unable against the wind to make any progress. We finally had to disembark on the port side.

As the "Carpathia" had taken aboard the occupants of four or five lifeboats before ours arrived, I was naturally consumed with anxiety to ascertain whether my wife and child were aboard. After short search I found them in the dining Loon, where the women and children were being tenderly cared for, and being revived by the administration of warm drinks and the application of warm wraps.

The "Carpathia" lay to, for several hours, while the occupants of the various lifeboats were being taken aboard as they rowed up, one by one. Several of those who were passengers on the "Carpathia" busied themselves by taking photographs of the lifeboats, as they drew alongside of the steamer. These photographs have been reproduced in many of the newspapers and magazines of the country, and show many of the lifeboats to have been but half filled. None of them were properly manned, there being few seamen in any of them.

There were taken aboard the "Carpathia" 705 persons. A number of the lifeboats contained the bodies of men who had been rescued from the icy waters but who had died before the boats reached the "Carpathia" from the cold and exposure incident to their immersion. Several men were brought aboard in a condition of collapse, these being some of those who had jumped from the steamer as she sank, and who had been immersed in the water for from two to three hours. I helped to resuscitate several of these men, and on the following days, before the "Carpathia" reached New York, learned from them the conditions which prevailed aboard the "Titanic-' after my departure, and the events which immediately preceded her sinking. This information thus obtained at first hand

I will set forth later.

Scarcely had I set foot on the "Carpathia" when I was I greeted by Mr. Wallace Bradford, of the firm of Hulse-Bradford Company of this city, who was a passenger on the "Carpathia" bound for Triest. He insisted upon putting his stateroom at the disposal of my wife and child, which offer I gladly accepted.

The "Carpathia," being comfortably well filled by her own passengers, was extremely overcrowded by our 700 additional persons. All, however, were comfortably cared for. The male passengers aboard, and in many instances the ladies, surrendered their cabins to women and children of the "Titanic." So able and tenderly were the survivors cared for by the captain and crew of the "Carpathia," that the former subscribed to a purse of several thousand dollars to be given to the officers and crew, and to purchase a loving cup suitably inscribed for the captain.

In the preceding remarks I have set forth the facts connected with the loss of the "Titanic" as observed by myself. My knowledge of subsequent events, as stated, is derived from extended conversation held with several of the men who swam off the "Titanic" as she sank. By observing, and noting the points in their narratives, in which there was no conflict, I was enabled to form, I think, a fairly accurate opinion of the events connected with and preceding the sinking of the ship.

The lifeboats on the starboard side were all launched a considerable length of time, possibly three quarters of an hour, before those on the port side were launched. There had been some trouble in launching the boats on the port side. The fact that orders had been given for the women and children to assemble on the port side, where the captain was, caused a greater congestion on this side of the vessel. The boats, however, on that side were all successfully launched and no panic, or great fear, was manifested among the passengers. Shortly after the launching of the last lifeboat, however, when there was still left four collapsible boats unlaunched, the male steerage passengers swarmed upon the boat deck. Many of these carried drawn daggers and knives in their hands, and others were armed with clubs of wood. They began to fight their way desperately to the collapsible boats, and try to gain possession of the same.

About this time the steamer suddenly settled to a very much greater degree forward, so that the waters at the forward end of the boat deck approached to within eight or ten feet of the same. With these conditions prevailing, panic ensued. Those fighting their way to the lifeboats attempted to jump into the same, and several were shot down by officers.

Only one collapsible boat was successfully launched, another was hanging from the davits ready to be launched, and a third was hastily pushed over the side of the steamer into the waters below, but unfortunately fell upside down and drifted from the ship. A number of the men then jumped from the steamer and swam to this overturned collapsible boat, which, by the way, was a flat-bottomed boat. They managed to climb upon the same, using it as a raft.

At this time, one of the survivors, who related the incident to me, was endeavoring to cut the ropes that bound the remaining collapsible boat to the deck. He had about half of these severed, when the bow of the "Titanic" was suddenly submerged, and the rush of waters tore the remaining fastenings loose. He, being flung into the water, saved himself by clinging to the boat. At this instant, many of those who were on the forward end of the boat deck were either washed off or jumped into the water clinging to wreckage.

