The Titanic Plan (59 page)

Going past the band, which was still playing cheery songs, Henry emerged onto the Boat Deck. It was pandemonium. Men, mostly Third Class passengers, were crowding toward the remaining lifeboats, trying to get on. They were being held back by a handful of crewmen brandishing guns. Ismay stood near a collapsible lifeboat, waving to Wheeler. “Let him pass,” Ismay shouted. Wheeler shoved his way through the crowd, most of whom angrily shoved back and moved closer to the lifeboat, screaming to be let on. A crewman standing beside Ismay fired twice into the air. The crowd stepped back. Wheeler broke into the clear. “Come now,” Ismay said. “It’s time to leave.” But just as the two men began stepping into the boat, Henry squirted through the throng, screaming “Women and children only! Women and children only!”

Ismay ignored Henry, but Wheeler paused just long enough for Henry to grab him around the thigh while continuing to scream, “Women and children only!”

“
Get in the boat,” Ismay yelled to Wheeler. But Wheeler could not shake Henry away.

“
Get off me,” Wheeler shouted and grabbed Henry around the throat. Henry squirmed under Wheeler’s grip then snapped open his mouth and bit into Wheeler’s forearm. Furious, Wheeler wrapped his arms around the boy’s waist to hurl him off when Henry swung his knee up and struck Wheeler square between the legs. Wheeler screamed and tumbled forward into the crowd of passengers who descended on him like a wolf pack.

“
Lower the boat,” Ismay commanded.

“
But it’s not yet full, sir,” a crewman answered.

“
Do you see any women or children in sight?”

The crewman quickly scanned the rabid crowd of men. “No sir, I don’t.”

“
Then lower the boat and get in if you’d like.”

“
Lower the boat,” the crewman called, then stepped back and watched Ismay leave in the last lifeboat on the starboard side.

By 2 a.m., the waterline had reached the bow of the
Titanic
. The ocean was flooding over the forecastle of Deck B. In the Marconi Room, radioman Jack Phillips was still at the wireless, communicating with the
Carpathia
, updating the rescue ship on what was transpiring. His partner, Harold Bride, was securing the lifebelts on both of them. The door opened and Captain Smith, who had not been seen or heard from for over an hour, poked his head in. “Men, you have done your full duty. You can do no more. Abandon your cabin. I release you. Now it’s every man for himself.” With that, Smith stepped out of the room. He said similar words to some crewmen outside then walked up into the ship’s bridge and was never seen again.

As the water began to flood into Promenade Deck, those in the Smoking Lounge decided to carry on up top. The men of The Plan – John Astor, Charles Hays, Benjamin Guggenheim, John Thayer, Isador Strauss, George Widener and his son Harry, and Washington Roebling III – who only hours earlier were toasting to the success of a project that was to lead them to the pinnacle of wealth and power in America, were now all on the Boat Deck, facing extinction. All the money and influence they possessed couldn’t keep a 46,000-ton ship afloat. Those with wives had already seen them off, with the exception of Isador Strauss, whose beloved Ida chose to stay with him aboard the
Titanic
until the end. They drew together into a group because they were, in a sense, brothers, bound not by blood, but by wealth, class and ambition. There wasn’t much to say; they all tried to keep up the façade of their class by acting as unflappable as possible when all around the deck, panic and chaos prevailed.

“
Gentlemen,” John Astor said. “Perhaps we should assist Major Butt with the loading of women and children, as befits our station.” But no one in the group made a move. There was only one collapsible lifeboat left to be filled and Archie was taking care of that, escorting the few Third Class women passengers in sight through the desperate throng of men who were threatening to rush the boat. The situation had become so charged that Lightoller organized a group of crewmen to lock arms in order to hold the mob off.

Archie had just placed a young woman on one of the lifeboat’s small seats when he heard a familiar voice cutting through the din: “Captain!” Archie turned. All he saw was the thick cluster of frantic men within feet of him. “Captain!” he heard the voice again. Archie rose onto his toes and looked over the crowd. There was Henry, waving to him. Archie pushed his way to the boy and scooped him up in his arms, enwrapping him in a long embrace. “You keep leaving me, Henry,” was all Archie said.

“
Wheeler,” Henry huffed, out of breath. “He tried to get away. Mr. Ismay was leavin’ in a boat and he tried gettin’ in with him.”

“
So he’s gone?”

“
Nah,” Henry smiled his gap toothed grin. “He weren’t goin’ nowhere if I could help it. Ismay got away though.”

An angry roar suddenly erupted from the throng of men. Something set them off. Archie could see Lightoller waving his gun. “Come on,” Archie said to Henry and led him back toward the lifeboat. He quickly saw the reason for the men’s anger: there was Wheeler, stepping into the lifeboat and looking for a place to sit.

“
What’s he doing in there?” Archie yelled at Lightoller.

“
He’s authorized.”

“
Authorized? By whom?!”

Wheeler flipped opened his wallet. His badge glinted in the light. “United States Justice Department,” Wheeler said.

“
Get out of the boat,” Archie commanded.

“
It is on authority of the executive branch of the United States government that I return....”

Archie pulled the revolver from his holster and pointed it at him. “Get out of the boat,” he repeated.

