THREE BRAVE OFFICERS

Dr. O'Loughlin and Pursers McElroy and Barker on Honor Roll
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In telling the story of the loss of the Titanic more light is being shed
upon the conduct of the ship's officers. Three men who lost their lives
were well known to hundreds of transatlantic travelers, and their duties
brought them into more intimate contact with the passengers than even
with the navigating officers.

They were Dr. W. F. N. O'Loughlin, surgeon; H. W. McElroy, purser, and
R. L. Barker, assistant purser. The last two were last seen on the boat
deck by Second Officer Lightoller just before he left the vessel by
jumping overboard. They and their assistants were bringing up bags which
are believed to have contained the ship's papers, money, and passengers'
valuables.

Dr. O'Loughlin was the oldest physician, in point of service, afloat. He
had been going to sea forty years, and in that time he had made a host
of friends, many of them the most prominent men and women in the United
States and England.

Dr. O'Loughlin was 62 years old. He was born in Naase, County Kerry, and
after a course at Trinity College, Dublin, entered the College of
Surgeons, Dublin. He was a nephew of Dean O'Loughlin of the Catholic
University of Dublin. He was on the Britannic when in 1887 she rammed
the steamship Adriatic.

Dr. O'Loughlin made his rounds of the steerage at 10 o'clock the night
the Titanic sunk. [sic] Afterward he went to the room of Frederick M.
Hoyt and his wife and got them on deck. It was Dr. O'Loughlin who
assisted Mrs. Hoyt into a boat, and it was he who shoved Mr. Hoyt
overboard to be picked up by a boat. It was the doctor's wish to be
buried at sea. The last time he was seen on board he had a life
preserver in his hand. He would not put it on.

"I don't think I will ever need this," he is reported to have said to a
friend.

McElroy, the purser, was 38 years old. He had been in the White Star
service for thirteen years and for three years he had served on the
troopship Britannic, during the Boer war. Mr. McElroy was married. He
had served on the Majestic and was the purser on the Olympic until he
was transferred to the Titanic. Mr. Parker formerly served as purser
on the Majestic. He left a widow.