of security
that was spread amongst the passengers.

Mr. Pitman, the Third Officer, was in his bunk at the time of the
collision, having been on duty on the bridge from six to eight, when the
Captain had also been on the bridge. There had been talk of ice among
the officers on Sunday, and they had expected to meet with it just
before midnight, at the very time, in fact, when they had met with it.
But very little ice had been seen, and the speed of the ship had not
been reduced. Mr. Pitman says that when he awoke he heard a sound which
seemed to him to be the sound of the ship coming to anchor. He was not
actually awake then, but he had the sensation of the ship halting, and
heard a sound like that of chains whirling round the windlass and
running through the hawseholes into the water. He lay in bed for three
or four minutes wondering in a sleepy sort of way where they could have
anchored. Then, becoming more awake, he got up, and without dressing
went out on deck; he saw nothing remarkable, but he went back and
dressed, suspecting that something was the matter. While he was dressing
Mr. Boxhall looked in and said: "We have struck an iceberg, old man;
hurry up!"

He also went down below to make an inspection and find out what damage
had been done. He went to the forward well deck, where ice was lying,
and into the fo'c's'le, but found nothing wrong there. The actual
damage was farther aft, and at that time the water had not come into the
bows of the ship. As he was going back he met a number of firemen coming
up the gangway with their bags of clothing; they told him that water was
coming into their place. They were firemen off duty, who afterwards were
up on the boat deck helping to man the boats. Then Mr. Pitman went down
lower into the ship and looked into No. 1 hatch, where he could plainly
see water. All this took time; and when he came back he found that the
men were beginning to get the boats ready, a task at which he helped
under Mr. Murdoch's orders. Presently Mr. Murdoch ordered him to take
command of a boat and hang about aft of the gangway. Pitman had very
little relish for leaving the ship at that time, and in spite of the
fact that she was taking in water, every one was convinced that the
_Titanic_ was a much safer place than the open sea. He had about forty
passengers and six of the crew in his boat, and as it was about to be
lowered, Mr. Murdoch leant over to him and shook him heartily by the
hand: "Goo