y three
sharp strokes on the gong sounding from the crow's nest--a signal for
something right ahead; while almost simultaneously came a voice through
the telephone from the look-out announcing the presence of ice. There
was a kind of haze in front of the ship the colour of the sea, but
nothing could be distinguished from the bridge. Mr. Murdoch's hand was
on the telegraph immediately, and his voice rapped out the order to the
quartermaster to starboard the helm. The wheel spun round, the answering
click came up from the startled engine-room; but before anything else
could happen there was a slight shock, and a splintering sound from the
bows of the ship as she crashed into yielding ice. That was followed by
a rubbing, jarring, grinding sensation along her starboard bilge, and a
peak of dark-coloured ice glided past close alongside.

As the engines stopped in obedience to the telegraph Mr. Murdoch turned
the switches that closed the water-tight doors. Captain Smith came
running out of the chart room. "What is it?" he asked. "We have struck
ice, Sir." "Close the water-tight doors." "It is already done, Sir."
Then the Captain took command. He at once sent a message to the
carpenter to sound the ship and come and report; the quartermaster went
away with the message, and set the carpenter to work. Captain Smith now
gave a glance at the commutator, a dial which shows to what extent the
ship is off the perpendicular, and noticed that she carried a 5 deg. list
to starboard. Coolly following a routine as exact as that which he would
have observed had he been conning the ship into dock, he gave a number
of orders in rapid succession, after first consulting with the Chief
Engineer. Then, having given instructions that the whole of the
available engine-power was to be turned to pumping the ship, he hurried
aft along the boat-deck to the Marconi room. Phillips was sitting at his
key, toiling through routine business; Bride, who had just got up to
relieve him, was sleepily making preparations to take his place. The
Captain put his head in at the door.

"We have struck an iceberg," he said, "and I am having an inspection
made to tell what it has done for us. Better get ready to send out a
call for assistance, but don't send it until I tell you."

He hurried away again; in a few minutes he put his head in at the door
again; "Send that call for assistance," he said.

"What call shall I send?" asked Phillips.

"The regulation intern