Evening journal., 1914-01-07
cow WARDICE AS
TANKER CREW
FACED DEATH
Capt. Of Oklahoma Says Span
iSh Steamer Crew Fooled"
Then Sailed Away
CAUSE OF DISASTER
REMAINS A MYSTERY
By The United Press.

By The United Press.
BOSTON. Jan. "A spanish steamer
which sighted the wrecked oklahoma OIL
Sandy Hook eary Sunday fooled
around, put over boat. then fooled
around some more and finally picked up
the boat aud " Mt away. according to
Captain Alfred Gunthcr, who with eight
members of the crew of the ill-fatcd
tank steamer oklahoma. is i'm Boston
today with the Hamburg American liner
bavaria
The cause of the disaster may never
be- known. The storm made it impos-
siblc to see thirty feet survivors only
know there was a crash and the ship
broke in two. They do NOT believe there
was any explosion.
Clneing to the rail OF the fore part
ot the Oklahoma the eight SURVIVOR
/ threw line 90 the rescue crew in the
I Bavaria. liichoat Ono by one the men
-lid down the rope while the Germans
/ fought to keep the little craft from
crashing against the hull OF the wreck.
The rescue crew was headed by Officer
/ Richard knoeclel and the volunteer.
who literally fought to get into the
lifebuat ahead OF their fellows, compris.
ed Quartermasters Grail and Frey and
Seamen Hustedt. Meincrt and Machter
The men whom they saved are; Cap
tain Alfred Gunthcr. First Officer Beryl
lNcr-on. second officer knuto Dlhle
Third officer Karl Eklund, Wireless
Operator William Davis, Boatswain O
Rasmussen. Carpenter Herman Erick
son. Quariermaster Hamilton Powell.
Preliminary investigation into the
cause of the disaster. 40 which testi
monv for the Federal grand jury Wa'
: begun today lv the Inspectors of stfan
: vessels. Andrew J SAVAGE aud John NJ
, Blaine. Captain Gunther and the threl
, chief officers appeared Mt the office ai
so. 33 Broad street, poorly clothed an'
two OF them suffering from frost bites
.nud were permitted go receive medica
attention before testifynp.
Captain Gunthcr'- story OF the dis
astcr follows;
, -All saturday night tho storm ragged
, growing worse aud worse until She ho
reached . velocity oi what we estl
. lmnted 10 be- IS mites am hour. u go
J ITO hc so md with the wind blow n
= So hard that ane could not see hcNou
10 or 30 feet ahead and this Tact make
L, II impossible Cos nny of us 40 teiltlu'
what happened. We could neither 81
s nor hcar
10 Saturda, night $50 Wcathered q
nalc an right and on sunday mnoln
=. seemed 60 hc an right. except that it
snow aud spmdriit were so thick thi
u Ne could tell but little about where
were.
g. "Ihe officer. ON the forward part &
the shin were worn and hungry, and
y ordered Them 90 go att for SON
breakfast. told them 90 send a stew
" ard forward with something for me, 3
e. 1 didn't want 90 leave the bridge
n ~The officers came back TO The 10
pc ward part oi the ship a little before
is o'clock. and there were eight Of
p, gathered. there. when we sudden
a heard a trash that was cross betMc'
le a rip and an explosion.
$. Not one of us could see more tina
20 a few feet and we could tell that a
81 Shin had broken i'm two only by u
fact that our part buoyed up and kee
"a ed suddenly-on account OF the tahh
~ "The after part of the broken Sc
y. tion sank away, the bow rising co
ls respondingly. We were all but throw
% OFF our feet by the shock OF the spl
= Only the tanks saved us from beii
A. toppled into the sea.
n That was about in the mornii
on Sunday We didn't any Of us ha
ANYTHING but the clothes on our back
a. We didn't have n bite TO eat or drin
~ The wind and the storm was so gre
h that we couldn't hope to hear an
thing from the other 32 men whom
knew we're in the after part OF q
snip
"With the breaking up Of the sh
Continued on Second Page.