The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-05-11
THOSE WHO
LIVE TESTIFY
Survivors Tell Their Sto-
ries at Queens
town
NO PANIC ON THE
LUSITANIA
Some Of the Passengers Saw
the Torpedo on It's
Errand

Queenstown May ll.-Survivors OF
now. Most of them mention the diff
Guilty of launching lifeboats, and some
charge that the captain ordered that
no boats be launched. confident that the
ship would stay ahoat long enough to
reach port. Others declare that the cap
tain's order was only to launch no boats
on the port side because of the tremen-
dous list of the ship and that this or
der caused confusion in the minds of
those who heard it. Stories of horror
and stories of heroism are plenty. Yet
it is clear there was nothing like panic.
Women and children went first and
though there were few boats success
fully launched, women and children had
most of the places in them except those
needed for rowers. The ship sank so
quickly that many had made no attempt
to escape before it was too late. More
passengers are reported to have been
seen going below than rushing for life
boats. Many children were drowned. OF
the noted passengers who died there is
little news. Alfred G. Vanderbilt, how
ever, according to at least two witnesses,
was quietly heroic One observer saw
him peacefully holding jewel case for
a woman for whom he was apparently
waiting; another saw him take off his
lifebelt and fasten it about another
woman, although he could not swim.
Some of the survivors declare they saw
the first torpedo on its terrible
course. Others assert that two or more
submarines engaged in the attack One
woman says the successful submersible
came to the top, ran up the German flag
and stayed up ten minutes. Whatever
else the stories show, they seem to
prove that not only did the first torpedo
come without warning, but that, al
though this would have made the ship
certain prey, second missile was ham,
mered home to insure so speedy a sink
ing as to guarantee appalling loss of
life. Certain survivors criticise the Gun
ard company, They complain bitterly
that the line took insufficient precau-
tions against attack. The torpedo struck
the vessel a vital blow amidship, caus-
ing her to list almost Immediately to the
starboard. In this careening fashion she
plowed through some distance. smashing
the lifeboats' davits as she did so, and |
making the launching Of boats well.nigh |
impossible until Roadway had ceased. |
How far the Lusitania struggled for |
ward after being struck and how long
il was before she disappeared forever
beneath the waves are points upon which /
few passengers agree, estimates OF the /
time she remained ahoat ranging from |
eight TO twenty minutes. At any rate
the list to starboard so elevated the life
boats on the port side as TO render them
useless, and it is said only two on that
side were launched. The first of these.
according to the custom of the sea, was
filled with women and children. Ii struck I
the water unevenly. capsizing and throw
ing its sixty occupants into the sea. The
Lusitania even then was making con-
siderable Roadway and these women and
little children were swept TO death in
spite OF the attempts of two stokers 10
rescue them. These stokers. according
10 the passengers. were drowned. After
that several boats were launched sue
ressfully. but the steamers list grew
more perilous, the decks slanting 10 such
an angle that II was imperative for all
10 cling 90 the starboard rail Many by
this time had donned lifebelts and
Jumped Several lifeboats broke adrift
and the sea became froth
" oar, chairs, debris and human bodies