Captain Smith, so I was told by an eye witness, called out, "Now it's every man for himself," and sprang into the water. Three of those who were at this time in them water, told me the same story of the succeeding events.

They stated, that as the "Titanic's" bow sunk deeper and deeper into the water, they heard a series of two or three reports following each other at intervals, apparently from the hold of the vessel toward the bow. These reports, they stated, resembled those of a gun. Following the last, and the loudest report, they stated that an immense volume of water rushed upward within the vessel, above the level of the ocean, bursting the windows and doors outward. These reports, they went on to state, were, in their opinion, caused by the successive giving away of the submerged bulkheads, constituting the water-tight compartments forward. With the last report, connected with the upward rush of the water within the steamer, the bow of the vessel disappeared beneath the level of the sea, and her whole stern was lifted high into the air. As one who was then in the ocean expressed it: "It looked like a great mountain hanging directly over my head, which I expected would instantly fall back upon me." Following this the vessel was seen to buckle close to the water line, and immediately she took her final plunge into the ocean depths. All of these latter events transpired in the space of a very few moments.

My idea is, that when the stern of the ship was lifted high out of the water by the bursting of the water-tight compartments, in the forward end of the vessel, that the vast freight of the machinery caused the framework and the plates of the ship to give way, thus allowing the great inrush of waters to complete her destruction.

From the preceding narrative it is seen that those who escaped in the lifeboats, had little or no knowledge of the terrible events which transpired with the sinking of the ship. As near as I can fix the lapse of time, an hour or an hour and a quarter elapsed, after the lifeboat, in which I left the vessel, was launched, up to the time of the sinking of the steamer.

The tales told me, however, by these men who were on board the vessel, or in the water, as she sunk, are almost too harrowing for repetition. These men, for hours after their arrival on the "Carpathia" would burst forth in tears, lamenting the terrible scenes through which they passed.

With some of these men, there clambered onto the bottom of the collapsible boat, other survivors, until it held in the neighborhood of forty persons. So many, however, climbed upon the same, that it was constantly submerged from six inches to three feet, and there they stood shoulder to shoulder, endeavoring to balance and prevent the raft from overturning. Numbers died on this raft, chilled by the icy waters to the point where they succumbed, when their bodies were cast into the sea by the survivors. Several times the raft was capsized, and always some would be lost in their attempt to clamber back upon it. When the survivors were taken off the raft, but sixteen remained of the original forty. (The preceding was all given me in detail by several who were on the raft.)

Following the collision the band which had earlier in the evening given the usual Sunday evening concert, continued to play. They played ragtime and other lively music. But a fen moments before the steamer sank, when the danger was apparent to all, they were playing "Lead Kindly Light." There were five musicians, all of whom were lost.

When all of the survivors were gathered aboard the "Carpathia," word was circulated requesting that all first class and second-class passengers give their names to the purser, in order that a list of the rescued might be sent ashore by means of the Marconi wireless. The purser had a book in which the survivors wrote their names. I wrote in this book distinctly the name of my self, with that of my wife and that of my little son. Unfortunately somewhere in the repetition of this list, after it had left the "Carpathia," by the vessel relaying the same, or the operator ashore, the error was made of reporting my name as "Mr. Washington, the Dodge being omitted. My proof of the fact that my name was correctly sent off the day of the disaster, by the Marconi operator of the "Carpathia," is proven by what, to me, is a most interesting incident.

I received, only three days since, a letter written on board the steamship "Olympic," which was the sister ship to the "Titanic," and which at the time of the disaster was on her way to England from New York. This letter is as follows:

"On Board R.M. S. 'Olympic," at sea, April 15th. "Dr. Washington Dodge.

"Dear Sir: I want to congratulate you, Mrs. Dodge, and your little child, on your escape from the awful disaster. We, on the sister ship have been rushing to your aid all day, but alas, to no effect. We have positively no news of the disaster, except a partial list of survivors, among whom I was very happy to see your names.

"Hoping that your family suffers no ill effects, I remain,

"Yours very truly,

"B.M. JOSEPH,

"With Raphael, Weill & Co."

