The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-28
Charming young woman.

Excellent use was made by the crew
OF the few moments left them for get
ting the boats overheard and only
thirty-two OF those on board were lost.
Perkins meanwhile continued To COM
mun.Catc with the jefferson, giving
his ships exact position and other in
formation when he must have known
that every minutes delay lessened his
chance of escape.
As the ship began to go down a
lifeboat near the wireless room was
washed against the door and damned
1t so tightly hat his escape was cut
off. Perkins nevertheless continued
to operate the wireless instrument and
a moment later went down with his
ship.
II of the most recent Of these sea
tragedies occurred with the sinking
Of the Monroe on January 80, 1914.
The wireless operator. Ferdinand j.
kuehn, was a New York boy, only
20 fears of age, and a graduate of
the Bronx High school.
The Monroe. which piled between
New York and Norfolk, sank within
twelve minutes after a collision Of
the Virginia coast. 1t was obvious
that the ship had received "A fatal
blow and could remain aiioat but "A
few minutes. but the Marconi operator
nevertheless remained at his post.
The crew succeeded in getting three
boats away. The order to save the
women and children first was rigidiy
obeyed. Kuehn's assistant brought "A
life prescrvcr to the wireless room and
helped kuehn to adjust il, while the
operator, without interruption. sent
out the : q : again and again. He
was induced 10 go on deck only at
the last moment, when II was known
that the ship was sinking.
As he stood on the deck Kuehn
noticed that one of the women pas
scnGcrs had no life prcserver. He an
fastened his own and insisted on the
woman's accepting il. He had time
to assist her to adjust it and Helped
her into "A boat.
A few moments later the survivors
in the boats saw him slip on the tilt
ing deck n fall into the water. He
was not again seen. kuehn was II
Of the last to attempt TO escape, ana
even then sacrificed his life in giving
ava his cork belt.
Walter T.. Rcker was the wireless
man on the steamship sampson, which
sank after "A collision with the Prin-
cess Victoria off Seattle, Wash, April
-. 1914. The Sampson was feeling
her way along the coast in IA dense
fog when the crash occurred. A
twelve foot hole was stove in her
bow. To add to the horror of he
situation the oil cargo she carried was
ignitcd and the flames quickly spread
throughout the ship.
1t is "A proof of the bravery and ELL
cheney of the crew that all but two Of
the fifty-four passengers ware saNcd.
Rcker might readily have saved HIM
self 10y taking To the boats with
the passengcrs and the greater part
of the crew. lie remained at the wire
less key, however, giving directions To
the rescuing snip which proved in
valuable.
Later the Princess Victoria en-
planned by wireless that she was send
ing FOR assistance and there was no
need for the SIMPSONS wireless man
to operate his instrument longer.
Even then Rekcr did not abandon
the ship, but devoted himself tn as
sisting thu passengers to adjust their
life belts and reach the boats, lie
ignored repeated appeals from the
boats to save himself. When the last
boat had left safely Rekrr reported To
the bridge and remained to share the
fate of the captain. 1t proved to he
too late for them to leave the ship
aud eight of the men. including the
wireless operator, went down with the
ship.