New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-11
Welcomed II as Beautiful
Adventure" He Told
Friends at End.
VANDERBILT PUT
"KIDDIES" IN BOATS
Wore Life Belt at Last, Says DR..
Kenan. but Made No Effort
To Be Saved.

Queenstown, May l0.-nne OF the
most interesting or the survivors mar
ratiyes is that Of Miss Rita Jollivet,
who said 70 The Tribune correspond
ent:
During the voyage was one Of
party constantly assoc. ated. which in
cluded Alfred Vanderbilt and Charles
Frohman. We often discussed the
chances of a submarine attacking US
and all laughed at the idea. believing
that with the Lusitania's speed no sub
marine could ever threaten US.
ION Thursday night sat next 70 Mr.;
Vanderbilt and Mr.. FrOhman and all
we're in high spirits. When we rushed
TO the deck after the torpedo hit. Mr.
Frohman, myself. my brother-ln- law
and Mr. Scott were standing together:
Mr.. Vanderbilt was also near. None OF
US had any fear.
"Mr FrOhman was especially calm
and magnifcently courageous. lie told
, all TO keep still. and when the second
explosion came and the ship listed and
every one rushed to the deck when the
first boat was being launched, he said
70 us: Stay where you are. THIS Is
going TO be close call. We shall have
more chance here than by rushing for
the boats. And then he went on just
as calmly as though he were discussing
some small after-dinner question:
"'You know | never have feared
death, Mr.. Frohman continued. TO my
mind death is the most beautiful ad-
venture which life can offer. The test
for US at all times is TO meet 1t as
such'-then the vessel suddenly
lurched, sinking almost at once, and we
found ourselves in the sea.
Died Like Great American.
az saw Mr.. Frohman go over, but did
not see what happened to Mr.. Wander
blt at all was picked up after being
in the water several hours. | would
just like to say that Mr.. Frohman was
the brayest and the coolest man I've
| ever seen, and he met death like a great
! American"
Mrs. Stanley b. Lines. of Toronto,
paid a glowing tribute TO the gallantry
of Alfred Vanderbilt and his valet,
Ronald Denver. People will not talk
of Mr.. Vanderbilt in the future, said
Mrs. Lines, as millionaire sportsman
and a pleasure seeker. He will be
remembered as "a children's hero"
and men and women will salute his
name.
when death was nearing him he
showed a gallantry which no words Of
mine can adequately describe. lie
stood outside the palm saloon on the
starboard side, with Ronald Denver by
his side. He looked on the scene Of
horror and despair with plying eyes.
Find all the Riddles you can, he said
to his valet.
THE man rushed off Immediately
collecting children and as he brought
ho lott
dashed to the boats with two little
ones in his arms at time. When
he could no longer find any children
he went TO the assistance of the women
and placed as many as he could in
safety
I'm all the work he was CALAMITY
assisted by Ronald Denver, and the two
continued their efforts until the very
end
81 hope the young men Of Britain
will act the same for the country now
as MIR. Vanderbilt did for somebody's
little ones"
Other survivors to-day repeated the
story that just before the end Mr..
Vanderbilt gave up his life belt and
put it around friendless old woman.
Frohman Distributed Life Belts.
81 was mnching with Mr.. Stone. Mr..
Bates, Nine. Anton Depage and DR.. J.
T. Houghton, when | felt shock"
said DR.. +. Warren Pearl, of New
York, on his way to Belgium for Red
Cross work. "On my way 10 the deck
saw Charles Frohman distributing
life belts. Mr. Frohman evidently did
not expect to escape, as he said TO "A
woman passenger: Why should we fear
death? 1t is the greatest adventure
man can have
"When | reached the deck | found
that one nurse and two of my children
we're missing. | discovered later that
they got into a boat which was
launched safely on the starboard side.
! returned 10 the port side and jumped
overheard just before the ship went
down
81 saw no signs of panic. Officers
and crew apparently were doing every
thing possible 20 save the passengers,
but the explosion rendered the engines
useless. and it WAS impossible to slow
down the ship.
Saw Vanderbilt with Life Belt.
DR.. Owen Kenan, of Wilmington, n.
G., who is on the Lusitania's passenger
list as coming from New York, said
saw Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt leaning
against gateway door, and tina. Mr..
Vanderbilt called out to him: They
have got US now"
Mr.. Vanderbilt, according to DR..
Kenan, wore what looked like a very
heavy overcOat, around which a life
belt had been buckled. DR.. Kenan did
not see him come TO the rail of the
steamer. .''-.. 20
Miss Theodate Pope, of Pennington.
Conn. whose face and head wer- bad
ly bruised, said:
81 was going 10 a meeting OF the
Psychical Research Society in London
At the time of the impact was talking
to Mr.. Field, a brilliant young philoso-
pher from New York.
I'VE were thrown to one side of the
smOkeroom and then to the other. He
got US lifebelts and told him TO
jump in first when | saw that the yes
sci was settling and there was no
chance Of getting IN the boats.
"Mr. Field jumped and came up.
saw pleasant smile of encourage
ment on his face. made my maid
jump and then jumped myself. Neither
she nor Mr.. Field has since been seen.
II just remember not coming up
after reaching the water. but felt ex-
traordinarily peaceful. also remem-
Der feeling glad that | had made my
will before leaving home.
Then must have become uncon-
scous for some minutes. discovered
afterward that | must have been hit
by the bottom Of boat as came up.
There is a great ridge across my head
which only boat could have caused.
81 came 10 myself in what was abso-
lutely hell. People all around me in
the water were fighting. striking and /
struggling. One man. obviously in /
,,.Ia .n1Ja, f,.p,n al ii