The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-01-11
Bridgeport Survivor
of Lusitania Reveals
Secrets of Tragedy
Continued from Page One.

DOaTQ
Brooks. They lined the rail where
they had witnessed the torpedo. I
started to walk to the reartof the boat,
went through the smoking room to-
the other deck and looked at the
Irish shore with the lighthouse about
nine miles distant There was one
sailing vessel about the same distance
seaward.
Steam Clouds Envelop Him.
Eat this minute was picking my
way back to the deck where passen-
gers play shufhe-board- was about
to step over some steam pipes when
was met by Jet of steam that came
mp from the engine rooms that nearly
Bunocated me I was driven again to
the back of the Marconi house where
escaped the full force of the steam
As was about to be forced some
where else for breath it stopped as
Suddenly as Il had appeared.
II learned later from a stoker who I
do not believe ever encountered the
experience he related that he saw the
torpedo enter the boiler room. be-
directly upward. thus severing the
steam pipes which exhausted.
CaInness Most Impressive
ssNone on board seemed at all wor-
ried at this time or even later. have
! heard from those who were on the
boat 70 the very>last that there was a
panic as the boat 1urched and the life
boats suddenly swung inboard, crush
Ing the lives OF scores. but this I did
not ses In fact the most impressive
Nfing that recall was the absolute
calmness with which everybody took
the aRair.
II again waiked aft and noted that
ene Iife-boat was being lowered into
the water. There was one sailor in
the stern sheets and two forward
lowering away. About 20 persons,
mostly men and few young girls and
children. were seated In it. learned
from this experience that one must
never lower a lifeboat while a ship is
in motion. AS the stern struck the wa
fer first In the lowering the entire load
was precipitated to the rear and forced
sliding directly into the sea where they
dIifted until they were lost sight OF.
All We're Calm
4 was the only one looking at them
from directly above their heads
noted everything with a perfect calm
esss and afterwards wondered why 1t
did not impress me more But during
the entire experience nothing seemed
10 do SO. and others were similarly af-
fected for there were two girls in the
life boat with me, later, who had been
sucked into a smokestaek and then
forced outward by the air-pressure, one
s3fivvf,orn an hour later still was calm
" chewing the gum she had had IN
her mouth on the deck and while float
ing in the icy water
ssvvhen j, had tired of looking at the
<4afFine lie boat L again walked calm
u forward without any thought OF life
srrseservers and without thought or
there 4 was going ] went under the
bridge and noted that the captain, VINO
vas on the port side when the accl-
dent had occurred. was still on rhe
bridge,
4f,sf the bow was now. somewhat
awasla. On the bridge stood the cap
4atn. He wore a life preserver-one
OF the best ever saw Watoaleo
him a moment Then he turned,
waved his right hand towards the
4oembers of the crew who We're at
stop lowering those boats; ev-
sa.v-u44,fT,g is all right, he shouted.
women ana children. were all about
him. They heard his orders, and some
of the women began to scream IN q
rooment there was a panic aboard
7,ear f1ne bridge. for the women, fear
fu1 be drowning, thought the captain
xvas not going to provide them with
means Of escape.
II walked about the deck as if in a
trance realized what was going
on. but the shock OF the Tragedy
seemed to have numbed me.
aThen I began to walk back towards
me conpanionWay of the upper deck.
same life boats were being lowered
IN sailors but did not see any ofn-
GERS directing their movements All
tie life boats being lowered We're on
411e smoking room and came out on
the other side OF the deck and noted
that not soul was there and that II
was much higher than the other side
bur one could walk without dimeulty
upon its slope.
sailor engaged IN lowering a boat say
10 another: TO he'll with the cap
fafn--wesu lower this boat For the
arsk time at this 5uncture I noticed
that some people were wearing me
zffAservers which at that time were
not carried on deck as now, but were
kept IN the cabins. I asked one OF the
men apparentIy hrenaen, Where did
Won get the life preseryers2' One OF
4hern replied. Over there I did not
seem to pay any attention TO Wnere
they could be found and continued
waking about It did not occur to me
to 20 into q stateroom and get life
preaerver ana although had Ave hum
dred dollars In gold in the purser's
safe ala not go down for that either
Ny cabin was down at the waterline
ana had no intention Of going into
the vessel,
n walked Forward again and saw
that the upper deck rail was about
even with the water at the bridge,
while the stern was in her normal po-
sft1on, The boat had heeled well over
TO ths starboard and people could step
6rorn the rail into the boat which sat
about four feet above the water.
had no intention of getting into the
boat though it was here that saw
the only officer on board the whole
ship directing loading of boats. As I
stepped forward to watch him he said.
you can get In here, replied, II
don't want to-
sJust then a Persian fat and habby
weighing three times what the small
English officer did, attempted to climb
rala IN .I<ad 70,