The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1916-03-10
WOMEN SHOW BRAVERY
when Liner SINKS
SURVIVOR SAYS ONLY EXCITE
MENT OCCURRED WHENBOATS
WE'RE LOWERED.

London, March Ralph Foster,
an American, and other survivors of
the liner Maloja, Sunk by mine
Saturday night off Dover, upon ar
rival in London gave a vivid account
of the disaster.
81 was promenading the deck well
forward about 1920 o'clock Sunday
morning." said Foster, when heard
a slight report. I thought it was a
gun firing blank shot until saw a
debris falling. Even the conclusion
had been so slight that I concluded
an accident must have happened to
some other ship near by.
81 rushed back Immediately to-
ward the stern of the Maloja, but be-
fore had taken dozen steps the
ship began to list,and I started to-
ward the lifeboat which had been
allotted to my cabin. 1t was so full
of people, most of them Lascars, that
saw 1t was likely to be swamped, SO
I went below for life belt. put on
my -overcoat and the life belt, and
also took my passport.
by this time-hardly three minu-
ties after the explosion--the passage
ways below were awash. returned
to the lifeboat and tried to help shove
it clear. Two of the white crew of
the steamer were standing by to
lower the boat, but only the steward
and myself were making any efforts
to push 1t off from the ships side.
We could not get the boat clear of the
railing on account of the heavy list
of the Maloja.
Everybody then piled out of the
lifeboat. Most of them slid across
the deck and into the water on the
other side The deck was inclined to
such degree that we could not stand
I grabbed an oar and slid down the
deck into the water. The waves
were so strong that l could not swim
and was washed back against the
side of the ship.
FINALLY, I managed to reach
capsized boat few feet away and
crawled into 1t. From there l could
see in the water near me several bod
les of persons who were bleeding
about the head. One Lascar was be-
ing ground between a lifeboat and
the ships side. A big swell washed
me off my insecure perch. I knew
what would happen to me II I re-
manned on the side of the ship was
on, so I managed to get to the other
side and chung to the railing until
only the davits were projecting out
of the water. / then pushed away
from the steamer and swan a few
yards to a boat that had five or six
Lascars in 1t. When looked around
the last davits of the Maloja had
disappeared.
1--WE had no oars and the waves
kept breaking over the boat. When
1t began to sink we swan to another
capsized boat and chung there until
a boat from destroyer took us off.
when we came alongside the de-
stroyer l noticed that the swells
seemed to bob us up and down for
IL feet. looked at the clock on
board the destroyer and saw it was
1880 o'clock.
''The only terror or excitement
shown aboard the Maloja while they
were trying to lower the boats was
ON the part of the Lascars and some
children who had become separated
from their mothers. One child who
was on deck near the point Of the ex-
plosion was blown to pieces. an Off
Ger told me.
"One thing which made an impress
sion on my mind while was clinging
to capsized boat was a Teddy
bear" which was floating about. The
coxswain of the boat which picked us
up rescued the toy. saying, 81 must
have that for my kid"
Foster said he was deeply impress
ed by the bravery of the women and
the white crew of the Maloja, but
not by her Lascar crew.