noon
For his own satisfaction he took a covert census of passengers on deck as the vessel entered the danger zone , and made the tally seventy-one all told -- the number on the passenger list when the _ Assyrian _ had left her landing stage the previous evening . It seemed probable , therefore , that the person in 27 had come aboard from the tender , either with or following the official party . Lanyard was unable to say that more had not left the tender than appeared to sit in inquisition in the music room . By noon the wind was beginning to moderate , and the sea was being beaten down by that relentlessly lashing rain . Visibility , however , was more low than ever . A fairly representative number descended to the dining saloon for luncheon -- a meal which none finished . Midway in its course a thunderous explosion to starboard drove all in panic once more to the decks .