Титаник

           Insteadofthetrimlevelappearancewhichshepresentedonthepicturepostcardsorphotographs,shehadanungracefulslantdownwardstothebows­aheavyhelplessappearancelikesomewoundedmonsterthatisbeingovercomebythewaters.Andevenwhiletheylooked,theycouldseethatthebowwassinkinglower.

           Afterthefirstboathadgotaway,therewaslessdifficultyabouttheothers.Theorder,“Womenandchildrenfirst,”wasrigidlyenforcedbytheofficers;butitwasnecessarytohavemenintheboatstohandlethem,andanumberofstewards,andmanygrimyfiguresofstokerswhohadmysteriouslyappearedfrombelowwereputintothemtomanthem.Oncethetideofpeoplebegantosetintotheboatsandawayfromtheship,therecameacertainanxietytojointhemandnottobeleftbehind.Hereandthereindeedtherewasover-anxiety,whichhadtoberoughlychecked.OnebandofItaliansfromthesteerage,whohadgoodreasontoknowthatsomethingwaswrong,triedtorushoneoftheboats,andhadtobekeptbackbyforce,anofficerfiringacoupleofshotswithhispistol;theydesisted,andwerehauledbackignominiouslybythelegs.IntheirplacesomeofthecrewandthepassengerswhowerehelpingliftedinanumberofItalianwomenlimpwithfright.

           Andstilleveryonewaswalkingaboutandsayingthattheshipwasunsinkable.Therewasacertainsubduedexcitement,naturaltothosewhofeelthattheyaretakingpartinaratherthrillingadventurewhichwillgivethemimportanceintheeyesofpeopleathomewhentheyrelateit.