on from those
whom in various ways he had served--amongst others from the White Star
Company, the Hamburg American Company and, what I daresay he valued as
much, from the stewards of the _Olympic_. Following the announcement of
his marriage, a Committee was organised at the Yard for the purpose of
showing him in a tangible way the esteem of the Islanders, but for
business reasons, or perhaps feeling a delicacy in accepting a
compliment without parallel in the history of the Yard, he whilst making
it plain how much the kindly thought had moved him, felt constrained to
ask the Committee to desist.

One may end this imperfect chapter with two more tributes, themselves
without any great literary merit perhaps, yet testifying sincerely, one
thinks, to the love which Andrews inspired in everyone.

[Illustration: THE "TITANIC" AND THE "OLYMPIC" BUILDING IN THE LARGEST
GANTRY IN THE WORLD]

Long ago, poor Doctor O'Loughlin wrote in collaboration with the Purser
of the _Oceanic_ some verses to be sung to the air _Tommy Atkins_.
Doubtless they have been sung at ship's mess on many a voyage, and
perhaps have elsewhere been printed. One verse is given here:

"_Neath a gantry high and mighty she had birth.
And she'd bulk and length and height and mighty beam.
And the world was only larger in its girth
And she seemed to be a living moving dream.
Then she rode so grandly o'er the sea
That she seemed a beauty decked in bright array.
And the whistle sounded loudly
As she sailed along so proudly,
That we all cried out 'She must be quite O.K.'

Oh Tommy Tommy Andrews we are all so proud of you,
And to say we have the finest ship that e'er was built
is true.
May your hand ne'er lose its cunning, we don't care how
winds may roar
For we know we have a frigate that can sail from shore
to shore._"

The second tribute is taken from a _Lament_, written by the Island
poet in the ballad form so popular in Ireland, and circulated widely in
the Yard:

"_A Queen's Island Trojan, he worked to the last;
Very proud we all feel of him here in Belfast;
Our working-men knew him as one of the best--
He stuck to his duty, and God gave him rest._"

VI.

It remains, before giving account of the finest action of his life, to
consider briefly, by way of rounding his portrait, what we may call
Andrews' outside