Page:The Lusitania's Last Voyage (lusitaniaslastvo00lauriala).djvu/94

 they had … ! But I must not write about the "ifs" of this catastrophe. They would in themselves make a book larger than the account of the disaster itself.

I stood there a few moments hoping the Hubbards would return. I put on to women all but two of the life jackets, for these I felt I should keep for a few moments to see if my friends returned.

Passengers were already crowding on the deck, running back and forth, and as I walked aft I saw no officer taking charge of the lowering of any one lifeboat, but there were attempts being made by the crew to lower two or three of the boats. As early as this in the catastrophe there was confusion, and nothing seemed to be done with usual ship's discipline.

If the passengers, when they first came on deck, had found that the officer and the crew of each lifeboat were at their station, waiting