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"She's gone lads."

© Neal West

The rockets arcing into the night sky underscored to the passengers that the "Titanic" was in trouble. On the Bridge, Fourth Officer Boxhall and Quartermaster Rowe were desperately attempting to draw the attention of a ship they could see in the distance. They both could see the masthead light flickering in the distance and even attempted to signal it with the Morse Lamp. It was clearly a ship and tantalizing close, but the mystery ship never would respond to the rockets, Morse Lamp or wireless. The passengers could see the masthead lights also and became even more reluctant to leave the "Titanic" for a tiny lifeboat. Still, one by one the boats were lowered many underloaded. A near-disaster occurred when boat 13 dropped into the water, a huge column of water was pouring out of the condenser exhaust and pushed 13 stern-ward, directly under where boat 15 was lowered. Passengers in both boats yelled up to the crew lowering 15 to stop but were unable to be heard. Boat 15 got close enough that people in 13 were reaching upward to push against 15's hull. Just in time the crewmen on 13 managed to cut the falls (ropes) and drift away.

Back up on the portside boat deck, Chief Officer Wilde approached Second Officer Lightoller's and queried him as to the location of the firearms locker. Lightoller took him, Smith and Murdoch to the locker and turned to leave, Wilde stopped him and forced a revolver and ammunition on him, telling him "you may need it." Indeed he may have use of it. As boat 14 quickly became filled, a seaman had to use the tiller to prevent men from rushing the boat. Fifth Officer Lowe approached 14 and the seaman filled him in on what had happened. As giving the order to lower away, Lowe spotted some men who looked as if they may jump the boat. Fearful that the extra weight may collapse the lifeboat, Lowe fired a round down the side of the ship.

By 0130, the people in the 14 lifeboats that had been launched were treated to sight they would never forget. The immense "Titanic", ablaze with lights from every porthole, was severely down by the bow, the water lapping over the forepeak. Her huge bronze propellers were lifted out the sea. Still they could hear music drifting across the water as the ship's band played on, and then another rocket would whoosh skyward; a desperate call for help unheeded. Capt. Smith attempted to call some of the launched boats back to pick up more people but all refused. Boat 6, under the charge of Quartermaster Hitchens, flatly stated, "No, we are not going back to the boat. It is our lives now, not theirs."

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