telephone. When, after the passing of those two or three
fateful minutes an officer on the bridge lifted the telephone
receiver from its hook to answer the lookout, it was too late.
The speeding liner, cleaving a calm sea under a star-studded
sky, had reached the floating mountain of ice, which the
theoretically "unsinkable" ship struck a crashing, if glancing,
blow with her starboard bow.

MURDOCK PAID WITH LIFE

Had Murdock, according to the account of the tragedy
given by two of the Titanic's seamen, known how imperative
was that call from the lookout man, the men at the wheel
of the liner might have swerved the great ship sufficiently
to avoid the berg altogether. At the worst the vessel would
probably have struck the mass of ice with her stern.

Murdock, if the tale of the Titanic sailor be true, expiated
his negligence by shooting himself within sight of all alleged
victims huddled in life-boats or struggling in the icy seas.

When at last the danger was realized, the great ship was
so close upon the berg that it was practically impossible to
avoid collision with it


VAIN TRIAL TO CLEAR BERG

The first officer did what other startled and alert commanders
would have done under similar circumstances, that is