New-York tribune., 1914-11-16
CRUISER BLEW
UP HELPLESS
DREADNOUGHT
Men on Olympic Say the
Liverpool Ended Work
German Mine Began.
TRIED ALL DAY
TO SAVE WARSHIP
British Risked Sea Fighter
to Save Liner from
Mine.

wine.
Two men who saw the British super
dreadnought Audacious pounding help
lessly in a heavy sea some twenty
seven miles northwest Of Lough Swilly
from 10 a m. until $3.50 p. m. on Oc-
tober 81 arrived here yesterday from
Liverpool by the American liner New
York.
They confirmed the narrative that
managed 10 get TO this city and was
published in The Tribune Of Sunday
despite British censorship, and contrib
uted some details which escaped the
notice OF passengers on the White Star
liner Olympic, who first told Of the
biggest of British naval losses.
The men were James Rupert Beames,
leader of the 0lympic's orchestra, and
Hugh Grifiiths, one of the musicians.
/ Having played aboard ship for many
| years, the men were on familiar terms
with the crew and were able to learn
]
not reach the ears of passengers.
When it became known on board the
New York yesterday that Beames and
Griffiths had been shifted to her from
the Olympic end had been witnesses
TO the Olympic's rescue of the crew
and her subsequent efforts TO tow the
Audacious to shoal water the musi-
clans were asked TO confirm the story.
Both declined 10 discuss the event At
first, but later when they saw the frs:
positive accounts in the New York
Sunday newspapers they admitted that
the Audacious had been hit by a mine
and had gone down. Upon reflection
the men concluded that they were
breaking no faith with the govern
ment, inasmuch as the facts had now
come to light, and consented 10 tell
what they knew
Among the new features brought out
by the men was the statement that the
Audacious might have been floating to-
day had she not been blown up by the
British cruiser Liverpool at 9 p. m. on
October p, the day she had been dis
abled by a mine.
Tory Island Sighted.
The story of Beames. who was assist
ed from time TO time by Grifiiths, was
substantially this:
1--WE sighted land at 10 a. m. on
Tuesday, October q. The land was
Tory Island. An hour later we were
below, when one of the stewards came
TO our quarters and said: You'd bet
ter get up on deck and see those two
lovely warships.' The passengers soon
got wind of the presence of war YES
sells, and there was much uneasiness
among them, as the talk all the way
across had been about the danger of
floating mines. Wagers Of 40 TO l had
been offered continually ever since we
left New York on October. 2l that the
Olympic would never get safely TO
Greenock.
"As soon as the steward told us
about the warships we ran up to b
Deck. The day was dark and cloudy,
stiff westerly gale was blowing and
the spindrift few high. of our star
board side we saw a big battleship
down by the stern and heavy seas
breaking over her. She was flying the
code flag of the letter a. which is a
distress signal. We knew something
was wrong with her, but we couldn't
learn what il was.
"As we approached the other war
ship. which we learned later was the
cruiser Liverpool, she came over 70
US and at high speed crossed our bow.
Hardly had she crossed when she
turned and re-crossed our bow, and
kept UP this sort of serpentlne move
ment for a half hour II seemed at
first as if she was trying deliberately
n keep in the way of the Olympic as
a means of making her stop.
Feeler for Mines.
"It was said on board later, how
ever. that this performance was done
10 clear the way for the White Star
ship. which at that time was the only
agent in those waters capable Of tow
ing the Audacious 10 a shoal haven.
Neither the Liverpool herself nor the
other small warships that had steamed
20 the work Of rescue was capable OIL
saving the super-dreadnought
at was decided instantly that the
r;vernool could better risk hitting
nine than could the Olympic, which
v,as later 20 tow the Audacious, and
for this reason the Liverpool made
ber .erpentine manpuvre ahead OF the
Olvrnic az a feeler for mines
throughout their talk Beames and
Grifiths spoke often Of the amazing
seamanship of Captain Herbert Had
dock. master OF the Olympic, and OF the
splendid discipline, alertness and
esgerness of her crew. From what they
saw. the musicians declared that the
naval men were equally efficient and
that the moves of vessels and men dur
ing the six or seven hours they were
trying 70 take the Audacious IN tow
and also take off her men made spec
tacle so perfect in execution that one
might have imagined II had had many
rehearsals.
Hardy had the Liverpool cut across
our bow" the men continued, when
the order was given to man the star
hoard lifeboats. Before this call had
been issued for volunteers. More an
swered than the boats could accommo-
date. and when II came time for action
II Olympic's crew actually fought 10
get into the boats. so eager were they
10 do something for their country and
for the sailors on the doomed Au-
dacious. When one of the boats nit the
a--<I..>1 "a zAsa a ealnuanA