tight compartments. Only some 680 people, had been accommodated on the lifeboats, mostly women and children. They were rescued by the
Carpathia
some hours after the big ship went down. One hundred and ninety bodies had been found and taken to Halifax for burial. The Americans had opened an inquiry and the surviving crew members and passengers were giving evidence.
Despite the claims of the White Star Line, there were already questions being asked about the speed of the ship and the route it had taken. It was now known that
Titanic
had received many warning messages about ice and icebergs and at least one passenger had ‘smelt ice,’ a distinctive smell familiar to crew who sailed in these waters. Why had the ship not altered course or reduced speed? Why was the Captain not on the bridge? Why the delay in responding to the iceberg warning?
Every new detail to emerge from the Americaninquiry and the interviews with survivors was read and considered. For the people who built the ship and the families of those who’d sailed on her, it seemed as if understanding precisely what had happened would ease the pain. But it didn’t. It only provided a way of expressing some of the hurt and grief.
On Sunday morning, Rose and John attended a memorial service for the 1,500 victims in Holy Trinity, Banbridge. That afternoon, Sarah joined them and they went up to Belfast to the cathedral service, so that John could add to the collection for the widows and orphans of the Belfast crew members the contribution from the four mills.
To Rose’s great surprise, Sarah wore black. Quakers did not hold with this sign of mourning and when Hugh died, she’d not given a thought to mourning dress. Now, standing in the packed cathedral, a small dark figure, she looked pale, ravaged and heartbroken, though she held herself erect and composed and managed to sing ‘Nearer my God to Thee,’ without crying, which was more than Rose was able to do.
‘Hello, Ma. How’s your back?
Rose looked up from her book some days later, surprised there’d been no sound of a motor.
‘I can’t complain. It was entirely my own fault. I should know better than to garden for more thanan hour or two, but the day was so lovely,’ she replied ruefully, getting awkwardly to her feet and kissing her.
‘Have you time for a cup of tea?’ she asked automatically, for Sarah had seldom time for more than a short visit these days.
‘Yes, I think so,’ she replied, dropping her document case by the door and slipping off her jacket.
Surprised, but pleased, Rose drew the kettle forward on the stove.
‘Did you get Helen and Hugh safely back, yesterday? I’m sure they didn’t want to go,’ Rose said, looking over her shoulder as she crossed to the dresser.
‘Actually, they were quite keen when it came to it,’ Sarah replied thoughtfully. ‘I think all this
Titanic
business upset them and Mrs Beatty wasn’t herself at all till we got the good news about her niece.’
‘Has there been anything further from her?’
‘No, just that one word, ‘Safe’. I expect she’ll have to stay for the American inquiry, but the Americans have been very kind. I read that complete strangers were waiting at the docks with clothes for the survivors when the
Carpathia
arrived.’
‘Yes, I read about that too. And they paid the fares of the steerage passengers to wherever they’d been going. It’s some comfort to see such kindness,’said Rose, as she collected china mugs and a jug of milk and came back to the stove.
‘It is, indeed,’ Sarah agreed. ‘It makes up for the likes of Sir Bruce Ismay getting off in the first lifeboat with his wife and secretary and enough empty places to have saved three or four whole families,’ she said bitterly.
Rose looked round quickly from spooning tea. She thought she saw Sarah flick something out of one eye as she sat staring fixedly into the orange glow of the fire.
‘Did you read about the Straus’s, Ma? Isador and Ida.
Carpathia
some hours after the big ship went down. One hundred and ninety bodies had been found and taken to Halifax for burial. The Americans had opened an inquiry and the surviving crew members and passengers were giving evidence.
Despite the claims of the White Star Line, there were already questions being asked about the speed of the ship and the route it had taken. It was now known that
Titanic
had received many warning messages about ice and icebergs and at least one passenger had ‘smelt ice,’ a distinctive smell familiar to crew who sailed in these waters. Why had the ship not altered course or reduced speed? Why was the Captain not on the bridge? Why the delay in responding to the iceberg warning?
Every new detail to emerge from the Americaninquiry and the interviews with survivors was read and considered. For the people who built the ship and the families of those who’d sailed on her, it seemed as if understanding precisely what had happened would ease the pain. But it didn’t. It only provided a way of expressing some of the hurt and grief.
On Sunday morning, Rose and John attended a memorial service for the 1,500 victims in Holy Trinity, Banbridge. That afternoon, Sarah joined them and they went up to Belfast to the cathedral service, so that John could add to the collection for the widows and orphans of the Belfast crew members the contribution from the four mills.
To Rose’s great surprise, Sarah wore black. Quakers did not hold with this sign of mourning and when Hugh died, she’d not given a thought to mourning dress. Now, standing in the packed cathedral, a small dark figure, she looked pale, ravaged and heartbroken, though she held herself erect and composed and managed to sing ‘Nearer my God to Thee,’ without crying, which was more than Rose was able to do.
‘Hello, Ma. How’s your back?
Rose looked up from her book some days later, surprised there’d been no sound of a motor.
‘I can’t complain. It was entirely my own fault. I should know better than to garden for more thanan hour or two, but the day was so lovely,’ she replied ruefully, getting awkwardly to her feet and kissing her.
‘Have you time for a cup of tea?’ she asked automatically, for Sarah had seldom time for more than a short visit these days.
‘Yes, I think so,’ she replied, dropping her document case by the door and slipping off her jacket.
Surprised, but pleased, Rose drew the kettle forward on the stove.
‘Did you get Helen and Hugh safely back, yesterday? I’m sure they didn’t want to go,’ Rose said, looking over her shoulder as she crossed to the dresser.
‘Actually, they were quite keen when it came to it,’ Sarah replied thoughtfully. ‘I think all this
Titanic
business upset them and Mrs Beatty wasn’t herself at all till we got the good news about her niece.’
‘Has there been anything further from her?’
‘No, just that one word, ‘Safe’. I expect she’ll have to stay for the American inquiry, but the Americans have been very kind. I read that complete strangers were waiting at the docks with clothes for the survivors when the
Carpathia
arrived.’
‘Yes, I read about that too. And they paid the fares of the steerage passengers to wherever they’d been going. It’s some comfort to see such kindness,’said Rose, as she collected china mugs and a jug of milk and came back to the stove.
‘It is, indeed,’ Sarah agreed. ‘It makes up for the likes of Sir Bruce Ismay getting off in the first lifeboat with his wife and secretary and enough empty places to have saved three or four whole families,’ she said bitterly.
Rose looked round quickly from spooning tea. She thought she saw Sarah flick something out of one eye as she sat staring fixedly into the orange glow of the fire.
‘Did you read about the Straus’s, Ma? Isador and Ida.
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