Also trimmer Thomas Patrick Dillon, who perhaps gave the most detailed accounts among the (very few) survivors from the stern. His enquiry testimony:
TIP | British Wreck Commissioner's Inquiry | Day 5 | Testimony of Thomas P. Dillon (Trimmer, SS Titanic) and an interview he gave to the 'Herald Sun':
No Cookies | Herald Sun (I'll post it because this link seems to give me problems):
June 27, 1912 . We publish to-day the full narrative of Thomas Patrick Dillon, who told Lord Mersey, “I went down with the Titanic,” and was rescued after a long period of swimming in the icy water, said The Daily Mail on May 13.
This narrative brings out the nature of the final scene in a manner that no previous account has done.
Dillon, it will be remembered, gave evidence last week before the Titanic Commission.
He related the following to a representative of the Daily Mail.
I was working in the engine-room, looking round like, when I heard the telephone ring.
I rushed to the door. Instinct told me somehow that something was going to happen. All the engineers who were in the engine room rushed to the pumps.
Mr Escot (my note: Hesketh), the second engineer, was among them. We of course knew nothing of what was happening on deck. The engineers seemed to come down then all in a bunch.
The after engine-room door was lifted up half way, enough for us to crawl under. All the water-tight doors were opened by us with the handle, but the chief engineer told us not to touch No. 5 door as that was finished.
Those steward chaps and deck hands died game, no mistake, sir
After about what seemed to be an hour the chief said, ‘Look after yourselves,’ and then ‘All hands on deck’ was the next cry I heard. We were told to put lifebelts on.
There was a pile of lifebelts on the steerage deck, enough for everyone. They were all loose, so that all could help themselves.
We chased two women on the well deck to the poop deck. That deck was full of third-class male passengers.
Those steward chaps and deck hands died game, no mistake, sir.
One fellow while we were on the poop deck said, ‘Go to the first class cabin bar-room.’ We did, the there was a steward in the saloon with two whisky bottles, one in each hand, filling up tumblers on a tray. He said, ‘Go on, lads, drink up; she is going down,’ and we made for the whisky. We got our share.
A LAST CIGARETTE
I saw Mr Bell, the chief engineer, with a plank under his arm walking along the promenade deck.
The ship was going down all this time.
That was the last I saw of him. He must have ‘dumped’ himself.
I said to my pal, Mattie Blake, ‘What do you say, Mattie, there are only two ends – there’s the fore end, which is underneath, and we will take the other end.’
I was for going down into one of the first-class cabins, but Mattie would not let me go.
So we passed along to the promenade deck, on to the well deck, and then to the top deck, and there were Dennis Cochrane, John Bannon, and others of our engine crew.
Mattie said to me, ‘What about your boots? We shall have to jump for it, as all the boats are gone.’
I noticed one of the chaps who was standing there found a cigarette paper, another had enough tobacco to have a fag, and we had a draw or two while it lasted. There we stood smoking it.
Then she plunged and then seemed to right herself.
There were about fifteen of us when she took the first plunge.
After the second there were only five of us left.
One of these was Mr Daniels, a first-class passenger. He only had a pair of knickers, a singlet, and a blanket thrown over his shoulders.
I think he jumped for it. I stood talking to Johnny Bannon, and we seemed to be the only two left.
We made the sign of the cross, both of us, for he was a Catholic. ‘If we are going to die,’ I said, ‘it will be best to die gripping something,’ We gripped the rail, and the next thing I remember – O! it’s awful – I came among a lot of people groaning.
It was too cold it seemed for them to cry out, and it was a horrible row.
The first man I saw I knew was John Bannon. One fellow put his arm round me, I choked him off.
I got away from the crowd, as I was going to die by myself. I said ‘Our Father’ and ‘Hail, Mary.’
SWIMMING BY A STAR
One young man near me shouted, ‘Mother, mother!’ I was getting a little bit away from the throng when a man who was swimming alongside me clutched me round the neck.
I knew, of course, that that would be fatal, so I seized him by the throat and we both went under.
When we came up we were clear and he swam away.
Behind me there was the horrible volume of the groans, which rose and fell, I can hear it now
It was really remarkable that there was so little clutching. I think a large number of people soon gave up the struggle, and were content to die, for the water was so fearfully cold, and there seemed no hope of rescue.
When at last I got comparatively clear I swam as though I were taking part in a race.
Behind me there was the horrible volume of the groans, which rose and fell, I can hear it now.
I know there were some women on board when the ship went down, but I saw neither woman nor child in the water.
“Swimming on, I came up to my chum, John Bannon, who was lying on a grating.
It was not big enough for two, but I rested my arms on it for a minute. I said, “Cheero, Johnny,” and he replied, ‘I am all right, Paddy.’ Then he told me he had seen a flash-light some distance away, and pointed out the direction.
I took note of a particularly bright star in the line he pointed out and swam for that, but I had not myself seen the light.
As I went off I cried out, ‘Well, so long Johnny.’ Poor chap, he was drowned.
Every minute or so I looked up to make sure I was going towards the star.
All this time I had not seen a single lifeboat. Soon I became so numbed that I could hardly swim, and my head was so queer that I could not see my guiding star.
I could see no lifeboat, but when I was almost at my last gasp I shouted ‘Boat ahoy!’ on the off chance that one might be near.
Fortunately one was close at hand, my shout was heard, and I was hauled into lifeboat No. 4. I think I had been twenty minutes in the water.
I was told afterwards that I was unconscious for a long time. I would rather die a hundred times than go through such an experience again.
At the inquiry I should liked to have said something besides being asked questions, as I was a sailor for 22 years in the Navy and Mercantile Marine.
I was petty officer for seven years in the Royal Navy, and am now a Royal Garrison Reserve man.
I had to go as a trimmer, as I could not get a job on deck. I am going away next in the Olympic (Titanic’s sister ship) as fireman.
