New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-30
Youth Here Tells of Tor
pedoing of Hospital Ship
i'm Mediterranean
RUNS ELEVATOR AS
VESSEL IS SINKING
Will Return TO Sea il lie
Fails to Find Mother
i'm America

Fiftecn-ycar-old Henry Pope was ono
Of seven elevator boys who clung to
their posts after the hospital snip
Britannia was struck By a torpedo IN
tho Mediterranean on November p. he
arrived on the Lapland yesterday anu
told Of the disaster in which tfty-h'e
men were killed.
A. the outbreak OF tho war Pope
who had attained the Office OF BOY
Scout master for the Kcnsington DIS
trict in London. volunteered for duty
as sea scout. and was accepted ana
attached 10 the Britannia as ana 20
Purscr James Lancaster. The cher oc-
cupation Of Pope and six other youths
was the running Of the ships SIEVE"
elevators.
we were Just finishing breakfasi.
and I had asked for a second mug OF
tea when the torpedo hit US he sald'
I've were an tumblcd of our chairs
and as VIC scrambled 20 our feet vs.
Britannia listed heavily to port an"
down by the bow. ! ran 20 the decN
20 sec what had happened and 80"
great clouds Of steam and boiling wafer
shooting up amidships.
Ran to His Station
Captain Bartlett was on the bridge
giving orders % lower the boats. ah'
our siren whistled four sharp blasts
for every one 70 stand by at our s'"
tions. ran back below decks ana
made trips with my elevator as louH
as il would run, taking capacity loau9
each time from the lower decks 70 luc
boat deck. where our forty-hve doctors
and $50 nurses were getting INTO the
boats. We had no wounded ABOARD
AZ we were returning from Southamp-
ton to the base hospital at Lehhos, III
the .Fgcan. to get wounded from inc
base hospital there. Our officers ana
crew numbered about 500
FINALLY. the heavy list prevented me
from working my elevator any longer
and / went on deck and got into one
of the boats about 10 be launched. MY
boat had about thirty nuns in II. VINO
had volunteered for nursing duty al
sea. We rowod of quite a distance
and Joined the other boats, all Of when
wore well fued. Captain Bartlett re-
NAMED on the bridge until the last boat
had safely got away, when he jumped
overheard. Just as the Britannia was
settling by the bow.
Captain Picked Up by Boat
He was lost TO sight for a long
while. and then we saw him chnging 20
niece of wrecksge and later being
taken into one Of the boats. l learned
from men in my boat that the torpedo
struck the glory hole on the port SIDE
OF the Britannia. and it was here that
the hfty-fve stokers were killed. AFTER
the torpedo struck IL was nearly an
hour before the Britannia went down.
She remained quite a long time with
her stern pointing skyward and then
suddenly diyed like big duck.
"All our boats we're picked up sooH
by the British auxiliary cruiser Heroic
which landed US in Greece, and from
whence eventually we were sent back
70 England through Italy and France.
As soon as ne arrived in London
Pope went 70 the Offices OF the White
Star Line and asked 70 be sent on
shin to America as elevator boy. as he
wished ~ locate mis- mother, who is the
wife Of Victor Niblo, an actor, who, he
believes. Is living in this city II he
fails TO find her he viii return on the
Lapland TO England 70 reengage as
sea scout on another hospital ship.