The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-01-04

Robert n McNeely and Robert Grant
The British admiralty informed Mr..
Skinner chat it had no information
with regard to the fate Of individual
passengers. A cablegram has been
sent to Alexandria requesting any
news available regarding the surViv-
ors
The Persia sailed from London on
December 18 for Bombay, with 81 first
class passengers and SO second cabin
passengers, including eight children.
Some of these, including Edward Rose,
a Denver school boy, were landed at
Gibraltar, Marseilles and Malta. At
Marseilles 231 passengers, including 81
women and 25 children, were taken
aboard, but line officials say that after
deducting those leaving the ship at
various ports of call. something more
than 200 passengers were on the Tes-
sci.
! A majority of the Persia's passen-
gers were British, bound for India, in
Guiding many women. Her cargo was
small, but she carried a heavy con-
signment of mail. The crew was made
up principally of Lascars.
Sixty-one frst-class passengers and
SO cabin passengers, including eight
children, boarded the steamship Per-
sia at London, according to informa-
ton obtained from the Peninsular and
Oriental line.
At Marseilles So of the irst-class
and 80 of the second cabin boarded the
boat. The company estimates that af
ter deducting the number of passen-
gers leaving the ship at ner various
ports of call about $50 passengers
were aboard when the vessel was sunk.
Every effort is being made by Con-
sui Gen. Skinner to get some informa-
tion about Robert McNeely, the
American consul at Alden, and the two
other Americans known to be on the
passenger list. The British admiral
ty informed Mr.. Skinner it had no in
formation with regard to the fate of
the individual passengers. Mr.. Skin
ner sent a cablegram to the American
consulate at Alexandria reoJ! esting the
consul to ascertain the fate of Consul
McNeely and the other Americans.
The Peninsular and Orienlal COM
pany stated that the Persia had left
London December IS and Marseilles
December 26, carrying British mails
bound for Bombay, and that she was
sunk off the island of Crete. Only four
boats got away from the ship. These
boats were picked up by steamer
bound for Alexandria and the surviv-
ors were expected there this morning.
The names of the passengers saved
have not yet been received. The COM
pany's statement says it is feared that
the loss of life among the passengers
and crew will be heavy Officials Of
the line say they are unable to give
any information concerning American
citizens on the Persia. They say the
steamship carried large number Of
persons, but that no official figures are
available as yet. Passenger lists have
not been published since the beginning
of the war.
Mr.. McNeely sailed from New York
for England on November 27 on the
Holland-American liner Ryndam. A
fellow passenger was Robert P. Skin
ner, American consul general at Lon
don. Mr.. Skinner advised him to sail
for the East by the Dutch line, but the
young man already had engaged pas
sage on the Persia.
The Persia was last reported at Nal
ia on December 20.
The Persia was a steamer of 1874
tons gross. She was owned by the
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navi-
cation company of London. She sailed
from Bombay November IA for London
and was last reported as leaving Gil
braltar on December 2.
The Persia was one of several YES
sells recently sunk by submarines in
the eastern Mediterranean, through
would take her from Malta. On De-
cember "a the French liner Vile de la
Ciotat was sent to the bottom off the
island of Crete by submarine which,
according to unofficial British advices,
flew the Austrian flag.
The Persia was built in 1900 at
Greenock. She has been in the Bonn