Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-03
AUSTRIA BLAMED FoR
SINKING or LINER PERSIA

Continued fro'u Rage One
Lusitania. had narrow escape fror
death. He was thrown into the sea b
the explosion that shattered the hui
OF the Persia, but was picked up insen
sible
Details received here today show tina
! the explosion which shattered the Pers
and caused the vessel to sink within
few minutes created terrible havoc on tn
| liner.
STRUCK AMIDsHtPs.
The torpedo struck the Persia amid
| ships and blew up its engines. The fun
| nels, torn from their places. fell on thl
| deck, crushing many persons. More thar
| a score were thrown into the water by
| the force of the blast and only a few Of
| these were picked up later
The damage caused by the explosion
accounts for the fact that so few Of the
| Persia's boats were launched. 1t was al
first thought that there had been a panic
on the liner and that this had added to
the loss of life. but the latest dispatches
indicate that the crew maintained its
discipline at all times.
Surviving officers of the British liner
Persia. landed at Alexandria, declared
positively today that the steamship was
torpcdoed and ridiculed the idea that n
mine might have sent the vessel to the
bottom with the lose of probably more
than 250 lives
The Persian was torpedoed absolutely
without warning and sank in five min
utes. Robert y. McNeely newly ap-
pointed United States Consul on his way
to his first post at Alden, Arabia, IS
among the lost. The only other Ameri-
can known to have been on board the
Persia, Charles II. Grant. of Boston, is
among the 15S survivors landed at Alex
andria, Egypt
After a tremendous explosion the steam
ship, almost torn in two, disappeared be
meath the waves. The torpedo had hit
amldshps on the port side. Many per-
sons aboard were killed or injured by he
explosion.
-FOUR ROATs GET AWAY.
Only -four boats go; away. The time
was so short that 1t is matter for
astonishment that any at all were low
cred. The surviving passengers say that
there was no panic. The four boats
which did swing clear ..ld reach the water
safely were filled and lowered without
disorder
Not only was no warnn, given to the
Persia, but the Submarine was not seen
either before the torpedo struck or after
ward from the steamer or from the life
boats.
The second officer declared he saw
white streak-thc wake OF a torpcdo-On
the port side Just before the explosion
80 survivor has been found who saw
submarine. but the PerSia's officers de- |
Jared If a mine had been STRUCK glanc- |
nE blow by the ships side it would not
lave torn gap that would have sent her |
o the bottom IN a few minutes
There was no panic" said Leonard |
Moss, one of the British survivors. THE |
leavy loss of life was due to two things |
the fact that the Persia sank in less |
han six minutes and the fact that most |
# the passengers we're at luncheon when
he ship struck.
"No one was thinking Of submarines
We were steaming along at about Is
nots when we were struck. First |
card a dull boom, then a funny cracking
ound. II HeomCd only second before
he ship egan to list.
"ThoSe of us on deck rushed for the
oats. The crew couldn't do anything
With the boats on the Starboard side be-
ausc of the heavy list.
People came running up from below,
'omen and children crying, but there
'as no wild screaming and they seemed
retty cool.
The first two boats got away all right.
he next one rolled over MS 1t hit the
'ater There were a lot of women in this
Oat. one of the first boats launched
fied to pick them up The waves kept
JUMPING The boat up against the steam
rs side. threatening to CaDsze her,
nd she had TO pull away The next two
oats seemed to get away all right and
OF clear lust minute or two before the
ersia went down"
Moss. with several other survivors, was
ashed off the deck by huge waves that
vept the sinking liner moment before
he took the death plunge
1--WE knew she was about to GO" he
aid. Some of the crew were trying
, get over another boat. but the pas