The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-11-16
EYEWITNESSES TELL OF
SINKING OF DREADNAUGHT

and stin westerly gale was blow
ing. on eur starboard side we saw
big battleship down by the stern
and heavy seas breaking over her.
She was flying code flag OF the let
ter IN" which Is a distress sign.
AS we approached. the other war
ship. which we learned later was the
cruiser Liverpool, came over to us
and at high speed crossed our bows.
Hardly had she crossed when she
turned and re-crossed and kept up
this sort OF serpentine movement for
half hour. II seemed at first as
II she were trying deliberately to
keep In the way OF the Olympic as a
means OF making her stop.
Neither Were Capable.
1T was said on board later. how.
ever. that this performance was for
the purpose of clearing the way for
the White Star ship. which at that
time was the only agent in those
waters capable of towing the Auda-
eious to shoal haven. Neither the
Liverpool herself nor the other small
warships that had steamed to the
work OF rescue were capable of saving
the super dreadnaught
1T was decided instantly that the
Liverpool could better risk hitting a
mine than could the Olympic. which
was later to tow the Audacious. and
for this reason the Liverpool made her
serpentine maneuver ahead OF the
Olympic as a feeler for mines.
Hardly had the Liverpool cut
across our bow when the order was
given TO man the starboard lifeboats.
Before this. a call had been issued
for volunteers More answered than
the boats could accommodate and
when IL came time for action the
Olympic's crew actually fought 10 get
into the boats, so eager were they 10
do something for their country and
Tor the sailors on the doomed
Audacious.
Changed His Plan.
Although the starboard lifeboats
were manned. Captain Haddock sud
denly changed his plan. Instead OF
dropping down on the port side OF the
warship he decided to put about and
approach on the starboard side. By
so doing he made a lee. which enabled
the fourteen lifeboats dropped from
the port side to accomplish a task
mat never could have been done ifI
out.
-, The seas .wer. high and the men in
~ ClympiCa life boats had a hard
pull II took them twenty 5nfp1,.s ~
set over 20 the Audacious. which tsv
sss ~ ~ "a, yards away, We plainly could
se ss o@'mei' body Of men have ever
The discipline wa perf.c, -r,,o,,-,
The binoculars the captain 81 ~. h1da.
lous VS. seen walking ur and dow ~.
eecs coimly with his hands behind M
saw one boat come along the stsr,
~ we superdreadnaught 10 had I've
.msen ~ Just a. M came into most
9a,iops 70 JUMP into % = big vail on
g.s.er pllled ~ I'd and slammed IL up-
men came 10 the surface s5s et,,, t s9er
y me heckets hauled thensefvea Hp or
ne ne &C.. &C. ,e one man vac MISSING fis
he'd not ciung long 10 the upturned M.
boat When another boat came bounSic-
~ ara picked them ~
fui pickup On Ike dccE on ~ 49,
clgua TIE Officers directed tho work or
~ s,sb 80, - ~ Men we're picked
ders There were shout 900 61 r. Ru9s
cigu- put only $50 were taken 10 ~
-Aboul 900 were transferred 10 otbs,
Yer craft b. the Oiympio's fourteen
some o. the small boats made Three
tflbH bNtNceu The hnfflerhIu and fNn
moro mani man. About 200 men urrrl f9ff
~ board the Audarluua 10 assist Ir
tho hnndinE 81 lines and cables anil.
~ olympic made her futile efforts 10
.ah. we AldaclDua in tow Later ihrra
mon were taken of o. the IIgsfroDf fu
zoe filf urir.a IfH nIHfH whom if a.
decided that TO- Aadsriaur should h..
blown 90 and sunk
a. q reason fof dtsfros Inr fhe Audrr.
iol- Do eaH fsld that ths baffleahip va
niWiffn aud 10 mot blown uu
lion
one ~ tna new features Of the fos-
n tne AudacIour. according 30 afqfs
fuentH made un The View W0ff Wa ftgf
We nattieFnlp waa efe1nira Iu aqual. /
ron When Hif hr mine and that fa5-
~ afflF Der r0rrHuI01a Oh The rur.-.
1reannn nfhf class steamed awaF fr f1n-
icrrlfr Nifh The admfrnIfr.a rrfsrs
Ihe iunresslon wae fhaf ahe had been
rpedoe1 ~ uas saff. 1nd the 0fHer M
Wnr rrHff sought fu rarnrn n rIr.fI.-
fnfe lY settling ont ~ the fanesr rrr.
HH quickly aa possible only ~ ffvI.
to1l Nas siandinE ~ when fhr Oirmr.r.
cane aInnH Nuf shout the Time rf.
N llff riaf liners Ifrhrnf were Ir fT.
Nnfrr hair Dozen HraffrHrrr 800
HH - - NH.HH o..