The sun., 1915-05-25
INSIST LUSITANIA'S
BOATS WERE UNFIT
Survivors Continue to Com
plain Also Of lncfficicncy
on Liner.
ONE WOMAN'S ESCAPE

'Sp' 'iN Correspondence 10 THE SrN.
LoHpoS. .aay 11.-As an official In
quiry into the circumstances Of the loss
Of the Lusitania is to he held. there Is
little need to anticipate H. At the same
time what has already been cabled to
THE St-N is sufficient t. show that criti-
cism of the Cunard Line is likely to be
very severe.
THE SrNs correspondent in Queens
town says that II cannot he denied that
capt. Turner's evidence at The inquest
held at Kinsale yesterday has height
sned the growing feeling that there was
some great blunder. II seems the people
in O. s.rstown originally thought that
the L..tana was making full speed or
at least twenty-five knots an hour when
she was struck Capt Turner said a.
the inquest that the speed at the time
OF the disaster was eighteen knots.
which is greater by two or three knots
thar was estimated by those qualified
to give an opinion who were on board
at the time
The question or speed. however is re-
Garded as one which can be properly
entered into only at the ofT'cal inquiry
The reported lnef'icency displayed In
the handling Of the boats and the con-
dition Of the boats ami of their tackle
are matters on which strong opinions
have been formed In the interview
cabled 10 THE SrN on Sunday. Oliver
Bernard. himself an experienced sailor.
! severely criticised the arrangements for
the use OF the boats from every point Of
view.
Woman Criticisrs Provisions.
\ survivor now in Queenstown Is Mrs.
Henry Adams. She was married in
Washington on April ; 10 n member NJ
the wholesale firm Of Densham 4 Son.
Limited. London The couple started on
their honeymoon in the Lusi,ania. al
though the bridegroom. frightened by
the German Emhassys advertisements.
was strongly opposed TO sailing by the
Cunard Line. The bride whose rela -
/ tives in Canada are members Of the Gu
nard company. Insisted upon travelling
hv tho Lusi,ania On Thursday night
Mrs. Adams said TO TIVE SuS's corre-
spondent IN Queenstown
We went to our stateroom ard my
husband was still ohsesscd with the
idea that something was going to hap
pen. lie went to the wardrobe 10 take
down the l.febelts which were stored
there. He found them so tightly jammed
against the ceiling thar IL took much OF
time and work TO get them loose. Nfter
We had practised putting them on We
threw them under the lower berth. Next
day. when q torpedo struck the boat.
We we're sitting opposite each other In
the dining room Roth ran TO our state
room for our lifebelts, then made our
way 10 the deck
We found ourselves seated In a COL
lapsible boat before We had adjusted
our lifebelts. ard we then put them on
Presently | saw a wave eng,ilf the bow
Of the boat. and before | could turn my
head toward my husband | 'ound my
self swept off the boat into the water
| was carried down into pitch black
ness. hut maintained my presence of
mind | finally felt myself being swept
Upward. and presently emerged At the
surface. managed to seize some drift
wood and noated TO an overturned col
lapsihle boat on which twenty men and
one woman were clinGng. They helped
me TO catch hold
Boat In Had Condition.
THE collapsible boat vas leaking, in
had condition, with rusty hinges As
the men clamhered aboard her she
turnei over. My gymnas,ic training
enabled me to climb, hand over hand.
always keeping above water Little by
little our party disappeared. The woman
lasted through perhaps half a dozen
overturnngs OF tho boat. hut finally fell
away. and there were only half a dozen
men left when ! became unconscious. I
was rescued by a torpedo boat after the
CollapsIble had sunk. hut knew nothing
OF IL until 7 Vas on board.
Although every inclination prompts
me 10 remain friendly toward the line
in which | have so many relatives and
friends concerned and plthough nothing
j. further from my wish than to do any
thing that might minimize this hideous
crime OF the Germans. ! consider il my
duty TO my fellow beings to emphasize
the lack OF provisions for safety and the
negligence on the part OF the men re-
sponsible for our safety in this crisis
Accidents IN these conditions will con-
tinue to happen after peace has been
declared. aud something must he done
tn make n repetition OF this unnecessary
loss of life impossible"