HOW CHIEF OFFICER STEEDE DIED
“There are few people,” said one survivor, “who really know how the chief officer, Mr. Steede, died. He was at his post to the last and was killed by tumbling wreckage.
“Each man has his post at a certain boat, and his was at boat No. 8, on the port side. The ship was struck on the starboard, but an effort was made to launch the port side boats at once after the collision. But the list on the vessel made it impossible to get away these boats.
“We went over to the port side. ‘No good, boys, on this side,’ said he. ‘Go to the starboard.’ We went there, but the chief officer remained at No. 8, directing passengers, until he was swept from his post either by falling ropes, boxes or perhaps a boat, for the starboard boats broke loose and did a lot of damage to life. No one actually saw Steede disappear.”