The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-16
Former Bandmastcr of Olym-
pic Tells Story of War
Disaster.
CREWS VALOR SHOWN
IN HOUR OF PERIL
Men on Doomed Warship
Stood in UnbrOkcn Ranks
When Rescued.

The American liner New York. In
yesterday from Liverpool. brought Q
graphic story of the loss of the super
dreadnought Audacious. spun by James
Rupert Beams. formerly bandmaster Of
the White star liner olympic. which
made a valorous but vain effort to save
the giant battleshlp from sinking sew
eral hours after she hit a German mine
Off the northern coast Of ireland on
October 81.
The bandmaster was Corroborated by
an assistant. Hugh Grifiths. Neither
would consent to talk until assured that
the story Of the disaster had been
printed here as they had pledged them
selves to secrecy. They were observers
of the gallant work Of their intrepid
commander Capt Herbert J. Haddock,
and they talked with petty officers and
sailors of the Audacious who were taken
aboard the Olympic
The story Of the musicians makes It
clear that the Audacious was but one
OF squadron of colossal battleships in
the vicinity of the position where the
lost sea fighter went TO the bottom and
that when she hit the mine the rest
of the squadron, in pursuance Of the
order Of the British Admiralty. steamed
away. each to save herself from pos
sible attack 10y German submarines, a.
at that moment none among the squad
ron knew that mine had smashed tho
AudaCious.
When the olympic went to the help of
the Audacious she found all her officers
and men lined up on deck and her COM
mander walking To and fro with has
hands clasped behind his back. awaiting
traditional way of Britaiu's hlueJaCke;s
when going down with their ship.
sunk by Cruiser. They Say.
The Audacious did not. according to
the story of the olympic's men. 60 down
Just after an accidental explosion I'm her
stern, but was deliberately blown up by
the men of the cruiser Liverpool TO re-
move her from the crack OF navigation.
The Liverpool had taken off her COM
llfi44iNl anu lllpSt bl inc crew VINO mad
aboard after the Olympi- had
to abandon her effort to tow the
stricken warship into shoal water.
This is tho yarn OF the bandmdster and
his assistant. and also, they say. the log of
every observer In the olympic crow Be-
fore dawn on the morning OF Tuesday
October ~, Capt Hadduck OF the Olympic
received "A wireless message from the Au-
dacious warning him Of mine field beinS
La "a hA
off the north coast OF Ireland and telling
him 10 look out. Cant Haddock thanked
tn" Audacious and altered his course to
clear the danger zone Tho crew OF tho
olympic had expected notification OF this
sort IN fact. some of them had wagered
against heavy odds that the ship might
never reach Glasgow with a whole skin.
few hours after receiving the first
wireless tho Olympic got another and an
eNultant line from the big battleship. II
was that the Audac!ous had overtaken the
NINE layer, which was nying a swedish
tueutrLD ndg. and mad sunk her
The jublation following the receipt of
this news was turned to CONSERVATION by
tho - : signal from tho superdread-
nought and the announc ement that she had
struck a mine herself and noeded instant
help. The plight OF the Audaoious went
through tho Olympic swifter than a wire
less message and every man and boy In
the ships company volunteered for mem-
hcrship In the lifeboat crews as Capt
Haddock headed at full speed for the war
levlathan's position
Cruiser Ends Risk of Liner.
There was strong sale from tho wert
and the spiudrif- II whipped from thu
creamy crests gave the air a foggy APP
Tho Olympic was running be-
fore the blast and realing on twenty knots
or more, The Audacious came into view
AZ 10 in the morning Another Varship
he cruiser Liverpool, was standing by
her and both were wallowing heavily.
The Audacious was down hy the stern
and was flying tho International code