Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-07-01
VIVID TALE OF PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE ON LUSITANIA

don't know how tall"-one of thoa2
smokestacks gave him gentle but de-. \
termined push, and he went under.
Il guess l just came up in time. N.Y.
wind isn't as good as when l was a
| boy, and l had just about reached the
limit. / knew if / strangled once III
would be all up. l could see myself
coming to the top, for my eyes WERE
open and the water was clear. When II
reached the surface felt at ease, fofl
the lifeboat fioated me fine and could
swim. 1t was an awful sight around
me, though, seeing the struggles Of the
men and women and children, and
there wasn't any way to help. saw
| one man go crazy and jump upon
another's back-at least I suppose hi
went crazy-so 1 looked around to ss|
if there was anybody about to jump
, on my back.
Il guess 1 was in the water about AL
hour when saw two men in one 81
the collapsible boats which had floatal
their way from the Lusitania. Theyl
were trying to 'uncollapse' 1t. Thg|
were picking up some few who cams|
their way. for by this time I was monI
or less alone, having swum quite a disl
lance, and there weren't many around
the boat. l recognized the two mens
one of whom | knew when we LED
New York and Boston man met Of
board ship, and yelled to them, They
never would have recognized me. for
was coal black from the smokestack
but they knew my voice when hailed
them. 5
"'Well be over soon.' they yelled.
An right l answered, and they
came" .stt5
7 MIR. Knox was asked If he acted I'm
| about the way he would have expected
himself to act, presupposing such an
experience. He said he had. and prob
ably would act much the same WAY
again. 1t wasn't the first tight fx h
had been in, he said, but never so bid
as this. s.ss5ss 81
| There were two things about ~
whole occurrence hard to explain
according to Mr.. Knox. One was, sWiI
the Germans did it and the /. OH
Why the ship sank in eighteen M
utes. -
Il can't see why they did it
said. They couldn't possibly gain 4
military advantage; blowing up thu
ship meant nothing gained and il
certainly stimulated British recruit.
ing. 1t was such futile, senseess
thing to do.
And to think that the Lusitana
sank so quickly. There was some.
thing wrong with the bulkheads Ger.
tainly or that wouldn't have hap.
pened."
MT. Knox grew facetiOus for a min.
ute and mentioned that the Gulflight
and Nebraskan. both ships built by
his company, had stood up very much
better after being torpedoed than
did the Lusitania
1T would SEEM" he smilingly said
as if they had something especial
against the New York Shipbuildine
Company. attacking two Of its ships
and trying to sink it's president,
In London. Mr.. Knox said, every.
vody asked him what America wa;
going to do?" He said he though,
that the English didn't want any
more than our moral support in the
war. not our physical support, though
the former they desired very warmly.
Mr.. Knox did all the business in
London he planned to do when he
took passage on the Lusitania. He
returned to New York on the Rotter-
dam. and got to $40 West Upsal
street. Germantown. at one P. NJ, yes.
terday.
When you go to Europe again
during this war;" he was asked,
will you go on an American or Eng
! lish ship?'
We'll. don't know" he laughed
| oack. i came home on a Dutch
ship"