m the British mine sweeper which
picked up our open lifeboat after an eventful six hours of
drifting, and darkness and baling and pulling on the oars and of
straining aching eyes toward that empty, meaningless horizon in
search of help. But, dream or fact, here it is:

The first-cabin passengers were gathered in the lounge Sunday
evening, with the exception of the bridge fiends in the
smoking-room. _Poor Butterfly_ was dying wearily on the
talking-machine and several couples were dancing.

About the tables in the smoke-room the conversation was limited
to the announcement of bids and orders to the stewards. This
group had about exhausted available discussion when the ship gave
a sudden lurch sideways and forward. There was a muffled noise
like the slamming of some large door at a good distance away. The
slightness of the shock and the mildness of the report compared
with my imagination was disappointing. Every man in the room
was on his feet in an instant.

I looked at my watch. It was 10.30.

Then came five blasts on the whistle. We rushed down the corridor
leading from the smoking-room at the stern to the lounge, which
was amidships. We were running, but there was no panic. The
occupants of the lounge were just leaving by the forward doors as
we entered.

It was dark when we reached the lower deck. I rushed into my
stateroom, grabbed life preservers and overcoat and made my way
to the upper deck on that same dark landing.

I saw the chief steward opening an electric switch box in the
wall and turning on the switch. Instantly the boat decks were
illuminated. That illumination saved lives.

The torpedo had hit us well astern on the starboard side and had
missed the engines and the dynamos. I had not noticed the deck
lights before. Throughout the voyage our decks had remained dark
at night and all cabin portholes were clamped down and all
windows covered with opaque paint.

The illumination of the upper deck, on which I stood, made the
darkness of the water, sixty feet below, appear all the blacker
when I peered over the edge at my station boat, No. 10.

Already the boat was loading up and men and boys were busy with
the ropes. I started to help near a davit that seemed to be
giving trouble, but was stoutly ordered to