Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-01-09
TOOK AN HOUR TO
SAVE SURVIVORS
Chief Officer of Steamer Rammed
by British Freighter Tells
Graphic Story.
ONLY MAS7S OUT OF WATER
Captain Drowned Trying to Save
Wife-20 in All Perished-
Bravery of Dutch Res
cuers Praised.


the crew of the steamer Julia Luckenbach,
which was rammed and sunk by the
British steamer Indrakaula in Chesapeake
bay on Friday last with the loss Of II
lives reached here tonight on an Old
Dominion liner from Norfolk, the ma
jority OF them still unnerved and sufferna
from their thrilling experiences. Rep
resentatives of the sunken steamers
owners met them and conducted them t.
offices Of proctors In admiralty where
their statements were taken.
Chief Oficer Hunt, one Of the survivor
related the graphic story Of the wrec'
md told how he with others of the ship's
company were taken from the rigpin, Of
the sunken craft whore they had been
clingins periloue.y for hours and brought
to shore " the steamer Pennsylvania. "rt
took the Pennsylvania boat an hour to
pick us up" he said The third time
they tried they swung line around III.
mast where | was clng'ng and held O.
taut and went down and caught UP the
line with my foot and the second mat.
lashed II around the top mast The So.
was still running very high.
we made a ring buoy fast to a heav,.
line then. one end Of which was fastened
to the ship and the other to the small
boat and we jumped one by ono into the
sea and were dragged through the water
to the small boat and lifted into It. on
the Pennsylvania they gave us warm
clothes and fed us, for We were all nearly
unconscious
FOG WHEN CRASH CAME.
a light fog was hanging over Chesa-
peake bay when the crash came. The
British frclghter. nearly twice the size
OF the American vessel. struck the julia
Luckenbach on the port side at the sec
ond hatch and almost cut her in two
Water poured into the great hole left In
the Luckenbach as the Indrakua'a irnme-
diately backed off and in less than two
minutes the American steamship had
gone down.
Nine men were on the deck Of the Julia
Luck enhach at the time Of the collision
and eight of them We're saved. Of the
IS persons on board. IS, inClud-
ing Mrs. Gilbert, were below deck. Mrs
Gilbert WAS sleeping In her cabin below
the bridge and was not seen after tn,
collision. Captain Gilbert lost his He
trying to save her His efforts were flu
tile, for before he had reached the main
deck it was awash and he was last seen
swimming toward the cabin where his
wife was a prisoner.
The fire men and engine room force on
duty mover had chance for their lives,
the vessel plunged beneath the water of
the bay before they could reach the deck
after being warned by the impact Of the
collision.
Several OF the sailors and hromen off
duty were in the crews quarters for
ward and went down with the shin. The
stewards and mess attendants We're
caught in the galley and went down.
CHIEF ENGINEER GIVES UP,
The eight men on deck and Chief En-
cincer Christopher Knussen went into tne
rigging of the mainmast and there await
ed rescue. The battering of the waves
and the icy wind which swept the bay
wore out the chief engineer, and after a
two hours' fight he fell from the rigging
and vas drowned in plain sight of the
other eight men.
Two hours after the collision tho steam
ship PENNSYLVANIA came down the bay and
sighted the Indrakuala, which was drift
ing two miles from the wreck. She then
had two ufehoats out. She eienalled the
PENNSYLVANIA u rescue the men In the
rigging OF the Julia Luckenbacl. Cap
tain I issu,r OF the Dutch steamship soon
.,yh,ad mo TWO nlasts. all that could be
eeor of tb.. rucLrnbach. and when a mile
,u,ov ,,,.il make ont the men in the rig
oin, ,..t,tr r,ssner sout the PannsyI-
1T, ,.,l ,t fuu sn.ed and hroue,bt
80 ,,. y.s,uara of III. wreck and
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