New-York tribune., 1915-03-30

persons and about 100 passengers
About 140 survivors have been PICKED
IN. eight Of whom, including the cap
tain. died afterward II is feared that
many persons on the steamer were
killed by the explosion Of the torpedo
"Thc Dutch steamer Amstel, yes
sci Of $50 tons. belonging to 2. A
Van Fs e. Co, of Rotterdam. when or
passage from Rotterdam 10 Goole
England, struck a mine at o'clock a
m. March q in a German mine telC
off Marlborough yorkshire, Eng
land The crew has been landed IN
the Humber by the Grimsby trawleI
Pinewold."
Unofficial reports received from
members of the crew of the Agulla
had been 10 the effect that only thir'
teen members Of the crew Of the
steamer 'ad beon lost.
One of the Falaba's passengers. in
telling of their experiences, said that
when the submarine ordered the pas
sengers to take to the boats, the boats
were lowered Immediately. The pas
sencers were served with life belts
but no one was allowed to take any
personal effects.
"Then followed a horrible scene,
said the passenger. "Some Of the
boats were swamped and the occu-
pants were thrown into the sea. Sew
oral were drowned almost Immediately
Many Left on Board.
Barely ten minutes after we re-
ceived the order to leave the ship
heard report and saw the vessel heel
over. The Germans had actually fired
a torpedo at her at a range Of about
one hundred yards, when large num-
Der Of passengers, the captain and
other officers were still distinctly 70
be seen aboard"
All the passengers and officers say
that the submarine fred a tornedo be-
fore all the boats were lowered and
while many persons we're stu aboard
the steamer One officer said;
"T was sitting in a boat which was
SUSPENDED from the dayitS, and was
waiting for two women passenger,
when another officer shouted, LOOK
out!' and then saw the bubbles mark-
ing the track of a torpedo.
There was tremendous crash, and
the boat fell. from the davits and
turned over, throwing the passengers
and crew into the icy water The water
was frightfully cold, and there were
many who died from exposure"
Two Women Drowned.
TIE ouartermaster of the Falaba, de
scribiug the scene Of the destruction Of
the steamer, said:
"All on board helped splendidly in
the rescue work. There were eight
women on board. One Of them, who
hesi:atcd about entering lifeboat !
threw overheard. There was no time
to argue the matter. Luckily she was
picked up. Two other women, who re-
fused to leave the ship, were drowned.
"The scene was awful, with scores Of
people struggling in the water, owing
20 the oyerturning Of the boats. The
submarine was in the midst of them,
and ] saw at least twenty men on her.
They stood and laughed, the brutes.
Captain Davis was on the liner when
she sank. ! pulled him into our boat
with boathook. Poor follow! He was
alive then, but he expired Immediately
afterward. Our small boat was within
twenty yards Of the submarine when
she fired, and ! saw the torpedo's pro-
peler as il shaved US and went on its
deadly journey"
The survivors Of the Falaba ex-
pressed themselves very strongly con-
ccrning their treatment by the crew OF
the submarine. They say that when
men were struggling in the water those
on the deck Of the submarine laughed
and jcered. As some drowning men
came to the surface they naturally held
up their hands to try to grasp some
thing TO save them. Nothing seemed 20
give more amusement to the German
crew, the survivors said, than 10 watch
the actions Of their victims.
One Survivor told this story:
"When we sighted the submarine
coming up behind US we were going al
full speed, but that was only from
twelve to thirteen knots, and the sub
marine quickly overlook Us. She tirs'
came on our port, signallcd 70 us tC
stop and threatened TO sink us II we
did not obey. The captain at once
hove to. and the commander Of th'
submarine then called out in excellen
English that we should be given rv,
minutes in which TO leave the vessel
lie Immediately turned his submarine
around TO our starbOard side, abou
800 yards away, and with It's NOSE
pointing at our mldships. Meanwhile
we lowered the boats as quickly q.
our crew could. but several Of then
did not get down properly and were
upset People were soon struggling
in the water Another boat was actu
ally halfway Gown IN the davlts, fui
of passengers, when the submarine
fired q torpedo without the shghtes
warning.
81 was one Of small party Of pas
scngcrs and officers who had not 90
into the boats, and ! distinctly saw the
torpedo coming. It came stralgh
toward whore we were standing, ant
we ran TO the fore part Of the ship tC
escape it,
Rescued After an Hour.
"Thc torpedo struck tn vessel abou
amidships and she Immediately gave
list to starboard went down about ter
minutes later. 1t was a slight eXplo
sion, more like the sound Of small
run. The party Of whom l was ont
Jumped overheard about four mInute'
before the Falaba sank. The mali
deck was then awash. was in the va
ter for about an hour, swimming an'
h,.ting. / had TO swim among wreck
age and a number of dead bodies. A
last | was picked up by one Of our owl
boats, with four others, including th'
first oficer
"The captain jumped into the waite
the same time az l did He was one o
the last to leave the ship. He swan
for a long time before he was picke'
up by one Of the boats, but | was after
ward told that he died from exposure
| also heard that eight or nine Of III
crew had died from injuries after BEN,
landed
"The submarine was flying the Ger
man ensign and ! did not really behev'
she would fire the torpedo so soon. |
was murderous. People were swim
ming round the ship and the boat tina
was half way down the davts was sen
flying into the water. for the shock o.
the torpedo snapped the davits If tht