635 



thp: sinking of a modern liner 



By W. T. STEAD. 



This remarkable description of the sinking of a modern liner, with all its attendant horrors, was 

 written by Mr. W. T. Stead in 1886, and appeared in the Pall Mall Gazette in the form of the 

 narrative of a survivor. We make no e.xcuse for reprinting this commentary upon the results of the 

 present regulations of the Board of Trade, as shown as well in 1912 as in 1886. Now, as then, the 

 majority of passengers on a modern liner are doomed beforehand, without chance of appeal, should 

 there be any accident. We think it well that all travellers, in reading this vivid account, should 

 realise the perils awaiting those who go down to the sea in ships under present conditions. Undoubtedly 

 the most striking fact about this article is that, when originally published, Mr. W. T. Stead appended 

 an editorial footnote as follows : — " Tins is exactly wh.^t might take place, and what will tak'- 

 I'LACE IF THE LINERS ARE SENT TO SEA SHORT OF BOATS." And after twentv-six years of "progress,* 

 the Hoard of Trade is responsible for the loss of sixteen hundred lives on the Tilain'c, because there 

 were not enough boats 1 



WE took in 158 mailbags and 342 passengers 

 at Queenstown, and there was a great deal 

 ol confusion as the steamer headed awav 

 ■<> the west, for we had shipped 560 passenger? 

 in all at Liverpool, and it was a pretty tight 

 fit in the steerage. I stayed on deck till after 

 eleven at night. " She's going it," I said, by 

 way of opening a conversation. " Yes, by the 

 hokey, she's doing sixteens now, and if the wind only 

 I omes round she'll score eighteens like winking." 

 • It's rather thick to drive her, isn't it ? " " Thick, 

 be blowed ! We ain't got to mind that much. We shall 

 slow her down a bit if we blunder into a regular fog, 

 but she can't spare a yard. Reckon we shall average 

 sevcntecns right across." Our talk went on till the 

 curtain of midnight was fairly folded round us, and 

 then I went aft to lend a hand with the log. Sure 

 enough we were going " sixteens," and our progress 

 wa.s rather like that of a mackerel than a ship. 

 The enormous pulse of the engines sent great tremors 

 from stem to stern, and at every wheeling lash of the 

 propeller the iicjat thrust her way through the black 

 mountains that lamc down on her, tossing their savage 

 white crests. In the morning the gale blew harder, 

 and the decks were almost deserted save by the few- 

 seasoned handi who came up to smoke in the alleys, 

 it was not till the fourth day we had a fine spell of 

 sunshine, and from the fore hatch to the spare wheel 

 the deck was 1 rammed with jostling lines of pale hut 

 < hccrful people. 



DDWN IN THE STEERAGE. 



I did not much like the appearance of our 

 Liverpool lot. I had an intermediate ticket, but 1 

 wandered among the steerage company without much 

 interruption until I happened to stumble against one of 

 the Knglish roughs. I begged pardon, but the surly 



fellow said : " What be'est moochin' round here for ? 

 Say, Curly, see this blank swine majorin' round's zif the 

 place b'longed to'm. I'll give you my toe, my joker, 

 'fore you can say ' knife ' if \ou come that agin ! " 

 I said : " I've asked your pardon, my man, and I 

 assure you it was an accident. As for your toe, I advise 

 you not to try it on. I have a full allowance of toes and 

 boots." He was a fellow with that type of snake head 

 which denotes the fighting man ; his jowl was vast ; 

 the point of his jaw was covered by the strained skin 

 which showed how he was clenching his teeth ; and 

 his evil little eyes looked venomous under his rugged, 

 bestial brows. He said : " Do you know who I am ? 

 I'm Jim Cormick, and I'm going out to spar with the 

 Boston Boy." I was not much alarmed, though I saw 

 that his fist would mark me if he got home. His friends 

 came round, and I am bound to say that they were as 

 unpleasant a lot as you can meet. 



PASSENGERS — STEERAGE AND SALOON. 



There was no sign of discipline among the five 

 hundred and sixty steerage passengers, though it is 

 fair to say that the foreigners behaved admirably. 

 When a vessel hove up there was a nasty rush to the 

 side where she could be seen, and the women had to 

 get out of the way as best they could. 'Ihc officers' 

 uniforms cowed the most offensive of the rowdies, but 

 I don't think the terror was very deep-seated. The 

 after-cabin passengers were a nice lot, and I parti- 

 cularly admired some of the ladies who came out in 

 their sea-rig and made the deck gay. One Englishman 

 of distinction attracted me strangely. He had his wife 

 and family with him, and a more beautiful group I 

 never saw. The eldest girl was a dark beauty about 

 eighteen years of age, and it was a pretty sight to see 

 the father beau-ing her about. The lime went by 

 pleasantly enough for us all, but I did wish that some 



