a picked them up.

The Titanic did not plunge into the water suddenly, he declared, but
settled slowly into the deep with its hundreds of passengers.

"The collision occurred at 20 minutes of 12," said Mr. McGough. "I was
sleeping in my cabin when I felt a wrench, not severe or terrifying.

"It seemed to me to be nothing more serious than the racing of the
screw, which often occurs when a ship plunges her bow deep into a heavy
swell, raising the stern out of water. We dressed hurriedly and ran to
the upper deck. There was little noise or tumult at the time.

"The promenade decks being higher from the base of the ship and thus
more insecure, strained and creaked; so we went to the lower decks.
By this time the engines had been reversed, and I could feel the ship
backing off. Officers and stewards ran through the corridors, shouting
for all to be calm, that there was no danger. We were warned, however,
to dress and put life-preservers on us. I had on what clothing I could
find and had stuffed some money in my pocket.

PARTING OF ASTOR AND BRIDE

"As I passed the gymnasium I saw Colonel Astor and his young wife
together. She was clinging to him, piteously pleading that he go into
the life-boat with her. He refused almost gruffly and was attempting to
calm her by saying that all her fears were groundless, that the accident
she feared would prove a farce. It proved different, however.

"None, I believe, knew that the ship was about to sink. I did not
realize it just then. When I reached the upper deck and saw tons of ice
piled upon our crushed bow the full realization came to me.

"Officers stood with drawn guns ordering the women into the boats. All
feared to leave the comparative safety of a broad and firm deck for the
precarious smaller boats. Women clung to their husbands, crying that
they would never leave without them, and had to be torn away.

"On one point all the women were firm. They would not enter a Life-boat
until men were in it first. They feared to trust themselves to the seas
in them. It required courage to step into the frail crafts as they swung
from the creaking davits. Few men were willing to take the chance. An
officer rushed behind me and shouted:

"'You're big enough to pull an oar. Jump into this boat or we'll never
be able to get the women off.' I was forced to do so, though I admit
that the ship looked a great deal safer to me than any small boat.

"Our boat was the second off. Forty or