Survivor of Titanic Disaster Tells Story of Wreck and Rescue

Alice Frances Louisa Phillips

Second-class passenger

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"There was no evening worship and I spent the early evening on deck. The night was one of those beautiful Arctic nights, with the stars shining and the sea running smooth. The air seemed perfectly clear. I did not retire until late and was yet awake when the ship struck the iceberg.

"I did not at the time, think it of any consequence as the shock was light, but when the ship began rocking, I became anxious and hurriedly dressing, went to a steward and asked him what had happened. He told me that it was nothing serious and to go back to my cabin and go to sleep. Being reassured by his words, I returned to my room but did not undress.

"Soon after this I heard the engines stop. Father came in and asked me to go on deck with him. I accompanied him above. We had been on the upper deck for some time when someone shouted, 'All on deck with life belts.' My father and I and other passengers immediately slipped life belts around us and remained on deck awaiting further orders.

"The officers then began ordering out the life boats, and when this order was given, some passengers became frightened and made a rush for the boats. The officers lined them up and some one cried, 'Women and children first.' After this the order was good. The women and children were helped into the lifeboats, and as fast as they were filled, the boats were lowered to the water, rowed off a short distance and stood by to be joined by the boats that were filled later." 

".... Before I entered the boat my father kissed me 'good-bye' and told me he would join me later. I do not think father thought there was any doubt but that we would be together shortly. This was the last time I saw him as he perished with the others who were left behind on the sinking vessel.

"When I came on deck with father, I had not taken time to put on a coat, and seeing me shiver in the cold north wind, one of the lady passengers handed me a coat and I put it on. Only two sailors manned the boat in which I was placed. Three men had scrambled into the boat as we were being lowered but the officers made them get out. Another man then entered but when he was ordered out he refused to leave and was saved with the balance of the passengers in our boat. After being lowered to the water, our boat was rowed as far away as possible from the sinking ship. I could not help but note how courteous the men were to the ladies.

"There was not, as far as I saw, any panic aboard the vessel and no confusion after the officers began giving their orders. While our boat was safe enough, we had no provisions aboard, and the two sailors who were rowing were not adequate to handle the boat, so we rowed to another and some men were taken aboard. After this our boat was handled in a satisfactory manner.

"The lights on the Titanic had remained burning, but I could see the vessel was now sinking out of sight. To my ears came, faintly, the strains of 'Nearer, My God, to Thee' and I knew the band had moved on deck and was playing. There was no other sound from the great ship until the lights went out and she plunged beneath the waves. Then I heard an awful moan from those on board and all was over; the great Titanic was lost, buried in the depths of the ocean. We did not row near the spot where the ship went down as many of us were suffering severely from the extreme cold. Many of the women were thinly clad and became ill. We rowed about for some hours and later picked up seventeen men who were floating on a raft, but one of them was dead. The others got into our boat and helped to row it for nearly nine hours when we saw the great bulk of the Carpathia steaming carefully through the ice. Men lined the rails on the lookout and presently we were seen.

"The big steamer slowed up and we were taken aboard where we were given every attention. We were served first with hot coffee and someone wrapped me in a large rug. There were no beds left so I was forced to use a steamer chair. A young man nearby told me that one of the lifeboats had not been plugged before it was lowered and that it had sunk. He said he witnessed the sinking. I saw two icebergs but do not think either was that which wrecked the Titanic I was too ill to move about much and did not see or talk with many of the Carpathia passengers but the officers gave us every consideration and I was treated very well.

"I was feeling slightly better and when the ship docked I heard some one call my name and looked around. I saw a man with a photograph in his hand and asked him if he were my uncle Will. He said he was and that he recognized me by the photograph he had brought with him to New York. I saw too, that he slightly resembled father. I went with him and after getting some warmer clothes, we started for New Brighton. I was the only child and now being homeless, I am content to remain with my relatives. I fully appreciate their efforts in making things so home-like for me. I think I will like New Brighton and would be perfectly happy if it were not for the awful memories I have of the Titanic disaster."