13,
swinging level with B deck, half full of ladies. Again the
call was repeated, `Any more ladies?'
"I saw none come on, and then one of the crew, looking up,
said:
" `Any more ladies on your deck, sir?'
" `No,' I replied.
" `Then you had better jump.'
"I dropped in, and fell in the bottom, as they cried `lower
away.' As the boat began to descend two ladies were pushed
hurriedly through the crowd on B deck and heaved over into
the boat, and a baby of ten months passed down after them.
Down we went, the crew calling to those lowering each end
to `keep her level,' until we were some ten feet from the water,
and here occurred the only anxious moment we had during
the whole of our experience from leaving the deck to reaching
the Carpathia.
"Immediately below our boat was the exhaust of the condensers,
a huge stream of water pouring all the time from the
ship's side just above the water line. It was plain we ought
to be quickly away from this, not to be swamped by it when
we touched water.
NO OFFICER ABOARD
"We had no officer aboard, nor petty officer or member of
the crew to take charge. So one of the stokers shouted:
`Someone find the pin which releases the boat from the ropes
and pull it up!' No one knew where it was.
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