The Washington times., 1915-12-30
Dr.. ceciIe L. Grei Declares
Submarine Tried to Sink
Vessel With Gunfire.
NO SIGNS OF MERCY SHOWN
American Believes Austrians
Made No Attempt to Rescue
Victims of Ship.

VIEW YORK, Dec. 3o-The Austrian
submarine crew which sank the An
coma fired volley of shell into the
groups of passengers on deck, intend
ing at first to sink the vessel by shell
fire and save a torpedo. according to
Or. Cecie L. Greil. American survivor
of the disa ster, in New York today. DR..
Greil arrived on the French liner
Rochambeau from Bordeaux.
"The captain of the Ancona said he
could distinguish faces aboard the sub
marine" said DIR. Greil. after the
Austrians found they could not sink
the vessel by shell fire. they fired the
torpedo. The Ancona went down
twenty-five minutes after she first re-
Versed her engines to let the submarine
overhaul her."
Dr. Greil said she lost $4,000 when
the ship was sunk.
Tremor Through Ship.
Il was sitting in the dining saloon at
the captains table at noon, talking with
two Italian physicians" she said. THE
captain was not at the table. All OF a
sudden we felt a tremor run through
the ship. Then there was a scurrying
of feet overhead on deck. The excite
ment grew but not being of Italian
temperament, / kept my seat Then
there came a crash. A shot had eX-
ploded in the forward part of the ship.
II went up on deck and 1t seemed the
moment I reached there there was a
rain of shots all around The first of
these carried away the Ancona's wire
less. i remained on deck only a mo-
ment and then hurried down to my
fa fn Of ~ hal -
The stewardess was waiting for me. as
! was the only woman passenger in the
first cabin.
II dropped on one knee to pick up
some traps, and that saved my life.
The stewardess was standing up wait
ing for me to hand them to her. and a
shell came through the window of my
stateroom. 1t tore away half of the
poor stewardess' face in passing and
killed her instantly. The shell exploded
on the other side Of the ship.
An attempt was made to lower fif-
teen boats, but some overturned and
others were shattered by shellfre and
upright.
"All of them seemed to be full of peo-
pie. I looked around on deck There
was a rift in the fog. which had been
very dense. and I saw the submarine
very plainly.
No Sign of Mercy.
THE sight fascinated me for an in
slant. Then l went to the rail and saw
lifeboat in which were wireless op-
orator and the chief engineer, Carlo
LAMBERT brave man. He called to
me to jump into the boat and grasped
an edge of steel plate to hold the boat
against the liner until ] could get in.
During all this time the submarine
was firing. and the impulse OF every
one in the small boats was to row away
as quickly as possible. While we were
pulling away the Ancona rose in the
water with loud report. She quickly
settled and sank.
Il have been asked if any attempt
was made by any of the boats to row
toward the submarine and be picked up
by 1t. There was only one thing to do
and that was row away from the fire
or the submarine as fast as possible.
The men in the eight little craft put
every ounce Of strength they had on
their oars, while the submarine looked
oomplacently on those eight boatloads
or humanity attempting to flee from its
slaughter.
I'VE were taken to Naples and went
Immediately to the American embassy
In Rome. I had no baggage and no
money. The officials Of the embassy
gave me money to purchase clothes and
enough to remain there until 1 had
given my story of the disaster, as re-
quested. and then enough to purchase
my passage here"