“
I will not. I have a direct order from the Director of the Bureau of Investigation of the United States to report any…

Blam
. Archie fired into the air. “The next one goes through your heart,” Archie yelled, “Now get out of the boat.” The
Titanic
shuddered, then lurched headlong. Screams erupted. People in the lifeboat started shouting at Archie: “Let him be;” “There’s room enough;” “Just launch the boat.”

Archie leveled the gun at Wheeler. “They will be lowering this boat in a moment, sir. It will be either with your dead body, which they will throw over the side, or it will be free of your weight, as you will be standing here besides me. Your choice.”

Wheeler stared at Archie, daring him to pull the trigger. Archie drew the hammer back. Everyone was screaming – some at Wheeler to leave the boat, some at Archie to just let him go. Then Archie shot. The bullet flew over Wheeler’s shoulder. Archie cocked his gun again then leveled it at Wheeler’s heart. “Now!” was all Archie said. Wheeler stared into Archie’s face and knew that if he didn’t leave, he would be dead within seconds. And so he climbed out of the lifeboat and moved beside Archie, who kept the gun trained on him.

“
Why?” Archie asked.

“
Why what?” Wheeler growled back.

“
Why all this? This madness. It wasn’t an accident and you know it,” Archie challenged.

Wheeler shrugged cynically, a sneer on his face. “The Titanic hit an iceberg,” he said. “What else can you call it?”

“
Cold blooded murder. Planned and executed so cleverly that it would seem like an accident. I’m going to ask you again: Why?”

Wheeler turned his face away from Archie and looked out over the ocean. It was beautiful – dark, placid, peaceful – a striking contrast to the noise and panic behind him. “Because that’s just the way it is,” Wheeler said, his voice devoid of emotion.

“
It doesn’t bother you?”

“
Seeing my brother being cut in two by a subway train bothered me. What difference does it make if it’s one or one thousand? Death is death. No, it doesn’t bother me anymore.”

“
Who is responsible for this? Who ordered you to do it?”

“
No one
ordered
me,” Wheeler sniffed. “I got paid.”

“
Then who paid you? Morgan? Vanderbilt?”

“
Among others.”

“
Who else? Tell me who!?”

“
The United States Bureau of Investigation and Director Finch provide me with a fine salary. You know, I originally came to Rome to assassinate you. Almost got you in the Forum, but my gun jammed.”

“
But why?” Archie cried. “It doesn’t make sense!”

“
Sure it does. Assassinating you makes sense. Bringing down the ship makes sense. To the men who pay me, it all makes sense. You just have to look at it from their point of view.”

“
What insane point of view is that?”

“
The point of view from the top, the very top. The point of view of power. Of privilege. It’s a very intoxicating view, Major. And none of them have any problem killing to get there or stay there. Or killing to climb even higher.”

Archie tore his look away from Wheeler and bent down. “Did you hear what he said, Henry?”

“
Yeah. Sounds nuts to me.”

“
But you heard him?”

“
Every word.”

“
Good. Now get into the boat.”

“
No, I’m stayin’ here with you.”

“
You’re getting in the boat, Henry.”

“
Women and children only. And I ain’t a child. I’m a man.”

“
Yes, you are a man. And because you are, you will leave me and get into this lifeboat. And if…
when
you are rescued, you will go to President Taft and tell him exactly what took place here and what this man said. Explain that you are carrying out an order directly from me. And tell him that I loved you as I would love a son.” Tears suddenly filled Archie’s eyes; the swiftness of the emotion took him by surprise. “That’s what you must do, Henry,” Archie choked. “And you must do it now.”

“
No, Captain, no. I won’t leave you,” Henry cried and lunged forward to throw his small arms around Archie’s neck. But Archie stepped back and caught the boy, then put something in Henry’s hand.

“
Your gun?” Henry questioned, perplexed.

“
Mick’s gun.”

Henry squinted at the inscription Mick scratched into the gun handle:
Veritas. Virtus. Libertas. Corporal Mick Shaughnessy 1903

“
What does it mean, Captain?”

“
I don’t know, Henry. Find out for me, will you? Now go. Go!” Archie turned to Lightoller. “Let him on,” Archie ordered.

As the last lifeboat was lowered, two Swedish men took flying leaps from the ship and landed safely on the laps of four women. Many of those remaining on the
Titanic
desperately searched for some way to save themselves. A few jumped into the icy water and tried to swim to the lifeboats. Others tore chunks from the ornate doors and wood paneling of the Titanic so they might have something to float on.

Archie made no move to save himself. He stood by the rail and watched Henry take up an oar and help stroke the lifeboat away. Astor moved beside Archie, as did Ben Guggenheim and George and Harry Widener and the rest of the men who boarded the
Titanic
filled with dreams of unbounded power and riches.

From his lifeboat, Henry was able to see the men at the railing. There was no panic. They appeared to be chatting amiably among themselves, as if they were at a Sunday polo match. The rear of the
Titanic
started to lift out of the water. Henry saw Archie grip the railing, then do something curious: he took his officer’s cap off and waved it. “Good bye,” Henry thought he heard Archie call. Then Archie waved his cap again, this time vigorously, and cried out in a strong, emphatic voice, as if he was heralding the President: “Good bye – Good luck. Good luck to you all!”