The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-10
GEORGE A. KESSLER
DESCRIBES EXPERIENCE
Siu Men In boat which Vrscurd
Him Died ON Way to Land.


LONDON. NAV s.-ieorge \. kesser,
the American wine merchant. arrived IN
London this morning with twenty nine
other survivors OF the Lustania. Mr.
Kessler was accompanied by his wife
who met him a. Holyhead. He IL lame
from hts experience and shows other
wise very plainly the effects Of the
ordeal through which he passed.
II was late last night while the
Munster was crossing the Irish Sea from
kingstown 10 Holyhead that Mr. Kessler
told OF his experiences lie stood at the
time AZ the companionway OF IA" ship
as il zigzagged through the sea and his
voice shook and his hands tremh.ed as
he told the story OF his escape
II was standing on the upper deck
smoking You see. when I saw approach
! ing US the white frothy wake OF a tor
/ pedo as II rushed toward US. II struck
us exactly al 2 10 o'clock. | know for
| had my watch In my hand AT the
J time.
IL felt no alarm. nor did any OF the
! other saloon passengers We lived in
fools paradise of disbelief that any
thing like torpedoes could vitality iujure
! our big ship.
Believed Boats InnecessHry.
"Ther. was no rush 10 get away
We calmly put the women into tn"
boats hut We did IL simply in spirit
: OF convention Nune OF us believed i
was necessary
/ II had started To help some women
into boat when suddenly the steam
ship careened and | found myself sh -
i,,,n bnu Nyllt,l ~ fast a the
davits fully hNN fee' In the air above
the water mark. We were lowered in
some way and before We reached the
water the ship began to settle. II
sank lust as the boat got clear. dis
appearing before our eyes. too suddenly
FOR me to describe exactly wha; hap
pened.
| There were perhaps ATTY or sixty
pers ons In the boat with me. and we
all went out every one OF us sucked
down by the dreadful Whirlpool all about
MS
Picked Up ny stok~rs.
II swan almost involuntarily. | did
not know what was doing most OF the
time. but finally | saw just ahead Of
me "A collapsble boat with eight men
In il, six of them being stokers. They
helped to drag me aboard and ! had
hardly time to breathe a sigh of relief
when | saw that my horrors had Just
begun The boat was half filled with
water Although We baled feverishly
to get the water out We could not do i,
and in addition the boat upset, throw
ing all OF us into the water, out We
would go into the chilling water only Il
; right the craft, get "A little water on,
OF il aud then il would CapsiZe again
1T may seem incredible to YOU. but
. Il Is absolutely true that the little hoat
turned turtle eight times before We Were
picked up. Long before this | haC
ceased TO comprehend anything anC
acted mechancally Was II trying
Mr. Eessler's voice broke Let m,
tell you OF part OF that horror
have spoken of the six s,okcrs. They
were big, husky young fellows, stronl
, as lions, apparently. Those men wer'
lying dead In the bottom Of the boa
when We were picked up, either through
exhaustion or drowned. In that boa
there were six strong Young men dea,
, when we were dragged out and onl,
three of us alive. One of them, lilI
myself, was n pretty old man
II do not know how | stood thos
three hours viii never know"
Mr. Kesslcr was asked how long
, was between the striking Of the torpe
s does and the sinking OF the ship.
A Exactly fifteen minutes" was IN
, struck al els O'Clock in the aftcrnoo
!. and sank At gao"
Look here" and Mr., Kesser pulle
n out his watch "See. I, has a'oppc
& exactly NJ 30, That was when | wa