Mr. Joseph, a buyer for the White Houses was on his annual trip to Europe, and on reaching Southampton mailed this letter which, as stated, only reached me a few day since. Had this error not been made my relatives, and friends, would have been spared the two days of suspense which I learned of after reaching New York. The "Olympic," on which Mr. Joseph was a passenger, received our first wireless call for help. Later in the day she received a wireless from the "Carpathia" informing her of the "Titanic's" loss and giving a list of those rescued.

A question frequently asked me has been whether following the collision, the passengers believed that they were in any immediate danger I think that what I have narrated shows that up to the time following the launching of the last lifeboat, little apprehension existed in the minds of most of the passengers. This, to some, may seem almost incredible. When one rejects, however, that the "Titanic" was considered by all, in itself, a life boat, and an unsinkable vessel, and that no one had any idea of the terrible injury to the ship, caused by a shock so slight, as that given by the impact with the iceberg: -- when she was seen to be afloat with apparently no displacement, on a calm sea, with no ice in sight, it can readily be conceived that the idea of the vessel sinking did not impress itself on the minds of the passengers.

When, to these facts, there was added the assurance of the officers, that under no conditions, could the ship sink in less than eight or ten hours, and that within an hour or two, not one, but three or four, steamers would be alongside -- they having been signaled by wireless --it can readily be seen how this confidence grew.

Perhaps a few incidents which came to my knowledge will serve to illustrate these facts more forcibly. Mr. Carter and Mr. Widener were two prominent Philadelphians aboard the steamer. Mr. Carter was saved. Mr. Widener was lost. M. Carter related the following circumstances: "We had been together on the port side of the steamer, and had seen a number of boats launched. I said to my friend: 'Harry, let's go around on the starboard side, as we might have a chance to get aboard a boat there.' He replied, 'You go ahead, old man, if you want to, I am going to take my chance with the steamer.'" Mr. Carter related that he then went to the starboard side, and there entered the last boat on that side which was then being launched. This was boat 15 in which Mr. Ismay embarked, and which boat I saw launched.

Another incident. Myself and wife were acquainted with a couple residing in Los Angeles, who were passengers on the "Titanic." On the "Carpathia," the morning after the disaster, we found the wife, but the husband was missing. The wife related the following: At the time of the collision her husband was on the upper deck (deck A) in the card room, engaged with some friends, in a game of cards. She was on one of the lower decks (C deck, I think) preparing to retire, being partially disrobed. Being conscious of the jar, and noticing that the engines had stopped, she put on her clothing, and went up two decks above, to her husband in the card room. He assured her that there was nothing to be alarmed at, that he had been so told by one of the officers, and told her to return to her stateroom, where he would join her presently. This she did; he continuing in the game of cards. As she reached her stateroom door, she saw a man with a life preserver on, hurrying along the corridor. She laughed at him, and said, "Well, you must be a pretty nervous man." He then told her that the order had been given for all passengers to put on life preservers. She again went up to "A" deck, and informed her husband of what she had been told. They then went down to their stateroom, put on warmer underclothing, and dressed in the warmest clothing that they had. After this they proceeded to the boat deck, where they were; joined by another couple they knew, and there watched the boats being launched. The ladies refused to enter the lifeboats, stating that they would wait and go with their husbands later. Eventually, after several of the boats were launched, the officers insisted that they get into a boat, their husbands adding their request, and assisting them into the boat. After this neither of them ever saw or heard anything of her husband. But as this lady in narrating the circumstances stated: "Neither of us thought that there was any danger of our not meeting again. My husband handed me some money saying: We may be separated, and you might need this.' But he did not kiss me good bye, nor did he even say good by. I know he had no more idea of the possibility of his being lost than had I."

Those who swam from the sinking steamer at the last moment had no idea that the vessel was in danger of sinking, until her body suddenly sank deeper in the waters a few moments before she sank. As they stated, had they believed the vessel was in any danger of sinking they would have had sufficient time, following the launching of the lifeboats, to have prepared temporary life rafts sufficient, in that calm sea, to have saved the lives of hundreds.

There were on the decks stacked against the cabins, over 800 folding steamer chairs made of heavy oak frames. A few of these lashed together would have formed an emergency raft capable of sustaining one or more persons indefinitely. Hundreds of heavy wooden doors, and dining room tables and other material, was easily available for the same purpose.

