The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-12-30
heroic ACTS AS
BRIT AMMO SANK
IN AEGEAN SEA

New York, Dec. 30.--As thrilling a
tale as ever came from the lips of a
grown adventurer was. told to-day by
a four-foot boy. Henry, Pope, Is
years 'old, a sea scout on the British
hospital ship Britannia, which. was
sunk either by mine or submarine in
the Aegean Sea. The Britannia was
the largest British liner afioat.
Pope, now cadet on the Red Star
liner Lapland, is the first survivor of
the Britannia to reach this port He
said the unanimous opinion on board
the Britannia was that she had been
tOrpedoed by a German or Austrian
submarine.
The cadet said that Capt. C.. A.
Bartlett, the Britannic's commander,
stuck by his ship. until washed from
the bridge by the engulfing waters.
Explosion at Breakfast Hour,
Give OF us sea scouts were at
breakfast in the ships pantry the
morning of Nov. "a, ten days out from
Southampton, when the explosion oc-
cured" the boy said. ut was just
sos o'clock when the ship shudder-
ed as though it had struck a great
wave or ran on a rock. The four
sirens on the stacks let out four Shrill
blasts We knew there was trouble,
and ran to our posts. I was the scout
assigned to Purser Lancaster and
went to him. The other boys man
ned the elevators.
The explosion, whether mine or tor
pedo, blew apart the gloryhole in the
bow. Three stewards who were in
there were blown : pieces. The force
of the shock knocked down the
100 = o
Every one on board believed it was a
: torpedo because the explosion occur
red in the gloryhole, inside the ship.
and not at her bows, as would have
been the case if she had been struck
by mine. Also the ship was rent
apart, not blown up in the air, as it
would have been by the conclusion of
a floating mine.
'.As long as the elevators could run
on account of the heavy list to star
board the sea scouts stuck to their
posts and brought the sisters, the
.-R. M. G.. men and the crew to the
deck. No wounded were on board, as
we were on the way to get them at
Murdos, on the Island Of Lemnos in
the Aegean Sea. There were over L.
900 persons on board, including the
r. M. C. men, sisters and crew.
The ship remained afoat 55 min
utes after it was struck. Capt. Bart
lett stood on the bridge, directing the
launching of the boats. After short
time no boats on the port side could
be launched on account of the heavy
list. The vessel went down bow first.
Plunged Swiftly to Bottom.
"For eight minutes she hung in the
air, almost perpendicular, her stern
pointing to the sky. Then she sank
swiftly, still straight upright. Capt
Bartlett was washed off the bridge and
was carried under by the suction. but
he swan to the surface. Three of the
1ifeboats were sucked in under the
ships propeilers anu smashed. some
Of those In the crushed lifeboats were
picked up later: others were drowned.
:. 4As the ship went under her four
ifunnels snapped off with crack.
Our boat was only about 800 yards
away from the ship and / was afraid
it would be carried down in the sue
ton, hut we escaped. The chief Off
Ger in spne of the motor launches
cruised around picking persons out of
the water. He found Capt. Bartlett
clutching piece Of spar. Capt. Bart
lett ordered him to pick up every one
else before he,rescued him. The cap
tain was strong swimmer and was in
the water an hour and half before
he finally was taken into one of the
boats"
I'VE rowed around about two hours
before the boat I was in was picked
up by III. M. 8. Heroic, an auxiliary
cruiser, and we were taken to the