Титаник
Chapter 12
Waterthusfounditswayintosomecompartments,andgraduallyrose;butlongafterthoseinchargehadgivenupallhopeofsavingtheship,thestokeholdwatchwerekepthardatworkdrawingthefiresfromundertheboilers,sothatwhenthewaterreachedthemthereshouldbenosteam.Thedutyoftheengine-roomstaffwastokeepthepumpsgoingaslongaspossibleandtorunthedynamosthatsuppliedthecurrentforthelightandtheMarconiinstallation.Thistheydid,astheblackwaterrosestagebystageuponthem.Atleasttwentyminutesbeforetheshipsankthemachinerymusthavebeenflooded,andthecurrentforthelightsandthewirelesssuppliedfromthestorageplant.Nomemberoftheengine-roomstaffwaseverseenaliveagain,but,whenthewaterfinallyfloodedthestokeholds,thewatchwerereleasedandtoldtogetupandsavethemselvesiftheycould.
Andupondeckachillyconvictionofdoomwasslowlybutcertainlytakingtheplaceofthatblandconfidenceintheunsinkableshipinwhichtheprevioushourhadbeenlightlypassed.Thatconfidencehadbeendreadfullyoverdone,somuchsothatthestewardshadfoundthegreatestdifficultyinpersuadingthepassengerstodressthemselvesandcomeupondeck,andsomewhohaddonesohadreturnedtotheirstate-roomsandlockedthemselvesin.Thelasttwentyminutes,however,musthaveshowneveryoneondeckthattherewasnotachanceleft.OnashipasvastandsolidastheTitanicthereisnosensationofactualsinkingorsettling.Shestillseemedasimmovableasever,butthewaterwasclimbinghigherandhigherupherblacksides.
