Lyyli Silvén's New York Herald Account

[Silven] was on her way to Minneapolis with a couple from there who came from Finland many years ago and settled in Minneapolis. They had taken a trip to Finland purposely to bring Lyyli to this country to live with them. Both were lost, because, as the Finnish girl explained through an interpreter, the woman would not leave her husband, choosing to share whatever fate might befall him.

"They put me into one of the boats," said the girl, "and as I left the deck I noticed one thing that struck me forcibly. The men from the first cabin were sitting about, with life belts tied on, smoking cigars. The more I think of it the stranger that seems to me. I do not know whether they did not realize their danger or whether they acted as they did out of a spirit of bravado.

"It was cold – awful cold – in the boat. I heard several shots, which seemed to come from the first cabin. I was told that several men had shot themselves. No, I did not see them commit suicide.

"While we were in the boat I saw two boats turned upside down. There were several icebergs around us – the big one we had struck and some smaller ones. The big ship finally broke in halves – just like that." Miss Silven made a motion as though breaking a stick in half. "Finally the bow end went down, then the steerage end. For a time the stern of the vessel stuck up like a duck with its head in the water."

Curator's note: This account is excerpted from an article titled, "Mother Torn from His Side, Son Stood Bravely by Ship" that consolidated stories from a number of survivors.