The Hero’s Choice—The Plunge of the Titanic with Those Who Stayed Behind
From a Description of the Final Scene in World’s Greatest Sea Disaster by One of the Survivors in Last Lifeboat
By John Snyder of Indianapolis
“We went about 200 yards from the Titanic. We could see nothing wrong except that the big boat seemed to be settling at the bow. Still we could not make ourselves believe that the Titanic would sink. But the Titanic continued to settle, and we could see the passengers plunging about the decks and hear their cries.
“We moved further away. Suddenly there came two sharp explosions as the water rushed into the boiler room and boilers exploded.
“The Titanic was torn in two. For a moment the great masses of steel and iron poised in the air. Then slowly they sank and a few minutes later there was nothing but bits of wreckage on the surface.
“Following the explosions we could see persons hanging to the side railings of the sinking boat.
“Others of the passengers were tossed into the water. For an hour after the explosions we could see them swimming about in the water or floating on the life belts.”
Chicago Daily Journal, Friday, April 19, 1912
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