New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-04
Escaped Zeppelin Bombs
Two U-BOats and Mines
on Previous Voyage.
BOUND TO GET HER,
SAYS E. M'GANDER
Turkish Shippers Also Took Shots
at Ship, Asserts Former
Member Of Crew.

"They were bound 20 get tho PERSIA
sirl"
A broken-nosed cockney from London
sat on his bed In a meanly furnished
room at 206 West Twenty-frst Street
Yesterday and told what he knew ~
the chip which was sunk by an Austrian
submarine last week. He was joiner
en- the Persia tho trip before its last.
F. McGandor is his name. In his
cockney English he sketched the nu-
merous attempts that had been made
"to get" the Persia before. He says
she was unarmed. II is the custom OF
all p. & O. liners to dock at Illbury,
England. 10 swing aboard n 4I-inch
gun with the bore the diameter or an
ordinary alarm clock and about four
teen feet long. +. McGander left his
native London on June 10, but stopped
at Tilbury for the gun. He was de-
tailed to take charge of Boat II at
drill The Fersia lampblacked its port
holes before leaving for an obvious
reason ran dark until Alden was
reached and lowered its night lamps to
halfmast not to betray its size.
AT Gibraltar" said McGander, the
gun was taken Off with the two gun
ners. They were put on the next /. &
o. boat leaving the straits for London.
The Persia never carried a gun on the
Mediterranean. We didn't ever Ahink
there was need OF 1t, SIR
Attacked by a Zeppelin.
Two days before the Persia left Til
bury a Zeppelin hurled bombs at IT,.
The aircraft was scared away by
British fire and the ship was only
slightly damaged. The vessel was
bound for Australia, there 70 take on
500 reservists. and had about 100 pas
sengers on board
/ Just inside the straits the Persia was
chased by a submarine. It's usual speed
was seventeen knots, but 1t could make
twenty when hard pressed, and the
Persia won the race. The ship was
about fifteen years old, OF 4.3OO tons
net, 5000 tons gross, carried about one
hundred Lascars and total crew gen
orally Of not more than 300.
Il want TO tell you, mister said Nc
Gander, there was one man on board
that was a man through 10 the skin o
him. That was Captain Hall. lie was
well liked by the staff, he was, and he
was elderly sort; had been in COM
mand about twelve years, | understood
But those Lascars, sir; they were a
treacherous lot We had five boat
drills coming and going, and those
Indians were the first TO rush for the
boats. Only when we told them 1t was
a false alarm did they smooth down
their wrinkles, sir.
Of was in charge Of Boat II. ! al
ways carried a gun. You had TO with
them treacherous Lsscars. There were
only a dozen boats on the Persia, each
of them holding not more than forty
souls. And when ships suDmarned
only half of the boats those on one
side-can be used. Can you imagine a
mob of men and women and Lascars
Sighting for boats not enough for hal:
of the blooming lot?
Shippers Fired on Ship.
I'VE came back from Australia with
500 reseryists, $50 passengers and 300
crew. II we'd been Summarized then
there'd not be enough left 70 tell the
tale. When we came through the Sue
Canal we built a bulwark Of sandbags
about the bridge, because the Turks
gathered on the banks to snlpe at our
men. Several of the crew were hit, and
we were ordered to poke our heads up
only if we had hankering for an in
slant passport to Kingdom Come
Not far from Sicily the Persia was
chased by submarine again. 1t es-
capped, but ran into a shoal Of mines
Just before reaching Dover. Mine
sgeepers warned the ship back, and IL
drew water for a mile or two to the
rear.
wonder we didn't get blown up!'
said Captain Hall 70 the official on the
mine sweeper, according TO Z. McGan-
der.
well, it wouldn't have been the first
shot they'd taken at you," answered the
other.
THE way the Persia was prepared
for a long journey was a farce" Nc
Gander continued at was all a farce
Why, what chance Of saving lives would
there "a been when we got back from
our last trip? They say four boats
with about $50 souls in 'em were picked
up at Alexandria. Sure, because only
about six could "a been launched, and
that with a riot with them Lascars on
board Four boats hold about $50 souls
and done"
f. McGander was silent for some
time. Then in a choking voice ne cried
out:
"She was a good old ship, sir, and
/ Captain Hall as cody a man as you'd
wish for,'