Титаник

           Hesaidnothing,andwentawaytoanotherboat,wherehesucceededinbeingmoreuseful,anditwasnottillafterwardsthatanawe-strickenstewardtoldtheFifthOfficerwhoitwasthathehadchasedawaywithsuchlanguage.ButafterthatMr.Ismaywasamongtheforemostinhelpingtosortoutthewomenandchildrenandgetthemexpeditiouslypackedintotheboats,withaburdenofmiseryandresponsibilityonhisheartthatwecannotmeasure.

           Onecanimagineagreatbustleandexcitementwhiletheboatswerebeingsentaway;butwhentheyhadallgone,andtherewasnothingmoretobedone,thosewhowereleftbegantolookaboutthemandrealizetheirposition.Therewasnodoubtaboutit,theTitanicwassinking,notwithanyplungingorviolentmovement,butsteadilysettlingdown,asarockseemstosettleintothewaterwhenthetiderisesaboutit.

           Downintheengine-roomandstokeholds,inconditionswhichcanhardlybeimaginedbytheordinarylandsman,menwerestillworkingwithagrimandstoicheroism.Theforwardstokeholdshadbeenfloodedprobablyanhourafterthecollision;butitispracticallycertainthatthebulkheadsforwardofNhelduntilthelast.ThedoorsinthoseaftofNhadbeenopenedbyhandaftertheyhadbeenclosedfromthebridge,inordertofacilitatethepassageoftheengineeringstaffabouttheirbusiness;andtheyremainedopen,andtheprincipalbulkheadprotectingthemainengine-room,helduntilthelast.