The Aftermath

Chapter 6

April 14th 1912  At 11:40 PM

I had just settled down in my bunk when I heard a low scraping noise. I bolted out of bed.  Sam had sat up as well.

"What was that?"

"Dunno," I was putting on my pants at this point,"doesn't sound good.  Better get up and at 'em."

That was the last time I saw Sam.

"Do you know what happened to him?"

"No.  He went down with the ship.  I can't help but feel like I should have gone down with him too."

The reporter looked up from his notes at the officer.

"Should I continue?"

The reporter nodded, and turned back to his notebook.

I was heading up to the Wheelhouse, through the corridors inside the boat when I heard a commotion.  I turned the corner and all these stewards were arguing with another, older officer.

"Help me quiet them down.  Their going to wake the passengers."

"What's happened?"

"We've hit an iceberg."

I tried to help the other officer, but it proved to be of no avail.  We had almost given the order for them to go back to their cabins when another man came down the corridor.

"I will not stand for this racket!  Get them somewhere they can't be heard.  It will upset the women."

He left after his announcement.  I turned to the officer next me and asked what do we do.  The man thought for a moment.

"Follow me."

We took the group to a closet nearby, and locked them in.

"You locked them in?!"

The reporter was in shock.

"Yes.  Not one of them made it.  I shouldn't have done it.  I should have protested."

"Damn straight you should've.  You killed them.  Who was the man that told you to get rid of the racket?"

The officer thought for a moment.

"It was a First Class passenger, I know that.  He looked to be older than you.."

"I'm 40, so older than that?"

"Yes.  He had a suit on, and had light brown hair and a mustache."

The reporter dropped his notebook.  The description and this story would make headlines when they got to New York.

"Officer, you just gave me the description of J. Bruce Ismay."

"Oh.  The company owner."

The reporter nodded vigorously.

"Please continue."

I left the closet, not once turning around.  I could hear them pounding on the door.  Begging us not to leave them.  I arrived on the Boat Deck, on the starboard side (right side) and found the commanding officer by one of the lifeboats.

"What do you need me to do?"

"Stand by one of the lifeboats, and prepare to help the passengers board."

"Do I load everybody?"

"No.  Women and children only.  We haven't got enough lifeboats to load the men too."

April 15th 1912  At 12:30 AM

The women and children had started to flood onto the decks.  For the most part no one was getting into the boats.  Some men would force their wives onto the boats.  I could hear them say, 'no I am not leaving you.' or, 'that boat is so small!  How would it handle on the water?' .  I grabbed several maids who were on board and herded them to one boat.  One of them protested, until I told them to set an example for the others.  The other women seeing the maids get on the lifeboat, started to come forward.  I loaded as many people as came forward, but many stayed back.  Another officer had joined me, and lowered it away.  We couldn't get anymore women on it.

Suddenly more women came onto the deck.  I could tell that these women were not First Class.  They were from Second Class.  Immediately I thought of Bridget.  Would she get into a lifeboat?  I had to brush away my concerns as I helped the women and children board.  One women came near me, and asked if her sons could come on board.

"How old are they?"

"They're 14."

I turned to the other officer.

"What do you think?"

"We can't let anyone older than 13."

I turned back to the woman.

"I can't let them board.  But you need to board."

"If they don't go, I don't go."

She walked out of the way, her two boys following her.