The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-01-03
AMERICAN CONSUL
DROWNED WHEN
PERSIA SUNK
Robert n. McNeeley One Of 250
Lost in Mediterranean
NO WARNING WAS GIVEN
British Liner Disappeared Beneath
Water Five Minutes After Being
Hit by Torpedo.

London, Jan. 2.--Unofiicial dis
patches from Cairo state that the
British steamship Persia, which was
sunk in the Mediterranean on Thurs
day, was torpedoed without warning
and sank in five MINUTES. Between
100 and 160 survivors have been land
ed at Alexandria. Egypt. This infor-
alton and that received from other
sources indicates that fully $50 per-
sons lost their lives in the disaster.
Robert ~ McNeeiy. American Con-
sui at Arden, Arabia, is believed to
have been drowned. Charles n.
Grant of Boston was saved.
IA Details Of the sinking OF the Persia
came In slowly today, but such infor.
nation as was received made It ap-
pear that the number of persons who
escaped In the four boats which were
pu. off. was larger than was believed
when the first news was received yes
tcrday.
| THE ship was struck amidships on
the port side ut l.10 p. m.." says Reu
ters correspondent at Cairo. She
had disappeared completely by 1.15.
Survivors say 1t was little short
| OF miracle that any one was saved
There was no panic. Four boats were
launched with the utmost prompti-
Ilp' eaptain 1as. %s slyowaadt Il, sliaIf when
last been Ne WAS swimlning, after the
apsr faf HslsjPlsqlIkS PllspqHlIksa Pssaeath stAs. sur
Lopdohh, jan al ss7 The usl peaniasuisr. s
0rieAtal Steamship Company, rtonight
| ttereFed the following telegram from
Colonef G. G.. Dighan. son =, OF Lord
i.Mersey, who was among, the suryiv-
iors Of the Persia disastGr:,, ai aasa
I3a,ti torpedo, struck the ship on the
port bow at 1.05 O'Clock, in, the after
noon when about forty miles south
OF the east end OF the Island of Gro.
te, No warning was given. nor an at.
| tempt made to assist. Within five
minutes the ship had sunk II was
impossible to lower the starboard
| beats owing to the heavy list.
Five or six boats were lowered on
tho port side. didn't see this my.
self, as | was washed overheard when
the boat capsized
1 The conduct Of the passengers and
crew. was splendid; thero was no
strugggling and no. psiiic! Four boats
after thirty hours at Se;s were picked
up by warship.'.g I'll, ge!1q91rl
l.. Washington, Jan. .2.--Despite the
| anxiety felt here over the sinking OF
the British steamship Persia, officials
were much gratitied at lhc, indication
emanating from Baron Erick zwiedi.
nez. Charge of the Austro-Hungaran
Embassy here. that the, Vienna Gov.
ernment would be quick to "satisfac.
torilyi adjust" the matter should 1t de
velopi that an Austrian submarine
commander had disobeyed instruc
tions in regard to torpedoing passen
ger-carrying ships without warning.
Judgment should be withheld pond
ing the receipt of the real facts sur
rounding the sinking of the steamship
Persia" said Baron .Zwiednez. "Ii
may have happened in many ways
In the first place, it is not yet proved
that submarine sank the Persia. II
1t was an Austrian submarine it must
be determined whether the circum
stances were such as to warrant the
action taken.
Il am confident, at least hope
4 that the final explanation Will bs
quite satisfactory. If the commander
of tho submarine disobeyed his in
strictions, 4 feel sure my Government
viii not hesitate to satisfactorily ad
just the matter. From the answe-
made to the last note on the Ancon,
alone, it is quite evident that tn,
Austro-Hmgarian Government viii
not countenance any act which il
WRONG