the minds of anyone.

"We saw through the smoking room window a game of cards going on, and
went in to inquire if they knew anything; it seems they felt more of
the jar, and, looking through the window, had seen a huge iceberg go by
close to the side of the boat. They thought we had just grazed it with
a glancing blow, and that the engines had been stopped to see if any
damage had been done. No one, of course, had any conception that the
vessel had been pierced below by part of the submerged iceberg.

"The game went on without any thought of disaster and I retired to my
cabin, to read until we went on again. I never saw any of the players or
the onlookers again.

SOME WERE AWAKENED

"A little later, hearing people going upstairs, I went out again and
found everyone wanting to know why the engines had stopped. No doubt
many were awakened from sleep by the sudden stopping of a vibration to
which they had become accustomed during the four days we had been on
board. Naturally, with such powerful engines as the Titanic carried, the
vibration was very noticeable all the time, and the sudden stopping
had something the same effect as the stopping of a loud-ticking
grandfather's clock in a room.

"On going on deck again I saw that there was an undoubted list downward
from stern to bows, but, knowing nothing of what had happened, concluded
some of the front compartments had filled and weighed her down. I went
down again to put on warmer clothing, and as I dressed heard an order
shouted, 'All passengers on deck with life-belts on.'

"We all walked slowly up, with the belts tied on over our clothing,
but even then presumed this was only a wise precaution the captain was
taking, and that we should return in a short time and retire to bed.

"There was a total absence of any panic or any expressions of alarm, and
I suppose this can be accounted for by the exceedingly calm night and
the absence of any signs of the accident.

"The ship was absolutely still, and except for a gentle tilt downward,
which I don't think one person in ten would have noticed at that time,
no signs of the approaching disaster were visible. She lay just as if
she were waiting the order to go on again when some trifling matter had
been adjusted.

"But in a few moments we saw the covers lifted from the boats and the
crews allotted to them standing by and coiling up the ropes which were
to lower them by the pulley blocks into the water.

"We then bega