Retro: Belfast survivor’s story of Titanic heroism (1912)

The news of the safety of Miss Sloan, which was received by cablegram from New York on the arrival of the Carpathia, gave great satisfaction to her numerous friends, and she had been “heartily congratulated upon her narrow escape from the fate which befell so many of those who journeyed with her on the great liner”.

The News Letter added: “It may be mentioned that she is well known to cross channel passengers on the Liverpool route, as for some years she was engaged as a stewardess on the SS Magic. Miss Sloan was conveyed to England on the Red Star liner Lapland, and has spent the interval with friends in the South of England, only arriving in Belfast yesterday morning via Liverpool.”

When interviewed at the residence of her-brother-in-law, Mr William Browne, of 1 Kerrsland Crescent, off Upper Newtownards Road, she was not anxious to enter into details of the disaster, “which has naturally left a deep impression on her mind”.

The News Letter noted: “The incidents have been so fully described already not only in the way of interviews, but also at the inquiry which took place in the United States of America and the investigation at present proceeding in London that she did not want to dwell upon them.”

However, Miss Sloan did speak freely in regard to the conduct of the passengers and the crew after the collision, especially of those from Belfast.

Andrews ‘worked nobly and like a true hero’

When questioned concerning the fate of Mr Thomas Andrews, Jnr, the well-known and popular managing director of the firm of Harland & Wolff Ltd, who was representing the builders on the disastrous maiden voyage of the Titanic, Miss Sloan said it would be impossible to speak in terms of too high in praise of his conduct throughout the trying time.

“Mr Andrews,” said Miss Sloan, “realised from the first the gravity of the accident, and I saw by his face soon after the collision how serious he knew it to be. But he worked nobly and like a true hero, going round the vessel to see that all the women had lifebelts before they went on deck to take their places in the boats. “He thought of everyone except himself, and the last I saw of him was when he was rendering assistance in getting the women and children into the boats, telling them not to hesitate, as there. was not a moment to lose.”

The News Letter added: “Miss Sloan thus endorsed all that has hitherto been published in regard to Mr Andrews.”

Dr Simpson was ‘a splendid fellow’

She also spoke in similar terms of praise of another of the Belfast victims - Dr J Edward Simpson, son of Dr John Simpson, of 76 Pakenham Place, who was the assistant medical officer of the ship.

In answer to questions regarding him, Miss Sloan said: “I saw Dr Simpson about ten minutes after the accident occurred, and had a short conversation with him. I asked him if he thought there was anything serious wrong, and he replied that he was afraid there was. He left me to hurry away to render medical assistance in case anyone had been injured in the collision, and I never saw him again.

“He was a splendid fellow and was exceedingly popular with all on board. He did his work nobly and unselfishly, and was most helpful to all the passengers who required his aid.”

Lights were kept burning as ship sank

In the course of further conversation Miss Sloan was also loud in her praise of the engineers, all of whom stuck to their posts up to the very last, as was evidenced by the fact that the lights were kept burning until the vessel disappeared beneath the waves. She referred in terms of praise to the discipline manifested on board not only by the crew but also by the passengers, “the women being quite as brave as the men”, and she emphasised the fact that there was “absolutely nothing in the nature of a panic”. She denied that any favouritism had been shown to first and second class passengers in the matter of being placed in the lifeboats, and stated that in the boat in which she herself escaped in “the greater number of the 60 or 70 people whom it contained were women and children of the third class, many of them being foreigners”.

Captain Smith: ‘a true British officer’

Captain Smith behaved like a true British officer and died at the post of duty, while the conduct of the other officers and of the crew, including the stewards and her own immediate colleagues, the stewardesses.

Miss Sloan remarked that the criticisms passed in the American press in connection with the tragic occurrence, “were most unfair”. The lifeboat, of which she was one of the occupants, picked up a collapsible lifeboat containing among other Mr C H Lightoller, the second officer of the Titanic, who had had a miraculous escape from being drawn down by suction as the vessel sank. The persons on the collapsible boat were transferred to the lifeboat, which was crowded to the point of danger, “not to speak of discomfort”.

Miss Sloan remarked: “Indeed, it was very fortunate that the weather was calm, as if it had been otherwise I fear we would never have reached the Carpathia.”

With characteristic modesty, noted the News Letter, Miss Sloan declined to say anything about herself, “but it has already been placed on record by others that she acted like a heroine on the occasion and insisted on another woman taking her place in one of the lifeboats, only leaving the doomed vessel on one of the last lifeboats”.