Emilio Portaluppi's New York Tribune Account

Emilio Ilario Giuseppe Portaluppi

Second-class passenger

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Emilo [sic] Portaluppi, one of the second class passengers, and who lives in Arcisate, Italy, said that the night of the 15th was cool and clear and he had gone to bed when suddenly there was a tremendous crash. He jumped from his berth and ran to the deck. Immediately afterward the ship was in total darkness.

Following his arrival on the deck, which was in utter confusion, one of the boilers of the Titanic exploded and the great ship seemed to turn nearly around from the force of the explosion.

Portaluppi then heard in the darkness the order that "women and children were to be first." The boats were filled and dropped away from the sinking steamer and when the last lifeboat had left her side the word was passed around among those waiting that there was only one chance and that was to jump as the vessel went down. Passengers were dropping and jumping all around him and he followed shortly afterward.

Portaluppi had strapped a life preserver around him, as did all the rest of the passengers, and with its aid and by holding on to a cake of ice, he drifted around in the water for two hours. He was then seen by one of the Titanic's lifeboats that had gotten safely away from the steamer and picked up. There were thirty-five other people in the boat when he was hauled aboard.