Text of a May 11, 1912 speech by TITANIC survivor Dr.Washington Dodge

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The text of a speech delivered by TITANIC survivor Dr. Washington Dodge on May 11, 1912 at the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco. He explains that he had been asked to speak and agreed given the intense interest and the many conflicting reports that had been circulating. His story emphasizes that many passengers were not interested in boarding lifeboats, believing that the ship was unsinkable or at least would not sink for many hours. He was invited to board a boat after no women could be found nearby willing to board. He also reported that "a cheerful atmosphere pervaded" in his lifeboat until they saw the ship sink, and even then they thought there must have been plenty of time to get everyone off the ship, until they started hearing people screaming. The San Francisco Chronicle reported on Dr. Dodge's speech the next day, noting that, "When he came to speak of the cries of the drowning, Dr. Dodge broke down, and with difficulty proceeded with the narrative." Many TITANIC survivors reported being haunted by the sound of screams that night for the rest of their lives. Dr. Dodge committed suicide a few years later, in 1919.