New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-10
~ Acfion AUo1s Geranus Official Attitude

pcdo was feed and following an OK
animation, declared that the lfeboats
should not be lowered. as the ship was
in a condition 10 make the Irish coast"
This statement was made By James J .
Lcary. Of Eighth Avenue, Brooklyn. to-
day.
81 was standing with r. b. King, a
director Of Brokaw Brothers. whose
dead body have just identified" said
Mr.. Lcary, "when felt the shock from
the first torpedo. The captain ordered
an examination. On receiving the re-
port he said in our hearing that he had
closed certain bulkhcads. which would
render the ship seaworthy long enough
TO reach an Irish port. and that cousc-
quently he would not order the lower
ing Of the boats.
Captain Turner had barely finished
speaking when second explosion was
heard. Within five minutes was in the
sea fighting to keep my head above the
water. had on a big life preseryer,
but a piece Of wrockagc had become
fastened 20 my leg and was dragging
me down. When my strength was al
most exhausted worked my foot clear
and swan 20 an overturned iifeboat, to
the sides Of which twenty persons were
clinGlng.
Six Survive Ordeal in Water.
zone by one. weakened by chill and
exhaustion and buTcted by the waves,
they dropped back into the water 20 be
seen no more until only six Of us were
left. We were picked up by trawer
four hours after the ship sank. | do
not know how many times was
washed from my insecure hold. but ]
was always strong enough 20 regain
the boat.
when was brought here Major D.
Wade took me into his home, where ]
have been treated with every consid-
Grafton, and am now awaiting a con-
sultation Of surgeons 70 see II my
ankle is broken. have Just been car
ried on stretcher into the moreue to
identify the body o. Mr.. King.
Two things 7 fail 20 understand
why the order for a general lowering
Of the boats was not given, and why
ships are not provided with p convoy
when so close to the Irish coast
George A. Kessler. Of New York,
made the following graphic statement,
which acquires added interest. because
for several hours before the ca.as-
trophe he had been considering the
question of speed in the war zone with
the captain and the purser. Mr.. hess
Ter also saw the wake Of the FIRST tor
pedo the moment before the Lusltanla
was struck. o
"On Wednesday," he says, 81 saw
the crew taking tarpaulins from the
boats. and ! went up 20 the purser ana
said. It's all right drilling your ere"
but why don't you drill your pas
senrors? The purser said he thought
il was a good idea. and added: w ny
not tell Captain Turner" &c..
"Thc next day I had conversation
with the captain, and suggested 20
him that the passengers should De
given tickets with the number or th'
boat they should make for IN case any
thing untoward happened. The cap.
tain replied that that suggestion wa,
undo after the Titanic disaster. ou'
r1,t the Curard people considered u
unavoidable. He added that Of
course. he could not act on the ADVICE
until he had received authority.
81 talked with the captain about th'
tornedo scare. which neither OF us re-
gorded as of any moment. The cap
fain cvplained his plans 20 me. H'
said thcv we're then slowing down q
orIy eicbtoen knots, and that the shll
would , be kept at that speed until it go
further on the voyage, and then woul,
CO at all speed to get over the wa
zone. asked him what the war 79n'
was and he said Five hundred mile
from Liverpool
Ship Slowed Down in Zone.
"The next day, about two hours be
fore the mishap occurred, We "er