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CHAPTER VI
"WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST!"
COOL-HEADED OFFICERS AND CREW BRING ORDER OUT OF
CHAOS—FILLING THE LIFE-BOATS—HEARTRENDING SCENES
AS FAMILIES ARE PARTED—FOUR LIFE-BOATS LOST—INCIDENTS
OF BRAVERY—"THE BOATS ARE ALL FILLED!"
Sinking of the Titanic and Great Sea Disasters |  |
THE DOOMED MEN
As the ship began to settle to starboard, heeling at an angle of nearly forty-five degrees, those who had believed it was all right to stick by the ship began to have doubts, and a few jumped into the sea. They were followed immediately by others, and in a few minutes there were scores swimming around. Nearly all of them wore life-preservers. One man, who had a Pomeranian dog, leaped overboard with it and striking a piece of wreckage was badly stunned. He recovered after a few minutes and swam toward one of the life-boats and was taken aboard.
Said one survivor, speaking of the men who remained on the ship. "There they stood—Major Butt, Colonel Astor waving a farewell to his wife, Mr. Thayer, Mr. Case, Mr. Clarence Moore, Mr. Widener, all multimillionaires, and hundreds of other men, bravely smiling at us all. Never have I seen such chivalry and fortitude. Such courage in the face of fate horrible to contemplate filled us even then with wonder and admiration."
Why were men saved? ask: others who seek to make the occasional male survivor a hissing scorn; and yet the testimony makes it clear that for a long time during that ordeal the more frightful position seemed to many to be in the frail boats in the vast relentless sea, and that some men had to be tumbled into the boats under orders from the officers. Others
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CHAPTER VI
"WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST!"
COOL-HEADED OFFICERS AND CREW BRING ORDER OUT OF
CHAOS—FILLING THE LIFE-BOATS—HEARTRENDING SCENES
AS FAMILIES ARE PARTED—FOUR LIFE-BOATS LOST—INCIDENTS
OF BRAVERY—"THE BOATS ARE ALL FILLED!"
Sinking of the Titanic and Great Sea Disasters | |