, 1914-01-28

Al1@E ANNE @CN
OF the Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon when
the Captain ana the seven officers We're still
on board. bat could not be seen on the deck.
Another steamship, the Tyskand, reported
passing the wreck in the afternoon, but
could see no one on board.
The survivors also confirmed the report
sent in by Captain Gunter OF the OkahotnA,
which stated that the tank sAip broke ~
two between the main aud m~izzenmNsss and
drifted apart. The after end sank ia twenty
five minutes, they sand.
Swans,rom, who acted rs spokesman for
the little baud,told his story briefly ia sailor
like fashion. He said
Il was turned when the crash came
Just before eight bells on Sunday morning
near breakfast time, aud the ripping, grind
ing sound Of the non plates parting caused
me to iuno from my bunk and rush on deck
three steps at q time up the companion lat
der. as [ knew that the ship was sinking,
Giving one glance round | found that my
ideas were correct, and then | went below
to rouse my ]shipmates and get them on
deck.
Propeller Whnling IN the Air.
"By the time l got back to the upper
deck. with the rest Of the crew following
me. the utter end OF the ship, where we We're,
was standing almost on end, and the pro-
peler was whriug round in the air Tue
forepqrt Of the Okluhoma with the bridge
had drIfted away.
i saw the engineers busy launching the
starboard quarter lifeboat, and | got our
crowd toge. her to launch the boat on the
port quarter. Eleven OF Us managed 70 pic
into the boat before it bit the water, and we
were Just about to let 60 tue fall and pull
clear when John j Fogh, the chief engineer,
came up and we asked HIM to get into the
boat with us. He was about to DO SO when
be noticed that the boat was drift Ing close
to the whizzjng propeller, and he sang ont
to MS to cut adritt, before the boat was
knocked to pieces
Swanstrom then said that q big sea hit
the boat almost Immediately and cpP5Ized
the craft, aud if was with difficulty that the
nan righted her and got on board. Half
an hour later the bout capsized q second time
ami out Of the eleven men who left the Ok
lahoma only seven managed to get into the
boat asaiu.
cat 2 o'clock on Sunday afternoon, = con-
tinued Swanstrom, "the Gregory hove IN
sight, and the seven men gave a prolonged
shout TO attract the attention Of the officers on
her bridge. Directly the boat was seen, Capt.
William Asphalt altered his course and bore
down on the small craft, which was bobblh9
up and down en- the big waves like p cork SO
heavv was the swell that il was fully an hour
before a line could be sent over the boat to
haul it alongside he steamer. BY That time
the lifeboat was half full Of water and the
men we're baling it ont with their nuinbed
hands. Manuel Gomez, a wiper, was washed
out of the boat twice, and rescued each time
by Boa. A third time he went and refused
TO be rescued. L am cold to death Let me
60, be said, and disappeared under the wave
as Boa tried to grab hlm
Boar CAPsIzE5 AGAIN.
almost alongside the Gregory the life
boat capsized again, through the helmsrnan
letting her get broadsile in the trough of
the sea, and the six men in her would all
have been drowned if it had not been for
the three ships officers who went over after
them with ropes in their hands to tie round
their waists. William Dodd, first assistant
engineer, was drowned when the boat cap
sized. as he did not have strength enough 10
swim to a line and sank before help could
reach HIM. The others we're rescued, john
Kosich, the messboy, let 60 his hold as he
was being hoisted on board the Gregory and
fell back into the water, but ha saved HIM
r -I