The Washington herald., 1916-01-10
WOMAN RELATES
FATE OF ANCONA
DIR. Cecile Greil Says Aus
TRANS Shot Many Pas
sengers Down.
EVERYBODY In PANIC
Tells How She Jumped and Was Res
cued Just Before Final Torpedo
Destroyed the Vessel.

York Times, DR.. Cecile GreiI relates the
story of the sinking of the Ancona, upon
which she was a passenger when 1t was
torpedoed and sunk by an Austrian sub
marine. DIR. Greil says, in part:
THE submarine stood out in clear,
black outline against the white back
ground of mist The fog seemed only to-
make it more distinct, as 1t always does
with objects near by. From staff In
the back broke a red and white drapeau.
Afterward 1 learned that this was the
combination of colors that made the Aus
trian flag I was ignorant of 1t, then,
though 1 remembered the exact colors.
Nothing Tragic In situation.
80 far. I could find nothing tragic or
terrible in the situation. Possibly we
would be in danger of considerable eN-
posure in open boats, before other ships
summoned by wireless, would PICK us
up. l did not rush out as the others
had done. 1 stood quite still, in order
to calm myself, to give myself time TO
think what would better be done. The
Ancona had come to a stop or that l
was certain. / also knew that the ship
was doomed.
But now there came another terrible
crash, and another, and another, iii diff
ferent parts Of the ship, followed by eX-
plosions and the sound of debris falling
into the water and on deck. Well, they
were merely destroying the wireless. Still
there was no fear of death.
But now I was aware of terrible
shrieking. Everybody was in a fright
full panic.
well. as for myself-to get excited
wouldn't help went to my cabin as
calmly as I could. determined TO save
what I could of my valuablcs. 1 put
them in my lifebelt. took a receipt for
l.Ff r,~ftI tIa
ser. I went toward the bow of the ship.
descended the staircase to the second
cabin. on the way to the purser's office.
large part of the staircase had been
shot away-and the horror of what l saw
at the bottom OF 1t made me instantly
forget what 1 was going for.
Many Lay Dead.
There lay three or four women, four
or five children, and several men. Some
of them were already dead, all, at least
badly wounded l made sure two of the
children were dead. The purser sprawl
ed Imply across his desk, inert, like a
sack Of meal that has been flung down
and stays where it lies. He had been
shot in the head. The blood was running
bright like red paint, freshly split, down
his back, and his hair was matted with
IT,
THE first series Of shots had wrecked
this part of the ship. breaking through
and carrying away whole sections of the
framework. 1 tried to get back up the
stairs. But In the slight interval Of time
I had consumed, enough additional shells
had BEEN discharged to finish the wreck
OF the staircase.
Il saw that this was not what the ma
tions call, ironically enough, legitimate
warfare but wholesale and indiscrimi-
nate massacre. Seeing my exit that way
cut of, 1 started through the second
ca bin to go up the central stairway. The
sight that I ran into there was indescrib-
able. All the passengers from the third
cabin had rushed up into the second.
They had altogether lost their wits. The
only thing that was left them was the
animal instinct for self-preservation In
its most disastrous and most idiotic form.
Men, women, and children were burrow-
ing headforemost under chairs and
benches and tables. 1 saw one man,
his face pressed close against the floor
sidewise, heaving a chair up in the air
with his back, in an effort to efface him
self
"All the while the detonations, Ike con-
tinuous thunder and lightning, increased
the panic. Women were on their knees
in mental agony, each supplicating the
particular saint Of the part of the coun-
try from which she came to save her
from death. I pushed and showed them
by the shoulders. I took them by the
legs and arms and clothes, and urged
them, in Italian, to get up. to put on
Iifebelts, to get OF the ship. I told
them that at least, they would find no
security from shells under chairs and
tables.
Old Woman Jumped Overheard.
'I found a poor old woman at the foot
thin, gray hair struggled loose over her
shoulder. 1 recognized her as a woman
I had got acquainted with in my search
for a fellow-citizen to join me in the
first cabin. She was 65 years old, she
had told me. She had seen two sons off
to the war; and was now going to a
third who had emigrated to America and
lived In Pennsylvania. It was the first
time she had ever crossed the ocean. She
was sick of the thought of war. In the
New World she would find peace and
comfort In her old age with her 'Bam-
bino,' as she still called the grown-up
man who was her son. So when I saw
her lying there I was possessed of but
one idea-to get her off alive. 1 told
her to come with me. that I would pro-
tect her. She acquiesced, but her fright
was so great that she hung limp as IL
she had no spine, while 1 half-dragged
her to the first cabin deck.
"a boat was being lowered. 1t had been
swung out on the davits. 1t already
seethed full OF people. And more men
and women were fighting, in a promis-
cnous, shrieking mass to get into 1t as
It swung out and down. The men, with
their superior strength, were, of course,
getting the best of the struggle. Age or
sex had no weight. 1t was brute strength
that prevailed. ..
"At the sight before her the old woman
grew frantic with unexpected strength.
She suddenly jerked loose from me, and
before I could prevent her. ran with all
the agility OF fear and Jumped overheard.
Others flung their bodies pellmell on the
heads OF those already in it. Some, in
their frenzy. missed the mark at which
they aimed themselves and fell into the
sea. To make the horror complete. the
boat now stuck at one end. tilted down.
ward, and spilled all its occupants into
the sea, ninety or a hundred at once.
They seized each other. Some swan.
Others floundered and sank almost i'm
mediately. dragging each other down.
Some drowned themselves even with life
belts on, not knowing how to hold their