Cold All the Way Through, But Warming

Arrival

As the Carpathia reached New York harbor the heavens themselves opened up. Thunder crashed, lightning streaked across the sky and we reduced steam even further as we slowly made our way into the harbor. Umbrellas were passed out by stewards, and many of us made our way out onto the deck to watch the city come into view. Will and the other officers had been asked to go to the bridge for our arrival, while us passengers were free to wait wherever we wanted. Mother decided to stay in the lounge while I chose to wait on deck. I was perfectly dry with the umbrella and found a place at a railing to watch. I could see the harbor pilot's boat coming towards us, practically leading a regatta.

A line of flashes from the water blinded me, and it seemed a hundred voices shouted out at once. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but they were crying out questions. I blinked the flash from my eyes, finally recognizing what the other boats were. They were hired boats, filled with reporters and photographers who all wanted to be the first to get a story from survivors. More flashes lit across the dark water, and the pilot's boat could barely make its way to the side of the Carpathia for all the others trying to get closer.

But it seemed all was well though, at least in terms of getting the pilot on board, and we started moving away from the other boats that crowded us. The rain pattered off my umbrella, and I watched the harbor slowly come into sight. It was familiar to me, piers and docks jutting out like wooden fingers and warehouses rising behind the ships that were docked. I knew some of them were ours, and it made me smile to see them again. The clear white paint reading 'Dalian Shipping' against a royal blue background, a short row of warehouses and docks that constituted our New York offices. I could see lights from the windows, ships tied up and their crews huddling on the railing, smoking and watching us steam by. I still felt a shiver of fear though, running down my spine like an icy finger. What was frightening was the amount of people crowding the docks, standing anywhere they could, stretching across hundreds of feet. Thousands, crushing together and many concentrated around the Cunard pier that we slowly moved past.

The ship slowed as we reached a dock, the offices by it proudly bearing the White Star flag. I heard orders and voices raised at the bow, and when I looked forward I saw them wrangling the lifeboats from the Titanic into the forward davits and them being lowered and rowed to the dock. A few boats had come from the dock and were helping move them over. That pier, which should have held a massive liner celebrating her first voyage, quickly became crowded with the empty, white lifeboats. I turned away from the ghostly image, the empty benches still haunting. Slowly we reversed, turning and returning to the Cunard pier.

I could see police holding back the crowd as the ship was docked, the lines were tied off and the gangplanks brought out. They were set up, and slowly I could see people begin to disembark. The crowd pushed the police line back, crying out before they fell silent again. The people coming off were not survivors, but Carpathia passengers. They slowly made their way through the crowd, and survivors began to follow them. It was slow going, the crowd almost unwilling to let anyone through in their desire to find relatives. It had been decided that the survivors should disembark in class order, third first and moving up. Those of us in first class were left to wait, or slowly join the line moving down the staircases.

I tried to ignore the weeping families that hurled themselves at survivors, to not hear them asking about loved ones and relatives. I collapsed my umbrella, heading back inside. The lounge was still warm and dry, and I saw Mother standing among some of the other women, including Mrs. Astor. It was decidedly less crowded though, a great number of people wanting nothing more than to feel solid ground under their feet. I caught Mother's eye and gave her a nod. She nodded back, and that was that. She'd find her way to the auto from the Fifth Avenue house. I'd collect the officers and make my way to our carriages. Slowly the lounge emptied out, and I made my way down to the gangways, but held back.