Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-08-26

important documents. had Just re-
turned when I saw a white streak
rushing toward the Arabic. churning
up foam at a great rate. Then there
was a tremendous explosion. The
ship stopped almost instantly. She
rocked from side TO side and began to
keel over. Most of the passengers
were in the boats IN an instant, and
there was not the slightest panic.
I barely had time to make the last
Hfeboat. We were launched success
fully. but hadn't got clear when
the Arabic rolled over and went down.
She was half turned en- her side. and
her starboard quarter struck our boat,
caving in the side and throwing Us
into the water.
CIings to Raft
Il thought it was all over, but /
finally came up and swan to a raft.
l don't know what happened to the
others. While l was clinging TO the
raft I saw another Hfeboat about to
sink. They called to me and threw me
a hawser. I tied it around the raft
and hung partly to the hawser and to
the raft until I was picked up ex-
hausted
I counted ten lifeboats pulling
away. One of them filed with water
just after it cleared the Arabic's side
and sank A woman, who I later
learned was the sister of the Arabics
surgeon, was thrown into the water.
One of the Arabics sailors swan to
her and the captain Of a French ship
that came 20 our rescue dived OF the
deck of his vessel and helped get
her into boat. 1t was a fine piece
of work"
Women Cool in Danger.
Stella Carroll. a professional sing
er, who was among the survivors, said
there was no panic. The women, she
said, were particularly cool; but sew
eraI of them, very scantily clad, suf-
fered from the cold wind after they
got into the boats.
There were four women and %
men in our boat" said Miss Carroll.
I'VE got away safely, and we saw the
captain dive off the bridge as the ship
settled under him. It seemed that
our boat drifted a long while before
We were picked up. When the wom-
en- became greatly distressed I sang
It's a Long Way to Tipperary' to
cheer them up"
B. Curry, the assistant purser, and
several other officers and passengers
who were on deck when the Arabic
was hit cOrroborated the story told
by Captain Finch.
q was on the bridge at 9:15 Thurs
day morning, watching the Dunsley,
which appeared to have been torpe-
decd, when l saw the white wake OF
torpedo 300 yards away" said the
captain. Il saw no submarine The
torpedo struck about ninety feet from
the stern on the starboard side at
about right angles.
Lifeboat SpIintered.
"A big stream of water spOuted up
to a great height, carrying a lot Of
wreckage and splintering one of the
lifeboats. The -essel began to settle
almost Immediately.
1IC 81 SdJ0oL OIu III GIl0u- u6
boats had previously been swung out,
because we knew a submarine was in
the vicinity, and IA of them were filled
and lowered in no time. Two of the
boats capsized for some unaccount-
able reason, and had it not been for
this there would have been scarcely
any loss of life.
q remained on the bridge until the
water was tapping at my feet, and
then dove off. When l came up my
head struck some wreckage and l was
slightly injured. l swan to nearby
raft, but was unable to draw myself
up on it. Two women with a baby
were c1inging to one side l helped
them to Chamber on the raft, and then
hung on until all of US were rescued
about 20 minutes later"