The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-10
CALMLY DINED
 AS OTHERS QUIT !. DOOMED VESSEL

My wife and I are the only pas- sengers on the Red Cross Liner Ste- fano who had Sunday nights supper" said Charles T. Evans. of 203 Welt Walnut street Germantown, Phila- delphia, to a Farmer reporter as the Shore Line express Whirled him from Bridgeport towards New York Mon- day afternoon.
 "Yes, and l was the last woman to leave the ship" interposeA Mrs. Evans who though glad to be among the living, is proud to have encountered the experience of being held up by German submarine and climbing down the side of the lofty vessel of 2,143 tons burden.
 ~ Relating their joint experiences as they sat directly behnd Captain Smith of the liner, whose presence of mind and promptness in lowering his boats is highly commended by pas- sengers and crew, MT. Evans said:
 The sea was beautifully calm on our way down from Halifax and St. Johns. We had heard that a submar- inc was in the vicinity of Newport but none of the passengers dreamed that we would meet yt. My wife and I had been up in Canada for about a month, on a sort of vacation. We took the boat at Halifax. On the trip we had plenty of time to get acquainted with the 56 women passengers, and about ten children. Many of the wo- men, should say dozen, had been separated from their husbands. who had come to America to work in the munition plants, or mad been killed in war. Of this number at least six were to meet husbands in New York city. a
 "It was about o'clock by Canadian time, or, as I have since learned 6 o'clock by American time that the submarine suddenly made her appear ance on the surface of the water. It was just dusk and the supper was be- ing laid on the table. My wife and I were just seated when word was received that a submarine was in sight. Most of the passengers went on deck to see 1t. My wife and stay ed below. The stewards and in fact what crew were in the dining saloon did not seem worried and. we had just begun to eat supper alone when one of the stewards came down the companionway and announced that that boats were being lowered. A few minutes later the steward received orders to notify all hands to take to the boats.
 "Yes! and we had finished out sup per" interrupted Mrs. Evans.
 we had just time enough to go to our state-room and put on our wraps but not time enough to get any baggage when we found that nearly every person was in the life-boat ex- cept the crew.
 "Officers without any apparent dis order were careful in seeing that pas sengers were in the boats first. There was no time te lower a companionway ladder, so the men were ordered over the side on the davit ropes and snd down as best they could. Rope lad ders were provided for the women. These were thrown over the side and laxily swung to and fro as the women climbed down them.
 'T had expected to see confusion among the women but must say that I was agreeably surprised to nd that hardly without exception there was not the slightest bit of panic things as a matter of course.
 iho6ihC Ilo Ou u TOpc said Mrs. Evans. "I have never climb- ed an ordinary ladder since I was a girl yet seemed to grasp the situa- ton at once and with the exception of my hat was covered with the grease and paint of the vessels side. I escaped without injury. One of tho male passengers. l, understand, hurt his hand severely when he weHt over- board.
 "The boats with their human freight got away from the side of the vessel in all haste" said MT. Evans. We had rowed possibly half a mile when we were picked up by the Des- troyer "51" (Ericsson) and conveyed to Newport where we were we'll hous- ed and fed in the Marine hospital"
 We shall go home to Germantown happy that we are alive but minus our belongings which we are satisfied to lose under the circumstance of having life. We shall cherish the experience until tho oDd of our da,nw