The Penn's Grove record., 1915-05-14
Foreign Office Note
Defends Lusitania Sinking
Because of Warnings
Vivid Story Of Destruction Of Giant Cunarder--Survivor,
Who Saw Torpedo Coming Through Water, Tells Of
Conditions on Board After Attack--Rescued
from Sea After Exciting Experiences
MOST OF PASSENGERS REMAINED CALM

ed to be travelling at about FIVE knots
an hour.
1T was fired just as we came level
with the submarine, and struck us
between the second and third tunnels,
under the forward cabins and the
bridge.
The impact was terrific. l could
feel the ship reel as if struck by a
huge hammer. 1t seemed to me the
torpedo must have penetrated clean
through. Then a terrific explosion in
side blew right up through the four
decks, throwing up a great column of
coal dust, water and debris of all
kinds. 1t reminded me on a large
scale of the pictures showing mine
explosions in the trenches at the
front.
Il dashed into the cafe just in time,
for down came the huge mass of wa
ter, breaking down the outside avn
ing. Some supposed this was sea wa
ter, but that is impossible. 1t was
undoubtedly the contents of the great
water tanks taken up by the explo-
sion. 1 am sure only one torpedo
struck the Lusitania.
Failing from side to side, I reached
my stateroom, and being an active
man managed to climb to the top of
my wardrobe, where were the life
belts. The wardrobe leaned over me
at a sharp angle, but l managed to
tug the belt out. On my way to my
cabin saw Alfred G.. Vanderbilt
standing outside the entrance to the
grand saloon. He was as cool as a
cucumber, wearing an immaculate
lounge suit, and he looked as if he
had been starting for a stroll in the
park.
HE wore no hat, and in his hand
he carried a large violet colored jewel
case .u4It can hardly have beer5his, but
it may have belonged to Lady Allan
of Montreal. She had just left the
spot where he al standing and he
seemed waiting for her. He was one
of the few perfectly cool people
aboard the ship, just as he always
was everywhere. That was the last
| saw of him.
II returned to the veranda of the
cafe by a shorter route which ! had
forgotten when l started, but Mrs.
Mason had gone. / have not seen her
since.
| "All this was almost quicker than I
can tell it. Crew and some of the
passengers were now busy with the
use. There was no panic.
boats, though these proved Of little
81 saw only one man, rough look
ing and of low type, evidently a for
Ginger, Chamber into a boat before it
was lowered. He refused to get out,
and a sailor struck him twice in the
back with an axe.
81 made my way back to the boat
deck above the promenade deck, and
then to the funnel deck, the highest
deck of all. The only people there
were Marconi operators.
"The wireless operators were work
ing the emergency outfit, the main
installation having been put out of
gear instantaneously after the torpedo
exploded. They were still awaiting
a reply and were sending out the
S o S call all the while"
Mr.. Barnard tells of reaching a. life
boat that hung "by it's loose, hanging
tackle to the saloon deck. There was
a steward in the boats. l clambered
in and a couple of minutes later there
was a swarm clambering around her,
chiefly stokers and trimmers. All of
these got in. She was the last boat
on the deck.
"My watch stopped at just 2:3O
when l entered the water. Watches
carried by others of the survivors
stopped at the same time. It had
been only eight minutes since I saw
the torpedo coming.
THE o%verhanging tackle now was
pressing the boat dangerously down
ward. A deck steward chopped it
away just in time. Then as the Lusi-
tania toppled over a long, taut wire,
a part OF the funnel rigging, came
onto the boat lengthwise. We man
aged to push the boat from under it,
getting the rowlocks under it as it
left us like a huge tight banjo string
! released from a pluck. We sheered off