The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-01-06
More Survivors of the Ill
Fated Oklahoma Ar
rived To-day
WERE RESCUED
FROM LIFEBOAT
Three Bodies Were Found
in Lifeboat by Reve-
nue. Cutter

New York, Jan 6.--Fiye of the miss
ing members of the crew of the oil tank
steamer Oklahoma which broke in two
off Sandy Hook Sunday, were brought
into port alive to-day, they having been
picked up in lifeboat on Sunday after
noon by the Booth line steamer Gregory,
after being adrift in the bitter cold Tor
six hours. Six others who left the Okla
homa in the same lifeboat We're drowned.
The rescue of these men accounts for
% of the 0klahoma's crew of 3S men.
Eight were rescued by the Bavaria, three
were found dead in a lifeboat by a rev.
enue cutter, five were rescued by the
Gregory and six Others were drowned,
according to the story told by these
survivors.
The weather was very stormy and
enormous seas were breaking aboard
when, with groans and ereaks, the Okla
homa buckled, apparently suspended on
two huge waves at stem and stern. Two
boats got away, one erammed full and
the other, that in which the five men
were picked up, contained II when they
got away. Six were subsequently
drowned. The seas smothered them and
they barely missed striking the steam
ef screws, WHICH were put VI ttC NN
ter and We're racing wildly.
From the small boats, Captain Gun
ther and the Others could be seen amid
ships on the Oklahoma. The five res
cned men knew nothing OF the fate OF
their captain until they reached New
York to-day. They were surprised to
learn that eight were saved by the Ba-
varia.
About 80 Sunday afternoon the
Gregory hove in sight and the little
boat made frantic signals and rowed to-
ward her On nearing the steamer the
little craft capsized and all were thrown
into the water. They succeeded in right.
ing her and ALL nearly frozen, climbed
in again. This happened time and time
again and by the time they got along
side of the Gregory they were on the
verge Of collapse. Almost at the Greg
ory's side their craft went over again.
This time six Of the men sank, never
to appear again.
One Part of Vessel Sank.
When the Oklahoma broke in two,
the stern section in which was situated
all the heavy machinery OF the vessel,
and on which there were 80 members
of the crew, sank Immediately. Eight
members OF the crew were rescued by
the Hamburg American line steamer Ba-
varia, whose captain said some of the
Oklahomas men told him that they saw
an open boat put away from the wreck
with eight or 10 men in it.
This information was contained in a
wireless despatch received last night by
the Hamburg American line here from
- &, 1f -Ann IQ4t vuRt
which was proceeding to Boston with
the eight survivors OF the tanker on
board. The message, which came by
the way of Siasconsett, said:
"0n Jan. 5, at in the morning, we
sighted signals of distress of vessel.
The wind was north northeast with
velocity of eight miles an hour. The
seas were high and rough. At dawn
we saw the forepart of a steamer float
ing on the water. 1t was the tank
steamer Oklahoma from New York.
"At we were close to the wreck
and lowered boat with six men who
succeeded, after great effort, in seiz-
ing a rope thrown to them from the Ok
lahoma. The men of the Oklahoma low
cred themselves into the boat, quite ex
hausted by their experience of the last
"a hours.
Captain Gunther stated that last
Sunday morning at 1880 during heavy
weather and without any previous warn
ing, the ship suddenly broke in two be-
hind the bridges. In about % minutes
the after part of the ship, with crew
of 32 men, sank into the deep, the stern
pointed upward with the propeller twirl
ing. The fore part was kept afoat by
the bulkhead the stem up to the rear
edge protruding from the water. The
Ifeboats either went down with the
ship or were smashed Immediately after
the catastrophe.
"On the evening of Jan. 4, a Spanish
steamer probably the Manuel Calvo)
had appeared in the vicinity of the Ok
lahoma, but was unable, owing to the
bad weather, to accomplish anything.
Immediately after the Bavaria reached
the scene this morning the United Fruit
steamer Tenadores arrived at the scene
of the disaster, but there was nothing
left to be done, the Bavaria having TAX
en- off the men. The life saving work
took place in latitude 1907 north, longi-
tude 73.45 west"