The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-06-03
LITTLE CARE FOR SURVIVORS
Husband Who Was Former Kenosha
Telegraph Operator Went Back to Get
a Life Belt and Wife Never Saw Him
Again-Letter Shows Deep Grief.

Mrs. Sarah Lund, wife of Charles
fund, former operator Of the Chicago
and North Western Railway Company
in Kenosha, who lost his life on the
Lusitania, who was herself one of the
survivors Of the i'll fated steamer, has
sent letter telling of her escape from
the sea. The letter was received at the
home of relatives in Chicago on We'd
nesday and it gives a graphic picture
of the disaster. 1t follows:
Keswick, Eng. May ID, 1915.
Dear Sister and Brother: I can
hardly write, but / know you are anxi-
GUS to hear from me. 1t is as if | was
stunned and in a dream about it all.
I can It bear to think l am so far away
from home and no one to come back
to for comfort. / cam tell you of the
awfulness Of it all. 1t is too terrible
to think of.
We had just come up on deck from
lunch, and Charley had gone down to
smoke, and was sitting with Mrs.
Kinch, whom / had met on the train,
and we were talking when it struck u.s.
We were sitting facing where it struck
and the minute it struck we were COW
cred with water.
1t seemed as if cloud had burst.
had asked Charley that morning to
stay with me all day and not to leave
me for fear anything would happen.
Had we seen anything of the threat in
the New York papers that morning we
would not have sailed on British
ship. But we thought that Germany
would never be so cruel as that to de-
fenseless people.
I never saw Charley again after we
had lunch. ran into the lounge when
1t happened, but pa and Mrs. Kinch IS
son were coming upstairs and yelled
"Where is Charleyg''
Pa turned to look for him, and said
he was right behind me- So 1 think
his first thought was for life belts, and
he went right down to get them. I
believe he was caught down there and
couldn't get up on deck again.
Pa and Mrs. Kinch were with me,
and we got into a lifeboat, but there
was no cork in it, so it was no use to
lower it. Just then the stewards came
along and told every one to get into
the lifeboat-it was all right and
wouldn't sink. said: Spa, I know
it will sink.' He seemed real cool,
but kept calling for Charles.
I never saw him again. God bless
him. All that have is gone. I would
have told you all before I left home
that If Charley went I would be left
alone. But / thought if I did you
would think me selfish, and didn't
think enough of mamma. That's why
u wanted to go with him. thought if
he had to sink / would, too It seems
God plans our life different than we
do. Some day it will be all over-the
cares and toll of life.
7 got up on the very top of the boat,
where the tunnels are, and told pa to
get up, too. He was almost to the top
when there was a big explosion, and
down he went, head first, right in front
of me; and the boat seemed to fly to
pieces, and l went right after him. We
went whirling round and round. The
sensation was awful
1t seemed as if we would reach the
bottom Of the ocean; but finally, / felt
myself rising again, and came up.
was almost ready to give up, when
man pushed piece of wreckage to me,
and told me to keep heart little
longeN
The only thing that kept me up was
the thought that they may be had as
much chance as I did to get hold of
something. If I had known they were
both gone J. wouldn Il have ever kept
up as / did; because I told Charley if
anything should happen, and they
wouldn' It let me into the boat with
him, would stay with him until they
let us In.
Just before the boat sank, I asked
If we couldn't get life belts and first
class passenger had one on, and he
said: "Here, take mineo and he took
it off and put it on me. / asked him
If he couldn It get some more. One of
the crew said he would see, and went
into the cabin; but he never came out
again, the boat sank so quickly.
The man who gave me the left belt
was in the boat that picked me UP.
had been in the water for hours, hang.
Ing to little raft; but could not move
any more. was as stiff as iron when
they picked me up FIVE hours after
hanging to the raft. They could hardly
pub me in the boat They eouldn t
bend me at ALL They had to lift me in.
ferry boat and cover me with blan-
kets
When ! got ashore the Red Cross
soldiers came on with stretchers and
six of them carried me to hotel in
Queenstown. They had to lesve me on