Evening star., 1915-05-10
SURVIVORS TELL
OF SHIP SINKING
Difficulty Experienced In Get
ting Boats Off Because of
Rapid Listing of Liner.
FILLED WITH PASSENGERS,
SOME CAPSIZED IN WATER
Oliver P. Bernard, Scenic Artist,
Speaks of Vanderbilt, Froh-
man and Hubbard.

LONDON. May 1o.-Among the sur
vivors OF the Lusitania who have
reached London is Oliver P. Bernard.
scenic artist of Covent Garden Theater.
who was returning from a business
trip to the United States Telling of
the torpedoing of the Lusitania. he
said:
II think ] can say that I was one Of
the few people who really saw a tor
pedo discharged at the Lusitania. Com
ing on deck from the dining saloon. I
was leaning against the starboard rail
of the ship when saw the periscope Of
a submarine about 200 yards away.
Then noticed long, white streak Of
foam. 1t gave me the impression of
frothy fzzing in water. Almost i'm
mediately there was a terrific impact.
followed by an explosion.
"The Lusitania was going at fifteen
knots at the time. hundred persons
must have been blown to atoms. includ-
ing trimmers and stokers. to say moth
ing of men and women in the forward
cabins who were about to come on
deck.
II saw Alfred Vanderbilt standing
outside the grand entrance of the saloon
looking quite happy and perfectly COM
posed. He was holding jewel case
for lady, for whom he was apparently
waiting.
Il did not see Charles Frohman until
saw his body in mortuary. His was
the most peaceful face among all those
! saw there. There was no trace of
agony. and. unlike others. his features
were not disfigured in any way. Froh-
man was none too we'll on the voyage,
and was hardly able to walk. so he re-
mained in his cabin most of the time.
where, l believe, he was when the ship
sank.
Gilbert Hubbard and his wife l also
believe went down in their cabin
In Capstzed Lifeboat.
QUEENSTOWN, May 1o-G. D. Lane,
a youthful but cool l-headed second-cabin
passenger, who was returning to Wales
from New York, was in a Iifeboat which
capsized by the davits az the Lusitania
heeled over.
II was on the 'B' deck he said,
when l saw the wake of the torpedo.
I hardly realized what it meant when
the big ship seemed to stagger and
almost Immediately listed to starboard
l rushed to get life belt, but stopped
to help get children on the boat deck:
The second cabin was verltabie
nursery. Many youngsters must nave
drowned. but ! had the satisfaction OF
seeing one boat get away filled with
women and children. When the water
reached the deck ! saw aother lifeboat
with vacant seat which 1 took, as no
one else was in sight, but we were
too late. The Lusitania reeled SO sud-
denly our boat was sWamped. but We
righted her again.
I'VE witnessed the 0ost horrible
scene OF human futility it is possible to
turned almost over. she suddenly
plunged down foremost into the water.
leaving her stern high in the air. Peo-
pie on the aft deck were lighting with
wild desperation to retain footing
on the almost perpendicular deck while
they fell over the slippery stern like
crippled flies.
Their cries and shrieks could be
heard above the hiss of escaping steam
and the crash of bursting boilers. Then
the water mercifully closed over them,
and the big liner disappeared, leaving
scarcely a ripple behind her.
Twelve Iifeboats were all that were
left of our floating home. In q. time
which could be measured by seconds
swimmers, bodies and wreckage ap-
peared in the space where she went
down We were almost exhausted by
the work of rescue when taken aboard
a trawIer. 1t all seems like a horrible
dream now"
Picked Up Half Conscious.
William Mem Adams OF Boston. son
Of A. H. Adams, European manager of
the United States Rubber Company,
with offices in London. was standing
on the Eusitania's deck with his father
and near Lady Allan of Montreal and
her two daughters. Anna and Gwen.
and Mrs. q. W. Stephens of Montreal
They all got into lifeboat. but it was
smashed, throwing them into the water.
When the Lusitania keeled over"
said MIR. Adams today, II was struck
by a mast. and the same blow evident
ly sent my father to the bottom and
also hit Lady Allan, who suffered a
broken collar bone and injuries to one
of her hips and her spine.
Il must have gone down with the
suction of the ship. but regained the
surface Of the water and was picked
up half conscious and taken aboard a
trawler.'
Boatload Dumped Into Sea.
James Brooks of New York said:
"All the boats had been swung out the
day before. and the work of launching
them was at once begun. The attempt
n the case of the first boat was tragic
failure. Women and children were
taken first. and the boat was filled with
them, except for men to row. The boat
was lowered until within its own
length of the water when the forward
tacke jammed and its occupants, with
the exception of three. were thrown
into the sea.
"On the decks of the doomed vessel
absolute calmness prevailed. There was
no rushing about, and nothing resem-
bling q panic. In a few isolated cases
were signs OF hysteria by women, but
that was all. I did not notice any con-
certed effort to distribute life belts. and
was unable to obtain one.
THE efforts made to lower the boats
had not apparently met with much sue