These survivors stated, however, that until the sudden downward dip of the vessel forward, coincident with the rush onto the boat deck of the steerage passengers, they did not apprehend that there was and danger of the vessel sinking for hours or days, if at all. I quote again from the very able review published in the London papers, and in the New York Times, by Mr. Lawrence Beeslev, a passenger to whom reference has already been made:

"When the 'Titanic' struck every one said, 'We are all right, this boat cannot sink. We will only have to wait around until another ship comes along to take us off.' This, he states, no doubt stopped the panic, and prevented those rushes after boats which probably would have occurred had this theory not been so widely and firmly held."

There are a few matters relating to this disaster which have caused widespread criticism and discussion, which I will briefly touch upon. I am aware, however, that there are probably many present who are far better qualified than I to express an opinion on these matters.

The criticism has been made that gross carelessness was displayed, in driving the steamship at such a rate of speed after warnings of icebergs ahead had been given. The charge is also made that the steamer was equipped with lifeboats sufficient to carry less than one-third of those aboard. Also, that not enough seamen to properly launch and man the lifeboats were at hand, and that the steamer was not provided with a searchlight.

There can be no question of the fact that the steamer was running at an unwarranted rate of speed after it had received the warning it had. Neither can there be any question of the fact that the lifeboats were not sufficient to carry all of those aboard. The number of seamen was positively insufficient. Owing to this great insufficiency, there being but sixteen seamen to launch and man twenty lifeboats, the lifeboats appeared to be filled and lowered consecutively, rather than simultaneously.

The seriousness of this point is apparent when we consider that when the ship sank, nearly three hours after she struck, there still remained three collapsible boats, each capable of holding thirty or more persons, unlaunched. As to the searchlight, it is not disputed that the steamer was without one.

In answer to these criticisms the only excuse that can be offered is the following. Many steamship companies undoubtedly endeavor to meet the requirements of the public for rapid transit. The fast liners that advertise to leave New York on Mondays and take dinner in London on Saturday, seldom fail to arrive on schedule time. As the craze on the part of the public for speed, and the incident saving of time is manifested on the water, so we see the same evidenced on shore by the "cannon-ball express," and "20th century limited" trains. Sleet, snow, and even fog are often disregarded in the ruining of these trains and boats, no matter how great the menace, if only the time schedule can be lived up to. As was done by the captain of the "Titanic," so, many captains for years past have done, that is, to run at full speed through the iceberg region. While this is not done by every captain, yet it is not an uncommon occurrence for captains of fast passenger-mail steamers to do so. Considering the vastness of the ocean, and the small size of an iceberg, the chance of striking one are about as remote as the finding of the proverbial needle in a haystack. These chances of disaster have been taken thousands of times previous to the disaster of the "Titanic," but unfortunately here the chance was taken once too often. The "Titanic" encountered the only thing in the ocean which was capable, in my opinion, of sinking her. There is, to my mind, no excuse for such a catastrophe, but it is difficult to free the traveling public from all responsibility for such disasters.

As to the insufficiency of lifeboats, taking into consideration the unsinkable qualities of the "Titanic," and the fact, as Captain Rostand of the "Carpathia" stated it: "She was herself a lifeboat," she was probably better equipped than are the majority of passenger steamers today.

Very similar conditions prevail on other steamers regarding the insufficiency of seamen. The crews are made up principally of engineers, oilers, stokers, and stewards. When a catastrophe such as this occurs, the lack of seamen to man the lifeboats is a serious matter. Had the sea not been unusually calm, not one-fourth of those saved would have been rescued.

The absence of a searchlight seems inexcusable. The fact that passenger steamers at this time of the year, when icebergs are a menace take the northern route, rather than a more southern and safer route, simply because this northern route is shorter, and entails less expense and time in making the trip, seems positively unwarranted.

I conclusion, I will state that I hope this narrative has given you a clearer understanding of the events connected with this great disaster. There is no doubt that the catastrophe will result in the adoption of rules, regarding the equipment of ocean-going steamers, and their navigation which will make the repetition of such a disaster less liable.

(c) 1998 by The Union Democrat