The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-05-11
s. O. S. Operators on Lusitania
Faithful to Duty.
Sent Out Calls Like They We're
Routine Business.
ONE CALMLY TOOK PICTURE
But Struggle in the Sea Ruined
the Film.
There Were No Signs of Panic
on Board.

i Liverpool, May 11.-At the time ths
lLus1tania was struck there was nc
cooler man aboard than David Me
II COrmick, a wireless operator, who
without delay sent out on behalf o.
more than 2,00o stricken people al
lappeal for help.
People were hurrying about every.
where specializing as to what the sud
den explosion meant and showing
| traces of the greatest fear, but in the
| little room near the captains bridge
the wireless man worked steadily and
/ Indifferent to all the work in hand
His message sp1uttered out:
| IS. o. s., S. 0. s., LuSitania, and
with telephone strapped to his ears
he waited.
one steamer but several. The mes
sages had been heard. Then the oper-
ator went on: Come at once; big
list
The position of the vessel was then
What excitement there was before
the vessel actually sank began to
grow. In the wireless room, however,
ordinary days work had occurred.
| Chief Operator Lieth and Second
| Operator Mccormick calmly showed
that they didn't intend to be per-
| turbed.
A passenger looked in for a mo
ment and asked was there any news.
He didn't get an answer, but an in
slant later he was engaged in follow
ing the directions given to him and
that was to move out of the little
room with all the speed he could, the
chairs that accommodated the wire
less men. They felt that the ship was
doomed and, like the men of resource
they were, they instantly thought of
getting to the water as many floating
articles as they could for the struggle
to come. This, however, was only the
beginning and the adventure which
for one man at any rate was going
to be packed with thrills, Mccormick,
a young Scotsman, rose to the oc-
casion.
Like a Gun Shot.
THE thing came without the slight
est warning he said. 81 just heard
the thud and that was all. Immedi-
ately the ship took list that was sub
stantial. I didn't doubt for a moment
what had happened.
why should have concluded that
the thud was caused by a shot from a
gun 1 cannot say, but that was GER
tainly my impression and it occurred
to me our position was going to be
rather exposed in the event Of any
further firing.
cit was only later I discovered we
had been struck by q torpedo. Ex-
actly Is minutes later the wonderful
liner had gone down. The scenes that
followed were awful. One doesn't like
to think of tn IN. 1t is the minor
things which come up to my mind
first.
ct confess that now that it is over
it is the recollection of a photograph
1 took which arises most clearly"
Mccormick told with a smile of an
amazingly cool act of his at such a
moment. The boats had been lowered
and one had been smashed. People
were struggling for life in the water;
the ship had made another violent
1urch and was sinking fast. The wire
less operator who knew death was
staring him in the face calmly took
out a pocket camera and took a snap
shot.
At the back of his mind was the
thought he would escape and the pic
ture would be an invaluable memen-
to and had replaced the camera in his
pocket when the liner went down.
In Water Three Hours.
He found himself in the swirling
water and was sucked down until he
almost lost consciousness. When he
came up again the water was black
with it's human heads and all sorts of
debris. For three hours he fought for
life and won. Then when he got the
opportunity he fished out from his
pocket the little camera. He realized
the picture taken was one of tremen-
dous interest, but would it come out !?
The camera seemed to be in perfect
A gold watch with a brown stained
face told Of the effect salt water had
had las also did leather pocketbook
which became pulpy.
1t was not until Sunday night that
the fate of the film was sealed. The
utmost care was taken to develop the
precious film. Regretfully it has been
stated a failure resulted. The salt
water had ruined it and nothing ap
peared. portion of the film which
was actually rolled contains two other
pictures. These were taken on the
Lusitania only half an hour before
the disaster.
After Mr. Lieth and his second had
received satisfactory assurance that
assistance was on it's way they con-
tenn plated the vivid drama that was
being enacted.
81 want to refute in the strongest
possible terms" said Mr.. Mccormick,
1.-The suggestion which has been made
in certain quarters that there was a
panic. Nothing of the kind happened.
Everybody, almost without exception
behaved splendidly- 1 never saw nor
heard any men taking the place of
women and children in the boats. In
fact, pretty nearly all the members of
the crew jumped into the water at the
last moment, after having done all
they possibly could for the others.
There was no attempt at the dra-
matte and [Hr. Lieth and I did not
even say goodby to one another. For
tunately we met in safety later. The
engineers kept quite calm. One or
two in passing our door shook hands
and said goodby ad most of the fire.
room crowd adopted the same method
on leaving the ship