Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-05-02
SEA DISASTER OFF
DELAWARE COAST
French Cruiser Rams and Sinks
Steamship City of Athens
In Early Morning
&C PEOPLE LOSE LIVES
Vessel Sinks So Quickly That wireless
Operator Is Able to Send Out Only
One 8. O. 8. Call
&C PEOPLE LOSE LIVES

An Atlantic Port. May 1.-Sixty per-
sons lost their lives when the steam
ship City of Athens, bound from New
York for Savannah was rammed and
Delaware coast at one o'clock this
morning. The missing include ten men
and two women who werc passengers
sever out of twenty four United States
marines who were on board, fourteen
out of twenty French sailors and
thirty three members Of the crew.
Captain Forward, who was one Of
those saved, was painfully injured and
was grief stricken at tho loss Of his
ship. He said he was proceeding at
half speed about twenty miles off shore
sounding the usual fog signals, when
the dim bulk Of the cruiser loomed up
through the mist and the crash fol-
lowed. Fortunately the sea was calm
or many more lives might have been
lost.
ONLY ONE CALL FOR HELP.
Both ships were carrying running
lights because Of the heavy fog, which
hung over the sea. F. ]. Doherty, the
wireless operator, was able to send
out only one rs. o. S." call after the
warship's bow plunged into the City of
Athens side near the bow. There was
no response to the appeal for aid and
the vessel sank so quickly. Doherty
had no opportunity to repeat the call.
He is believed to have been drowned
at his post.
MANY HEROIC DEEDS.
Many heroic deeds were recounted
tonight by the survivors. One of the
heroes of the sea tragedy was Harry
A. Kelley Of New York, an oiler. who
swan to an overturned lifeboat and
dragged up on the bottom Of 1t four
persons who were struggling in the
sea. He held them there until they
were taken off by a boat from the
French cruiser.
Captain Forward refused to make a
statement concerning the length Of
time his vessel remained afloat after
the collision. Members Of the crew de-
clared, however that the City OF
Athens sank within four minutes. A
great hole was torn in her side below
the water line near the bow and she
was carried down by her own momen-
tum as the water rushed In.
PASSENGERS IN BERTHS.
All the passengers and many Of the
crew were in their berths when the bow
of the warship plunged into the side OF
the $500 ton coastwise vessel. Fire broke
out almost Immediately afterwards In
hold No. !, but 1t had no bearing on the
fate of the ship for the flames were
quickly quenched by the rush of water
which poured in.
Captain j. Forward did his best to avert
t. nd ho lifahnafS G0 Onickly
did the doomed vessel sink. however. that
there was no time to get the boats away
and many Of those who perished were
trapped in their berths.
CRUISER GIVES AID.
Those of the passengers and crews who
were able to reach the deck, all Of them
thinly clad and many without life pre-
servers. plunged into the sea. The French
cruiser launched lifeboats Immediately
after the crash and turned its search
lights upon the waters in which men and
| women were struggling for their lives
Sixty-eight persons were picked up ant
brought back to this port by the war
shin, which was not seriously damaged
Tho following passengers are believed te
have been lost: M. Green. Astoria. N. Y.
James J. Kastl. Morristown. N. j.
Richard Bo1zeincr. Mobile. Ala; Miss Z
G. Stiles. New York city: Jean Cadron
| New York city: the Rev. J. p. Reynolds
| New York city; Isaac Dalzell. Paterson
! N. j.; Mra. F. D. Holthan. Hyde Park
Mass. Edward Clug. Savannah. Ca; Cav
Dork, Brooklyn. N. Y; II. A. Young
Brooklyn. N. Y.
The following United States marine,
were reported drowned:
| F. r. Dixon. P. Van fIanegan. s. H
| Tyngo, H. Roscnfeld. w. ]. Mack. s. Gins
berg and H. Z. Wetmore.
The known survivors among the pas
1 sengers are as follows:
| Mrs. r. Harrison and baby. New Yorl
city; Or. A. j. Kemp. New York city
Mrs. Richard Bonzelner. Mobile. Ala.
Alden McClaskie. New York city: DR.
r. l. Brooks, Atlanta. Gs.; John Green
Paterson, N. j.; F. O'Brien. ,Jr.
Savannah, Ca: Mrs. Eta Levy. Bridge
port. Conn; Mr.. and Mrs. Gewahr ant
child, Brooklyn. N. Y; d. H. Mcmillan
Port Royal. S. c.
| VESSEL BUILT IN 1911.
The City Of Athens was a vessel O
| 3,64s tons gross, register built In 1911 a
Camden. N. j., for the Merchants 4
| Miners Transportation Co. and was for
merly known as the Somerset. Witt
a sister ship, the Suwanee. she wa.
purchased by the Ocean Steamship com
pany last year and placed in the New
York Savannah service. The vessel re-
placed the City of Memphis formerly en-
gagged in the same service and which wa
sunk by a German submarine March II
1916. while on a trans Atlantic voyage.