(The witness was sworn by the chairman.)
Senator SMITH.
Give us your full name and address.
Mr. GRACIE.
Archibald Gracie, 1527 Sixteenth Street NW., Washington, D.C.
Senator SMITH.
And your business?
Mr. GRACIE.
Historian.
Senator SMITH.
Colonel, you were one of the passengers on the ill-fated Titanic. Will you kindly, as succinctly and as tersely as possible, in your own way, trace the principal events leading up to the sinking of that ship on Sunday night, April 14?
Mr. GRACIE.
Do you want me to tell everything of my own knowledge, specifying in each case where it is outside of my own knowledge?
Senator SMITH.
We are particularly anxious for such information as bears upon the completeness of the ship, upon her management as you observed it, upon her equipment so far as you are able to testify to it, and the conduct of her officers and crew.
Mr. GRACIE.
I was awakened in my stateroom at 12 o'clock. The time, 12 o'clock, was noted on my watch, which was on my dresser, which I looked at promptly when I got up. At the same time, almost instantly, I heard the blowing off of steam, and the ship's machinery seemed to stop.
It was so slight I could not be positive of it. All through the voyage the machinery did not manifest itself at all from my position in my stateroom, so perfect was the boat. I looked out of the door of my stateroom, glanced up and down the passageway to see if there was any commotion, and I did not see anybody nor hear anybody moving at all; but I did not like the sound of it, so I thought I would partially dress myself, which I did, and went on deck.
I went on what they call the A deck. Presently some passengers gathered around. We looked over the sides of the ship to see whether there was any indication of what had caused this noise. I soon learned from friends around that an iceberg had struck us.
Presently along came a gentleman, described by Mr. Stengel here, who had ice in his hands. Some of this ice was handed to us with the statement that we had better take this home for souvenirs. Nobody had any fear at that time at all. I looked on deck outside to see if there was any indication of a list. I could not distinguish any. At that time I joined my friend, Mr. Clint Smith, and he and I in the cabin did notice a list, but thought it best not to say anything about it for fear of creating some commotion. Then we agreed to stick by each other through thick and thin if anything occurred, and to meet later on. He went to his cabin and I went to mine. In my cabin I packed my three bags very hurriedly. I thought if we were going to be removed to some other ship it would be easy for the steward to get my luggage out.
As I went up on deck the next time I saw Mr. Ismay with one of the officers. He looked very self contained, as though he was not fearful of anything, and that gave encouragement to my thought that perhaps the disaster was not anything particularly serious.
Presently I noticed that women and men had life preservers on, and under protest, as I thought it was rather previous, my steward put a life preserver around myself and I went up on deck, on the A deck. Here I saw a number of people, among others some ladies whom I had told when I first came on the ship at Southampton that I hoped they would let me do anything I could for them during the voyage. These ladies were Mrs. E. D. Appleton, Mrs. Cornell, and Mrs. Browne, the publisher's wife, of Boston, and Miss Evans. They were somewhat disturbed, of course. I reassured them and pointed out to them the lights of what I thought was a ship or steamer in the distance.
Mr. Astor came up and he leaned over the side of the deck, which was an enclosed deck, and there were windows and the glass could be let down. I pointed toward the bow, and there were distinctly seen these lights - or a light, rather one single light. It did not seem to be a star, and that is what we all thought it was, the light of some steamer.
Senator SMITH.
How far away.
Mr. GRACIE.
I could not judge, only by what they told me. I should say it could not have been more than 6 miles away.
Senator SMITH.
Was it ahead?
Mr. GRACIE.
Ahead toward the bow, because I had to lean over, and here was this lifeboat down by the side at that time, and I pointed right ahead and showed Mr. Astor so he could see, and he had to lean away over.
Some time elapsed, I should say from three-quarters of an hour to an hour before we were ordered to the boats. Then a young English officer of the ship, a tall thin chap, whose name was Murphy - I think it was Officer Murphy -
Senator FLETCHER.
Murdoch?
Mr. GRACIE.
No; not Murdoch. Murphy, I think it was. He was the sixth officer, or something of that sort.
Senator SMITH.
Moody, was it not?
Mr. GRACIE.
