Evening star., 1916-01-03
SINKING Of PERSIA
WITHOUT WARNING
Correspondent Says Liner
Went Down So Quickly Boats
Could Not Be Launched.
CONFIRMS REPORT THAT
U. S. CONSUL PERISHED
Conflicting Statements Made as to
the Number of Survivors Landed
at Alexandria.

LONDON. January 3. 4:32 am. = The
| Cairo correspondent of Reuters Telegram
Company sends the following concerning
the sinking of the Persia in the Medi-
terranean Thursday:
Nobody aboard the Persia saw the
torpedo. The second officer is under the
| impression that he saw the ripple of it.
The survivors, after thirty hours in boats.
| were rescued by warship. Six officers
were saved.
was no time to launch the boats. Waves
soon enveloped the deck and swept the
passengers and crew into the sea. Col.
Bigham was standing on the deck beside
Miss Hughes. He was suddenly swept
into the sea and sank. On coming up he
bumped against boat and thus was
| saved. Two other boats which were seen
to be launched are missing. 1t is thought
there is little hope that further survivors
have been rescued"
Says Consul McNeely Perished.
Reuters Cairo correspondent makes
the upreserved statement that Robert
McNeely, American consul at Alden. lost
his life Charles H. Grant of Boston
was saved.
Details of the sinking of the Persia
came In slowly yesterday, but such in
formation as was received made 1t
appear that the number of persons who
escaped in the four boats which were
put off was larger than was hoped
terday. The Peninsular and Oriental
Company, which owned the Pe>sia. an
nounced this morning that 15S sur
vivors had arrived at Alexandria The
survivors comprise the chief officer.
second officer. Z engineers. q seamen.
So Lascars and So passengers.
A Lloyd's dispatch gives the number
as 153. made up Of 50 passengers. of
of the crew. including SO Lascars.
Unofficial dispatches from Cairo state
that the Persia was torpedoed without
warning and sank in five minutes.
Asserts Ship Was Torpedoed.
The Peninsular and Oriental Steamship
Company last night received the follow
ing telegram from Col. C. C. Bigham, who
was among the survivors.
"A torpedo struck the ship on the port
bow at 1905 o'clock in the afternoon
when about forty miles south of the east
end Of the Island Of Crete. No warming
was given. nor any attempt to assist
Within five minutes the ship had sunk
1T was impossible to lower the star
board boats, owing to the heavy list.
Five or six boats were lowered on the
port side. ] didn't see this myself, as
l was washed overheard when the boat
caps!zed.
The conduct of the passengers and
crew was splendid: there was no
struggling and no panic. -Four boats.
after thirty hours at sea. were picked
up by warship.'
Boats Swamped When Liner Sank.
A dispatch to the Times from Cairo
says that two boat loads of people
were drawn down with the steamer
Persia when she sank, as there was no
time to cut the ropes. Four boats got
away, but it was thirty hours before a
trawler picked them up. Several ships
passed by without assisting the refu-
gees, being afraid, presumably, of de-
coys. Many passengers were thrown
into the water when the vessel heel
ed over.
Loss of Life Not Ascertained.
1t still is impossible to give, even
with approximate accuracy, the loss OF
life, as the number of persons on boa rd
has not been established. The passen.
gers numbered something more thar
200. and there were between 200 and
300 members of the crew, so that ap.
parently the death list will run largely
in excess of 200.
Such fragmentary accounts of the dis
aster as haSe been obtained from sur
! viyors furnish little new Information
concerning the circumstances of the
sinking. All agree. however. that the
Persia sank with extraordinary rapid.
itys within about five minutes of the
| time she was struck. affording small
opportunity for rescue work. None OF
| the survivors who have thus far re.
| ported their experiences saw any sigr
of submarine.
] The extent to which popular feeling
has been aroused in the allied nations
bv the sinking of the Persia is indi.
| Gated by the unrestrained tone of pres.
comment. There Is much speculation
| 3 TO the possible influence of this even,
on the negotiations which are in prog.
ress between the United States ant
Austria.