* T H E R E ' S T A L K O F A N I C E B E R G *
The stewards were informed to awaken the passengers and get them into life belts and up to the boat-deck as quickly as possible. But they were largely unaware of the danger at hand. Many of the passengers that had been awakened by the collision didn't take it to be much of a problem, and some believed they were being put into a boat-drill. No one had any idea that the Titanic was in danger of foundering. First Class passenger Emily Ryerson, noticing the engines had stopped and not wanting to awaken her husband, rang for their steward:
"My husband was asleep. So I rang and asked the steward, Bishop, what was the matter. He replied ' There's talk of an iceberg, ma'am, and they've stopped, not to run into it.'"
In Second Class, Lawrence Beesley's steward seemed to be just as uninformed as he was.
" Here was a steward leaning against the staircase, probably waiting until those in the smoke-room above had gone to bed and he could put out the lights. I said 'Why have we stopped?' 'I don't know,sir,' he replied,'but I don't suppose it is anything much.'"
In Third class, informing people was much harder than the other two classes were. Stewards would throw open doors and scream at the people in their bunks to get up and put on their life belts. Many of the passengers did not speak english and White Star had very few interpreters. One passenger, Daniel Buckley, had been in his bunk at the moment of the impact and heard what he called "a terrible noise". He got out of his bed to find that water was coming into his room. After getting dressed, he and his room-mates encountered two sailors.
Stewards awaken Third Class passengers
" Two sailors came along and they were shouting 'All up on deck unless you want to get drowned.' When I heard this, I went for the deck as quick as I could. When I got up on the deck I saw everyone having those life belts on only myself; so I got sorry, and said I would go back again where I was sleeping and get one of those life preservers; because there was one there for each person. I went back again, and just as I was going down the last flight of stairs the water was up four steps, and dashing up. I did not go back to my room because I could not."
Slowly, word got around and the passengers were awakened. Second officer Lightoller had been in his bunk and was awakened suddenly by the loud roar of the escaping steam from the funnels. Because the ship had been plowing ahead at such a great speed, a great amount of steam was needed to push the engines. Now that the engines were stopped, the steam had to be vented out of the funnels to keep the boilers from exploding. The steam escaped with a deafening roar. Suddenly Fourth officer Boxhall stuck his head into Lightoller's cabin door. "You'd better get up, we've struck an iceberg." Boxhall said. "I know you've struck something." was Lightoller's reply. "The Water is up to the mail room." Boxhall reported to him. Lightoller threw on a pair of trousers and a sweater over his pajamas and pulled on a great coat and headed for the bridge.
Third officer Pitman had been awakened by the collision and heard what he took to be the ship's anchor chain running out over the windlass. Getting up, he walked outside of his cabin to see where the ship was anchoring. But finding nothing unusual, he went back into his room assuming that it may have been a dream. He sat on his bed, lit his pipe and stood there for some time before getting dressed to begin his watch. Suddenly Boxhall stuck his head into his cabin as well.
Herbert J. Pitman
"Mr. Boxhall came in and said the mail room -- there was water in the mail room. I said, 'What happened?' He said 'We struck an iceberg.' So I put a coat on and went on deck, and saw the men uncovering the boats and clearing them away."
Pitman walked to the bridge and spoke to Sixth officer Moody. Moody told him that ice could be found on the forward well-deck and Pitman proceeded down to the deck to take a look at it himself. While on the well-deck, he ran into a group of firemen carrying their belongings in sacks. Asking them what was the matter, they replied that water had began coming into their area. Pitman went over, looked down the Number one hatch, and saw water flowing over the hatch. He proceeded to the boat deck to assist in the uncovering of the boats on the Starboard side.
Crewmen uncover the lifeboats