Moody was his name. He said, "No man beyond this line." Then the women went beyond that line. I saw that these four ladies, with whose safety I considered myself entrusted, went beyond that line to get amidships on this deck, which was A deck. Then I saw Mr. Straus and Mrs. Straus, of whom I had seen a great deal during the voyage. I had heard them discussing that if they were going to die they would die together. We tried to persuade Mrs. Straus to go alone, without her husband, and she said no. Then we wanted to make an exception of the husband, too, because he was an elderly man, and he said no, he would share his fate with the rest of the men, and that he would not go beyond. So I left them there.
Just prior to this time I had passed through A deck, or perhaps it was about this same time. Just about the time we were ordered to take the boats, I passed through the A deck, going from the stern toward the bow. I saw four gentlemen all alone in the smoking room, whom I recognized as Mr. Millet, Mr. Moore, and Mr. Butt, and who I afterwards ascertained to have been Mr. Ryerson. They seemed to be absolutely intent upon what they were doing, and disregarding anything about what was going on on the decks outside.
Then I found my friend Smith, and on deck A, on the bow side, we worked together under the second officer in loading and helping the women and babies and children aboard the different boats. I think we loaded about two boats there.
This was on the enclosed deck.
Senator SMITH.
On which side did you say, Colonel?
Mr. GRACIE.
This was the port side.
The only incident I remember in particular at this point is when Mrs. Astor was put in the boat. She was lifted up through the window, and her husband helped her on the other side, and when she got in, her husband was on one side of this window and I was on the other side, at the next window. I heard Mr. Astor ask the second officer whether he would not be allowed to go aboard this boat to protect his wife. He said, "No, sir; no man is allowed on this boat or any of the boats until the ladies are off." Mr. Astor then said, "Well, tell me what is the number of this boat so I may find her afterwards," or words to that effect.
The answer came back, "No. 4."
The next scene was on the deck above.
Senator SMITH.
Was there a special reason why Mr. Astor asked to get into that boat with his wife?
Mr. GRACIE.
Yes; I think it was on account of the condition of his wife. If that had been explained to the second officer, possibly he might have been allowed to get in that boat.
Senator SMITH.
But that was the reason he gave?
Mr. GRACIE.
The second officer did not know that it was Mr. Astor at all. He did not know. I believe he told me that he testified before this committee to the effect that he did not know Mr. Astor, and when I recalled the circumstance to him and the conversation that passed between them he said, "Oh, is that the man?" He said, "Was that Mr. Astor." That was the conversation that took place.
Then we went to the boat deck, which was the deck above. There were no men allowed in the boats that were loaded below, not one, except the crews necessary to man the boats. On the deck above we loaded about two boats, at least two boats. That deck was above deck A, at the bow on the port side. When we were loading the last boat, just a short time before it was fully loaded, a palpable list toward the port side began, and the officer called out, "All passengers to the starboard side," and Smith and myself went to the starboard side, still at the bow of the ship. Prior to our going to the starboard side we had rushed up and down in the vicinity of the bow, calling out, "Any more ladies? Any more ladies?" Then we went to the starboard side. On the starboard side, to my surprise, I found there were ladies still there, and Mrs. Browne and Miss Evans particularly, the ones whom I supposed had been loaded into a boat from A deck, below, about three-quarters of an hour before. There I saw also Mr. George Widener and Mr. John B. Thayer. I speak of them particularly, because I knew them, and of course, Mr. Clint Smith was there with me, too.
As to what happened on the other side during our departure, the information I was given by the second officer was that some of the steerage passengers tried to rush the boat, and he fired off a pistol to make them get out, and they did get out.
Senator SMITH.
Who fired that pistol?
Mr. GRACIE.
Lightoller. That is what he told me. He is the second officer.
Senator SMITH.
Are you sure it was not Murdoch?
Mr. GRACIE.
I am sure it was not Murdoch.
Senator SMITH.
Or Lowe?
Mr. GRACIE.
I am sure it was not. That is what Mr. Lightoller himself told me. I did not hear the pistol. That is what I was told by Lightoller himself. That is all hearsay, Senator.
I want to say that there was nothing but the most heroic conduct on the part of all men and women at that time, where I was at the bow on the port side. There was no man who asked to get in a boat, with the single exception that I have already mentioned. No woman even sobbed or wrung her hands, and everything appeared perfectly orderly. Lightoller was splendid in his conduct with the crew, and the crew did their duty. It seemed to me it was rather a little bit more difficult than it should have been to launch the boats alongside the ship. I do not know the cause of that. I do not know whether it was on account of the newness of it all, the painting, or something of that sort. I know I had to use my muscle as best I could in trying to push those boats so as to get them over the gunwale.
