COLORADO GIRL: I HEARD THE MUSIC STOP AND SAW THE TITANIC SINK

Editor's note: Denver socialite Molly Brown - known today as the "Unsinkable Mrs. Brown" - took charge of a lifeboat of mostly women rowing away from the doomed ocean liner Titanic in April 1912. She was a true "Colorado Girl." This is her account of the final hour. The "strains of music" Brown mentioned refer to the ship's orchestra, which played until Titanic plunged.     

By Molly Brown
Special to the Daily Sketch

Our lifeboat was in grave danger of being submerged. I immediately grasped an oar and held the lifeboat away from the ship. While being lowered we were conscious of strains of music being wafted on the night air.

As we reached a sea as smooth as glass, we looked up and saw the benign, resigned countenance, the venerable white hair, and the Chesterfieldian bearing of our beloved Captain (with whom I had crossed twice before – only previous, on the Olympic, our party sat at his table), as he peered down upon us like a solicitous father, directing us to row to the light in the distance and all boats keep together. 

With but one man in the boat, and possibly fourteen women, I saw that it was necessary for someone to bend to the oars. 

I placed mine in the rowlocks, and asked a young woman near me to hold one while I placed the other one on the further side.  To my surprise she immediately began to row like a galley-slave, every stroke counting. 

Myself on the other side we managed to pull out from the steamer. 

All the time while rowing we were facing the starboard side of the sinking vessel.  By the time E and C decks were completely submerged, and the strains of music became fainter, as though the instruments were filling up with water. 

Suddenly all ceased when the heroic musicians could play no more.

[Images: Wikipedia]

Footnote: At 1340 Pennsylvania Street in Denver stands the Molly Brown House Museum - preserving the history of the “Unsinkable Molly Brown” and the City Denver during the early 20th Century.