New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-30
DR.. Greil. Woman
Survivor, SureWar
Will Follow.
MAID. AT ELBOW.
KILLED BY SHELL
Fifty Who Could Have
Been Saved Died on
Liners Decks.

"The destruction Of the Ancons was 9
MASSACRE cold-blooded murder. com
mitted by men filled with blood lust
The submarine stole upon US like a
spectre in the fog and commenced FIR
ing without warning while the Ancons
was stopping. At least fifty slightly
wounded persons, who easily might
have been saved, went down with the
ship"
This is the testimony Of Dr.. c. S
Greil, an American woman who mar
rowly escaped death in the disaster
and who arrived yesterday on the
French liner Rochsmbeau. She told a
thrilling tale of her adventures in es-
Gaping from the ship, which carried
with IL to the bottom her entire fortune
Of $4,000 and practically all her other
possessions.
Or. Grei said that her escape was
pure luck. During the hasty prepara-
tions TO leave the ship a shell coming
through the portfolio Of her ststeroom
struck her maid on the head. The
girl fell dead at her feet and DR.. Greil
rushed for lifeboat. She refused to
say anything about the conduct Of the
Ancona's crew, explaining that the
panic on board was indescribable and
that TO one could be expected to keer
his head at such a time.
DR.. Greil will stop for a few days al
the Brevoort and then so 10 Washing
ton, where she will make q deposition
for the State Department. She said she
realized the Importance OF her state
ments, but would rather have gone
down with the Ancona thsn involve her
country IA war.
'"I was at the captains table at noon
on November T." said DR.. Greil, when
we felt a tremor through the ship as
her engines stopped and reversed
Then, while we were stopping, there
was an explosion forward. A shell had
struck us.
when I reached the deck she'll was
fairly pouring into US from the suoma-
rine, which we could see through the
fog about 100 yards away. / hurried
below 70 pack few things IN my
trunk As was claiming over II she
came through the portfolio and struck
my maid. who was standing At my side.
II tore away her scalp and part OF her
skull and went on through the wall,
bursting somwhere inside the ship.
when | went on deck again found
the widest excitement. IL was IKE
the old-.ime stories one used TO read oil
shipwrecks at sea. | will not say any
thing about the crew because | could
not say anything good.
They launched fifteen boats, but
only eight got away. | was IN one OF
these. Seven of the boats rowed away
together. a sort Of hellish hotilla steal
;ng Of in the fog. Now and again we
would lose sight OF one Of the other
sails and would be left gasping in ter
ror until il resppeared. Some one
asked me later il ! thought the sub
marine would help us. The thought
never occurred TO US in the boat. That
submarine crew were not engaged IN
warfare-it was massacre.
"I do not believe the submarine ilred
deliberately on the lifeboats. They
were trying to sink the Ancona with
shells. but they finally used torpedo
10 send her 70 the bottom. looked at
nv watch when she took her last
plunge. II was 12:45. We were picked
up BIZ the French cruiser Pluton about
midnight.
"WRen I left the snip saw many
persons lying on the decks with wounds.
There were at least fifty Of them who
went down who could have been saved.
Everything | owned in the world
was aboard that ship. Even the clothes
/ have on now were given me at the
American Embassy at London.
81 realize now, as ! did not at the
time. the seriousness Of the interna-
tional situation caused By the Ancone s
sinking. J would rather have gone
down with the ship than have my coun-
try involved IN war on account o. my
affi davit."