Титаник
Chapter 6
Forthemalmostexclusivelywasreservedthatstrangesenseoflookingdownoverthesternoftheshipintotheboilingcommotionofthechurned-upwaters,themaelstromofsnowunderthecountermergingintothepalegreenhighwaythatlaystraightbehindthemtothehorizon,andofknowingthatitwasaroadthatdividedthemfromhome,aroadthatgrewamilelongerwitheverythreeminutesoftheirstormingprogress.Othershipswouldfollowontheroad;othershipswouldturnandcomeagain,anddrivetheirwaystraightbackoverthewhitefoamtowhere,withasuddenplungingandturningofscrewsinthegreenharbourwaterofhome,theroadhadbegun.ButtheywholookedbackfromthesteeragequartersoftheTitanicwouldnotreturn;andthey,aloneofallthepassengersontheship,knewit.
Andthatisallwecanknoworimagineaboutthem;butitisprobablymorethanmostofthefortunateonesonthesnowyupperdeckscaredtoknoworimagine.Uptherealsothereweredistinctions;someofthetravellersthere,forexample,weresorichthattheywereconspicuousforriches,eveninapopulationlikethisandIimaginethatthestandardofwealthishigherinthefirst-classpopulationofanAtlanticlinerthaninanyothergroupofpeopleintheworld.TherewerefourmentherewhorepresentedbetweenthemthepossessionofsomeseventymillionsofmoneyJohnJacobAstor,IsidoreStraus,GeorgeD.Widener,andBenjaminGuggenheimtheirnames;anditwassaidthatthereweretwentywhorepresentedafortuneofahundredmillionsbetweenthemaninteresting,thoughnotanimportant,fact.