Senator SMITH.
You refer now to the tackle?
Mr. GRACIE.
I refer to the port bow, at the side.
Senator SMITH.
Do you refer now to the tackle or to the davits or to any particular part of the mechanism?
Mr. GRACIE.
No; I do not. I refer to it in a general way, as to there being difficulty at that point in that way, in trying to lift them and push them over the gunwale.
The crew seemed to resent my working with them, but they were very glad when I worked with them later on. Every opportunity I got to help, I helped.
When I arrived on the other side, as I have said, there were these women, and of a sudden I heard the cry that there was room for more women on the port side; so I grabbed by the arm these two ladies, Miss Evans and Mrs. Browne, and conducted them to the port side. But I did not get but half way - that is, directly at the bow - when the crew made what you might call a dead line, and said, "No men are allowed beyond this line." So I let the ladies go beyond, and then about six ladies followed after the two that I had particular charge of.
From Mrs. Browne I learned what happened thereafter; that she was after Miss Evans, and Miss Evans could have gotten over first, and could possible have been pulled into the boat and gotten away; but she sacrificed her own life in order that Mrs. Browne might go first. Mrs. Browne was able to board the boat; but this young lady I think must have collapsed and lost her nerve, and could not climb over the gunwale in order to get in. If there had been some man there to help her, she possibly would have been saved.
Senator SMITH.
Describe this gunwale, as you call it?
Mr. GRACIE.
This gunwale is the side of the deck which prevents people from falling into the sea.
Senator SMITH.
A rail?
Mr. GRACIE.
The rail, yes.
Senator SMITH.
How high from the deck?
Mr. GRACIE.
I should think it was about 3 feet or 3 1/2 feet high from the deck.
Senator SMITH.
And it was of wood?
Mr. GRACIE.
It was of wood.
Senator SMITH.
Was there more than one rail on it.
Mr. GRACIE.
There was this one rail that was about so thick (indicating) on the top.
Senator SMITH.
What else was there between there and the floor of the deck?
Mr. GRACIE.
Between there and the floor was part of the ship that was underneath.
Senator SMITH.
But would it have been possible to crawl under that rail?
Mr. GRACIE.
Oh, no; no, indeed. There was no open space underneath the rail. It was solid.
Meanwhile the crew were trying to launch a boat, a collapsible canvas boat, as they call it, that was on the hurricane deck, or the bridge deck. This was let down from the bridge deck, and we tried to slide it along those oars that they put in there for that purpose. There was no other boat at that time being lowered from the deck davits.
Finally this boat came down on the deck. I do not know whether it was injured or not by the fall, but we were afraid that it had been injured.
I may say that before this happened one of the men on the deck, when loosening this boat from the hurricane deck, called out, "Is there any passenger who has a knife?" I said I had my penknife, if that would do, and I passed that up. For just what purpose it was used I do not know. It struck me as rather peculiar that they should find the want of some tool for the purposes for which it was intended.
Senator SMITH.
How long after this did the boat go down?
Mr. GRACIE.
Soon after that the water came up on the boat deck. We saw it and heard it. I had not noticed in the meantime that we were gradually sinking. I was engaged all the time in working, as I say, at those davits, trying to work on the falls to let this boat down. Mr. Smith and myself thought then that there was no more chance for us there, there were so many people at that particular point, so we decided to go toward the stern, still on the starboard side, and as we were going toward the stern, to our surprise and consternation, up came from the decks below a mass of humanity, men and women - and we had thought that all the women were already loaded into the boats. The water was then right by us, and we tried to jump, Mr. Smith and myself did. We were in a sort of cul-de-sac which was formed by the cabin and the bridge, the structure that is right on the boat deck. We were right in this cul-de-sac. I have a diagram here which may explain the position better. The top of the page is the bow (indicating on diagram), and on the right, or on the starboard side, is where this last boat that I speak of was, where the first officer, Murdoch, was at work trying to launch the boat. I would like to point out to you there my position with Mr. Smith. I will put a star there on the diagram and then you can see it better (marking on diagram). It was where that star is, where I put that cross. That is the port side and this is the starboard side, and this is the structure that was on the boat deck, and this is the top of the hurricane deck or the bridge deck, where the funnels came down to the top and where I was right where that cross is (indicating on diagram).
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