The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-11-16

ship that had previously reached herr
and added numerous details
One statement they made was that
the Audacious might have been floating
to-day had she not been blown up by the
British cruiser Liverpool at 900 p. m. OF
the day she was disabled through strik
ing the mine,
The men who told the story were
James Rupert Beanie, leader of the or.
chestra on the White Star liner Olympic
which rescued the crew of the Audacious
and made fruitless efforts to tow the
battleship to shoal water and Hugh Grif-
| flths, one of the orchestra's musicians.
When it became known on board the
| New York as she was coming into port
yesterday that Beanie and Griifiths had
been shifted to her from the Olympic the
musicians were asked to tell their story
OF the disaster. Both declined to discuss
the event, declaring they had been put
upon their honor by the admiralty to
say nothing.
Later when they saw the positive
statements that had been published here
regarding the disaster to the Audacious,
they admitted that the battleship had
been hit by mine and had gone down.
Upon reflection the men concluded they
were breaking no faith with the govern
ment, inasmuch as the facts had now
come to light and consented to tell what
they knew.
The story of Beanie, who was helped
from time to time by Griffiths, was sub
stantially as follows
1--WE sighted land at 10 a. NJ. on Tues
day, October 27. The land was Tory
island. An hour later we came below
when one of the stewards came to our
quarters and said; You better get up on
deck and see those two lovely warships.'
The passengers soon got wind of the
presence of war vessels and there was
much uneasiness among them.
"As soon as the steward told us about
the warships We ran up on deck. The
day was dark and cfoudy and stiff
westerly wind was blowing. Off out
starboard side we saw big battleship |
down by the stern and heavy seas break
ing over
"She was flying the code flag of the
etter N which is a distress signal
Serpentine Movement.
CAS- we approached, the other warship, |
which we learned later was the cruiser |
liverpool, came over to us and at high /
peed crossed our bow. Hardly had she
rossed when she turned and re-crossed
md kept up this sort of serpentine
movement for a half hour. 1t seemed at
irst as if she were trying deliberately to
.eep in the way of the Olympic as a
means of making her stop.
1T was said on board later, however,
hat this performance was for the pur-
ose OF clearing the way for the White I
tar ship, which at that time was the
My agent in those waters capable of
owing the Audaeious to a shoai haven. ]
'either the Liverpool herself nor the
ther small warships that had steamed |
D the work of rescue was capable OF /
aving the per-dreadnought. 8
1T was decided instantly that the !
liverpool could better risk hitting a
line than could the Olympic, which was e
ter TO tow the Audacious and serpen- {
ne manoeuvre ahead of the Olympic as h
feeler for mines. Hardly had the !
liverpool cut across our bow when the b
rder was given to man the starboard {
feboat. Before this, a call had been t
sued for volunteers. More answered j
IAN the boats could accommodate and a
hen il came time for action the Olym- b
c's crew actually fought to get into a
le boats, so eager were they to do q
for their country and for the b
lilors on the doomed Audacious. When Il
Ia of the boats hit the water they e
'und In il little bell boy, IL years old, q
ho carried messages to and from the 81
Irser's Office.
Although the starboard life boats I
ere manned. Capt. Haddock suddenly =
anged the plan. Instead Of dropping
'wn on the port side of the pounding
arrior. he decided to put about and APP
zach on the starboard side. BY so Il
ing he made a lee, which enabled the
life boats dropped from the port side
accomplish a task that never could
We been done il the original plan had
en- carried out.
The seas were high and. the men in te
ympic's lifebosts had a hard pull. IL NJ
ok them 20 minutes 10 get over TO the n
ldacious. which lay about 500 yards 1,
.ay. We plainly could see the crew at :.
arters. They were the calmest body 70
men ] have ever seen. The discipline ~
- perfect. Through the binoculars the Of
plain Of the Audacious was secn walk Il,
! up and down the deck calmly with
hands bohind his hack. -
i saw one boat come along the stern 20
the uperdreadB0uQht. Il had Eve
N IN H. just a. it came into position
the designated men on the Audaoious
jump Into a BIC wall Of water pulled NJ,
mp and slammed Il upside down into
, sea. Instantly four men came b the
face snd clutching a. the beckets
1led themselves upon the keel one q
a vas Tire oifcer in command. The "
n had not elung long % the upturued CO
boat when another boat sane bound. va
b. and picked them up 81
It was ane piase ~ work f~auti- ~
plek up. On the deak ~ The Auda-
no the officers directed the vork ~ vi
ding a the crsw. Men we're picked M
eaah post and TIA ~ 5ump on orders. ilu'
ne we're abort Do On the Audasious -
only 20 uere takrn b the Olympic 20
1ut 80 usrs trsnsfpF1sd - the war s3
Il ~ TIE 0lympif folrteen lfs
sCrns ~ tbe small isoafs rnaas lsir
= hsfpeer iattlasair and risfrhant C,
b. Ail1ut 2aH mteu wefe ifft en Assard