Carl Jansson's Letter to His Parents

Carl Olof Jansson

Third-class passenger

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We had only time to take on the trousers and the cap before the water came into the cabin, and had to run up on deck. All the lifeboats were lowered, and the rules and regulations were that women and children should be saved as soon as possible. As the last boat was lowered, two Swedish girls wanted me to go on board with them, but I was blocked. A scream was heard, "Women first!"

The big boat sank with a great explosion and the only thing to do was to jump in the water. With lots of scratches on my body, I now began a struggle for life and death with the Atlantic's waves. We were two Swedish boys – myself and a journalist whose name was August Andersson. 1 We fought side-by-side and finally we found a raft torn loose from the ship which we clung firmly to. Finally, as we were too many, it began to sink.

The we started a tough fight in the water, making some people release their holds so others could be saved. It worked. Finally, we were some fifty men clinging to the raft, but before we were saved, which happened after eight hours of wild struggle in the dark, with cries that pierced the very marrow of my bones, we were only eleven alive on the raft.

When I think of it, I can't understand how I could be saved, but my cold-bloodedness to push away others from the raft so it could be kept on the surface did much to it. It is awful but in such a moment the only question is your own life.

I cannot go on straining my mind any more, and stop here with a hearty greeting to you from your God-saved son.

Curator's note: This letter, which was written by Mr. Jansson on the Carpathia, was translated from the original Swedish and first published in English in Voyage 12 from the Titanic International Society courtesy of Miss Karin Breman.