Two survivors of the Titanic, Mrs. Manning and an unnamed steward, recount their experiences during the ship's ill-fated voyage. Mrs. Manning, a 16-year-old immigrant traveling to America, describes being in the stairwell when the ship hit the iceberg. She initially thought it was a normal part of the trip but soon realized the gravity of the situation. With the help of a guardian angel, she managed to board a lifeboat and was eventually rescued by the RMS Carpathia.
The steward recounts his experience from a different perspective. He was in charge of the Turkish baths on the ship and was in bed when the iceberg hit. He quickly got dressed and went on deck, where he saw ice and chaos. He helped load lifeboats and eventually took charge of a gang of men gathering biscuits from the store room. As the ship sank, he helped a young couple, the Clarks, with their life jackets and encouraged them to board a lifeboat. The steward eventually jumped into the water, where he was rescued by a lifeboat, and was taken aboard the Carpathia.
Both survivors describe the traumatic experience and the vivid memories that still haunt them to this day.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The speaker was on the Titanic when it hit the iceberg.
2. The speaker was in bed when the Titanic hit the iceberg.
3. The speaker was 16 years old at the time of the Titanic's sinking.
4. The speaker was immigrating to America to join their sister.
5. The speaker did not realize the gravity of the situation until they were in the lifeboat.
6. The speaker saw the ship sink from the lifeboat.
7. The speaker was rescued by the Carpathia.
8. The rescue occurred around 9 o'clock in the morning.
9. The speaker was taken to New York on the Carpathia.
10. The speaker was later taken to Plymouth on the Lapland.
11. The speaker's life belt was frozen in the water for about 20 minutes.
12. The speaker's watch stopped working when they went into the water, showing 2:20.
13. The speaker was wearing the watch when they went into the water.
14. The Titanic had 16 lifeboats, each with a capacity of 50 people.
15. Only 500 people were saved from the Titanic, although there were enough lifeboats to save 800.
16. The speaker saw ice crashing into the sides of the lifeboats.
17. The speaker saw the Titanic's propellers and rudder above water as the ship sank.
18. The speaker was pulled into a lifeboat by its occupants after being in the water for about 20 minutes.
19. The lifeboat had about a foot of water in it.
20. The speaker sat next to a woman named Mrs. Clark in the lifeboat.
21. Mrs. Clark had been put into a lifeboat by the speaker earlier.
22. The Carpathia was about 7000 tons and was on its way to the Mediterranean when it rescued the Titanic's survivors.