The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-06-05
WAS SAVED FROM SEA.
Mrs. William Cassie Went Down with
Lusitania but Later Seized Life Raft.

A very intimate personal narrative o
one woman's experience in escaping tn
fate of more than 200 passengers wher
the Cunard liner, Lusitania, was torpe
doed by German submarine off tie
Irish coast May is told in letter re-
ceived by Mrs. Alexander Marshall OF 63
Merchant street. The letter has pecu-
liar local interest inasmuch as it is writ
ten by former Barre resident, Mrs. Will
liam Cassie, and il was Mrs. Cassie her
self who was the principal in the vivid
word picture which the letter delineates.
The communication sets at rest the
fears which large number of Mrs. Cas-
sizes friends felt when news of the Lusi
tania disaster was flashed over the wire.
1t was known that she contemplated sail
ing on a Cunard liner for England and
friends surmised that she would book her
passage on the Lusitania. A close scrut-
my of the New England passenger lists
failed to disclose her name and afterward
a list of the passengers who boarded the
boat in New York was examined, but
with futile results. A nephew of Mrs.
Cassie living in East Milton. Mass. at
once telephoned the Cunard Offices in New
York and learned that woman by that
name had been reported saved.
Confirmation of this rather meagre re-
port is at hand in the letter to Mrs. Mar
shall. II was written at Bells Craig,
Craig road, Workington, England. When
the lines to the Merchant street woman
were indit d, Mrs. Cassie had not recov-
cred wholly from the effects of the ner-
vous shock which she sustained. It. is
known that she was in Indifferent health
ON the eve of her departure and her ter
rible experience later did not improve her
Passengers of Mrs. Cassie's acquain-
lance had just enjoyed a sight of land
the day before the disaster and were
ooking forward eagerly to touching once
more on terra frma at Queenstown. Few
IF the women aboard were aware of what
,ad taken place when the German tor
,edo crashed into the ship and Mrs. Cas-
lie intimates that she was ignorant of
he enemy's nearness. She felt the boat
leelng, but an apparent absence of life
'elts determined her course. She resolved
o trust to the ships ability to stay on
he surface and for this reason she was
me of hundreds to 90 down with the yes
el. Choking with salt water, as she
avs in her letter she rose to the sur
ace. only to sink again. When she came
o the surface the second time, conscious
ess seems to be fading, but she man
ged to grasp raft on which two men
ad sought refuge. 1t was her salvation,
or very soon dark object noticed in :
he water proved to be a corpse, from
'hich she was able to obtain life belt
Much of what followed. the letter goes
n. remains blank in Mrs. Cassie's mind.
il was confusion. She remembers, how ,
yer, being taken aboard launch and
smoved to Queenstown, where she was
to hospital on stretcher.
octors tore the clothing from the refu- {
res and applied first aid ministrations. ,
he Cunard company appears to have a
one everything possible for the surviy- 9
Is and Mrs. Cassie was one of many to g
,eeive clothing in order that she might 4
,ntinue her trip. Weak from exhaus- {
on and with the memory of her hor- I
BILE experience sadly affecting her nerve !
stem. Mrs. Cassie fingered in Queens. n
wn for a day and then went to Dublin, I
ossing to Holyhead and thence to I4iv- a
pool. where she was met by her two I,
ildren and a brother, who accompanied Il
T to Workington. Mrs. Cassie con.
ldes by stating that little incidents OF !,
r experience are gradually coming back Il
her. although she has not fully recov- !,
ed from the part she played in one or
e most tragic disasters in the annals of b.
. sea. A
Mrs. Cassie was a resident of Barre for .,
any years. For long time she lived y,
th or near Mrs. Marshall and the two =
'mcn have always kept up corre- !;
ondence. Her husband died some years !,
o and latterly she had been living in :,
W York. She visited in this city -four =
ars ago. Her maiden name was Kate -
mean and her marriage to Mr.. Cassie :,
,k place Immediately after her arrival, - :.
Young woman. from Scotland. Mrs. :;
ssie expects TO make a stay of indeh- ~
e length in England. ~