Titanic-Survivor-the-Story-of-Harold-Bride

TitanicSurvivor:theStoryofHaroldBrideIntroductionIn1912moreandmorepeoplewantedtocrosstheAtlanticOceanfromEnglandtotheUnitedStatesofAmerica.TheTitanicwasthebiggestandmostfamousshipbuilttomakethistrip.WhenHaroldBridejoinedtheshiponitsfirstvoyage,hisjobwastoworkintheradioroom.Hedidn’tknowthathewouldplayapartinoneoftheworstdisastersatseatheworldhadeverseen.Chapter1“QueenoftheSeas”Peoplehavecalledmeahero.Idon’tknowaboutthat,becausethereweremanyheroesintheearlyhoursof15thApril1912.Iwasonly21thatyear.Ihadworkedfornearlyayearasaship’sradiooperator.InAprilIstartedanewjob—ontheTitanic.Myfirstsightoftheship,inBelfast,tookmybreathaway.NowIunderstandwhypeoplecalleditthe“QueenoftheSeas”.TheTitanicwasthebiggest…andthebest.PassengersboardedtheTitanicinSouthamptonon10thApril.AtnoonthegreatshipsetoffonitsvoyagetoNewYork.Forfirst-classpassengerstheTitanicwaslikeawonderfulfloatinghotelwithfancyrestaurants,alibrary,andevenaswimmingpool.Therewerelotsofotherpassengers,too.Manyhadone-waytickets,lookingforanewlifeinAmerica.Ofcourse,thesepeopleweren’tallowednearthehigherdecksoffirstclass.JackPhillipswastheSeniorRadioOperator.HeandIhadtosendlotsofmessagesfromrichpassengers.WetappedtheseoutinMorseCode.Sometimesitwashardtocatchthemessagesthatcameback.JackandIquicklybecamegoodfriends.Thatwaslucky,becausewelivedandsleptintheradiocabin!Chapter2Iceberg!WewereespeciallybusyonSunday,14thAprilanditwasalong,harddayforPhillips.Wereceivedafewwarningsfromshipsabouticeahead.CaptainSmithknewaboutthese,buthewasn’tworried—notonthe“unsinkable’’Titanic.Phillipshadsomanymessagestosendfrompassengersthatheeveninterruptedoneicewarning.Iwassupposedtostartworklatethatnight,soIwenttobedearlyintheevening.Iwasasieepwhentheaccidenthappened.Ididn’tfeelanything.AroundmidnightIgotupandaskedPhillipshoweverythingwas.“Ithinktheship’sdamaged,’’hetoldme.Minuteslater,CaptainSmithappeared.“We’vestruckaniceberg,’’hesaid.Thecaptainreturnedafewminuteslater.Hetoldustheshipwassinking.“Sendthecallforassistance,”hesaidgrimly.“Yes,atonce!”answeredPhillips.Hebegansendingouttheship’spositionandamessageforhelpinMorseCode.Itwashardtobelieve.The“unsinkableship”wasgoingtosink.Weweren’tworriedyet.“You’llseeyourfirsticeberg,”Phillipsjoked.Severalshipsrepliedtous,buttheywerealltoofaraway.AsPhillipslookedforaclosership,Irantothebridgewithmessages.Thecrewhadbeguntoloadpassengersintothelifeboats.Womenandchildrenweresupposedtoleavefirst..Atfirst,somepassengersrefusedtogo.“HowcouldtheTitanicsink?”theythought.Somanypeoplecouldn’tbelievewhatwashappeningthatsomeofthefirstlifeboatswerealmostempty.Butslowlypeopleunderstoodthedangerandtherewasnoproblemfillingthelifeboats.Childrencriedastheirparentsputthemintheboat.Husbandsandwiveskissedforthelasttime.Finally,ashipcalledtheCarpathiarepliedtoourradiocall.Itwascomingtohelp.WecontinuedlookingforothershipsandCaptainSmithaskedwhatmessagewewereusing.Phillipstoldhimitwas“CQD”—“Comequick,danger.”IsuggestedusingthenewMorseCodesignalforhelp,whichwas“SOS”.WejokedthatweweresendingthefirsteverSOSfromasinkingship.Chapter3TheTerribleTruthThejokingstoppedwhenweworkedouthowlongtheCarpathiawouldsinkinlessthantwo.Noonecouldrescueusintime.PhillipssearchedforclosershipsandIrantoandfromthebridgewithnews.Thedecksweresteepernowasthefrontoftheshipsank.Somepassengerspreparedthemselvesfortheend.Otherpassengerstriedtofighttheirwayontotheremaininglifeboats.Howmanyofthemknewtheterribletruth?Therehadbeenmorethan2,200passengersandcrewontheship,buttherewereonlyenoughlifeboatsfor1,178!Itbecamemoreandmoredifficultforship’sofficerstokeeporderonthedecks.Backintheradioroom,IputanovercoataroundPhillips’shouldersandtiedalifebeltroundhim.Itwasgettingmuchhardertosendandreceivemessagesnowbecausethepowerwasweak.Waterwasgettingintotheenginerooms.Thenoisefromthedeckswasterrible.Idon’tknowhowPhillipscontinuedtowork.Thecaptaincametotheradiocabinonelasttime.“Youhavedoneyourduty,”hetoldus.“Youcandonomore.Nowit’severymanfoehimself.”Thewaterhadreachedthedeckoutsideourcabin,butstillPhillipsdidnotleavethewireless.Hecontinuedsendingmoreandmoremessages.Iwentintooneoftheotherroomsforaminute.WhenIlookedout,IsawamanfromtheengineroomsbehindPhillips.Theradiooperatorwastoobusytonoticehim,butthemanwastryingtostealhislifebelt!Ichargedoutangrily.TogetherPhillipsandIfoughtthemanoff.Finally,withwaterpouringin,weabandonedthecabin.PhillipsandIsaidgoodbye.ItwasthelasttimeIsawmyfriendalive.Thedeckwasverysteepnow,buttheship’sbandwerestillplaying!Somepeopleweretryingtofreethelastlifeboat.Iranandbegantohelpthem.Chapter4TheEndoftheTitanicTheshipsanklowerandsuddenlyahugewaverolledupthedecktowardsus.Itswepttheboat,stillupside-down,rightofftheship.Igrabbedholdofarowlockandwaspulledwithit.ThenextthingIknew,everythingwasdarkandIwasplungedintotheicywater.Iwasinsidethelifeboat,butthelifeboatwasupside-down!IstruggledforairasthefreezingwateroftheAtlanticsplashedme.Ididn’tknowit,butmorethan20peoplewereabove,ontopoftheboat.Finally,somehow,Imanagedtodriveoutfromunderthelifeboat.Hundredsofpeoplewereinthewaterallaroundme.Theircrieswerete