"We saw through the smoking room window a game of
cards going on, and went in to inquire if they knew anything;
it seems they felt more of the jar, and, looking through the
window, had seen a huge iceberg go by close to the side of
the boat. They thought we had just grazed it with a glancing
blow, and that the engines had been stopped to see if
any damage had been done. No one, of course, had any
conception that the vessel had been pierced below by part
of the submerged iceberg.
"The game went on without any thought of disaster and
I retired to my cabin, to read until we went on again. I
never saw any of the players or the onlookers again.
SOME WERE AWAKENED
"A little later, hearing people going upstairs, I went out
again and found everyone wanting to know why the engines
had stopped. No doubt many were awakened from sleep
by the sudden stopping of a vibration to which they had
become accustomed during the four days we had been on
board. Naturally, with such powerful engines as the
Titanic carried, the vibration was very noticeable all the time,
and the sudden stopping had something the same effect as
the stopping of a loud-ticking grandfather's clock in a
room.
"On going on deck again I saw that there was an undoubted
list downward from stern to bows, but, knowing nothing of
what had happened, concluded some of the front compartments
had filled and weighed her down.
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