Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-08
ONLY TEN BOATS GET
AWAY SAFELY FROM
SHIP, SAYS STEWARD
Sinking Vessel Listed So
Rapidly That Only Star
board Side Lifeboats
Could Be Launched.
Only Small Panic.
QUEENSTOWN. Nav 8.

QUEENSTOWN, May s.
The first story of the tragedy to reach
Queenstown was brought by the survivors
who were landed at Queenstown at mid
night. There were $50 of them and the
chief steward, f. V. Jones, in charge,
said
THE passengers were at lunch when
the liner was torpedoed. From the best
that could find out, four torpedoes were
launched and two struck and exploded
One Of these demolished the engine ROOM
The vessel had already begun to list
when Captain Turner ordered the boats
manned and out.
The list was so bad that only about 10
boats were gotten safely into the water.
Roughly speaking, they carried about 800.
The boats tried to keep together as they
proceeded toward the land. Many Of
those that we had on board were suffer-
ing from shock, and most of our women
had to be sent to hospitals. We did not
see the submarine after the vessel was
struck"
ID. A. Thomas, the Welsh colliery
owner, who was among the saved, told
the story Of his experiences. He said;
1--WE were at luncheon, when suddenly
the vessel was stopped and shook from
stem to stern with the force of an ex-
plosion we'll forward, that seemed to
throw her on her beam ends We had
not believed 1t possible that an attack
would be made upon us. but there was
not n passenger who did not realize that
the unexpected had happened.
THE explosion was followed by another
equally forcible and the big steamer
cbnIIaral md alp1Oqt i'm m a1intnlV bpHnn
to list to port.
"Oficers and men rushed for their sta
tions almost without orders and the work
of clearing the boats was begun. There
was little panic SO far as I could see.
every one being too dazed TO realize Just
what actually was happening. For a few
minutes we believed that the stories Of
the safety of the big liner would prove
true, and that she would stay afoat, but
the constantly increasing list showed
that this hope was vain.
MANY OF the passengers ran here and
there about the decks. although Captain
Turner and his officers tried their best to
pacify them. Many of the women, how
ever, were hysterical and some OF them,
with infants In their arms. caught at the
fastenings of the boats and hampered the
launching Altogether 10 boats were
finally swung off. Lady MacWorth was
picked up unconscious after she had been
in the water for three hours. We had no
warning and the big steamer sank within
l2 or Is minutes after we were first hit.
'It was a dastardly outrage, deserving
the condemnation of the entire civilized
world. 1t was a beautiful sunshlny day.
The sea was smooth and to that is due
the fact that any one was saved. Had
the water been rough or had 1t been
night every one would have been lost.
"I doubt very much whether any of
the portslde boats were launched. They
were in such position that they could
not be swung oversize. The steamer was
headed for the shore the moment that
tho explosion took place. Captain Tur-
ner stuck to the bridge to the last and
was picked out of the water three hours
after the Lusitania foundered."