The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-02
City of Athens Goes Down
Within Five Minutes.
Rammed in Heavy Fog by a
French Cruiser.
SURVIVORS TELL OF HEROISM
Many Were Crushed To Death
in Accident.
S2,0OO,OOO Cargo Goes Down
With Ship.

An Atlantic Port, May 2.-Survivors
Of the coastwise steamer, City of
Athens which was sunk in a collision
with a French cruiser in a fog off the
Delaware coast yesterday morning
with a loss of siXty-six persons related
here today many tales of heroism on
the part of the crews of the two YES
sells. All praised the efforts of the
French sailors, especially, who
launched small boats within a few
minutes after the accident and aided
by the cruisers searchlights, picked
up many of the survivors from pieces
of wreckage
The survivors agreed that the speedy
sinking of the steamer-within five
minutes after being rammed by the
warship-was responsible for the
heavy toll of life, altho some claimed
that the City of Athens life saving ap-
paratus failed to work properly. There
were 1875 persons, including "a United
States marines, board the steamer
which was bound from New York for
Savannah with a 100000 cargo of
cement, rope, foodstuffs and general
merchandise.
Sixty Eight Believed Lost.
sixty-eight dead was the estimate
today of lives lost.
The City of Athens was en- route to
savannah, Ga. In a thick fog, the
French warship crashed into it. Sur
v1vors here today declared the ship
went down in seven minutes. Two
hfeboats were launched Many per-
sons Ieaped overheard.
The missing include nine civilians.
two women. one child, fourteen
French sailors. eight United States
marines and thirty-four officers and
crew of the steamer. There were 135
passengers and crew aboard.
Altho the accident occurred about
! g. m. yesterday, no word of it was
known here until the arrival of sur
vivors. They told many stories of
heroism. DR.. E. l.. Brooks. Atlanta,
declared that one of the wireless oper-
ators stuck to his post and went down
with the ship. Quick work on the
part of the French cruisers officers,
who rushed lifeboats oversize and
played searchlights over the dark wa
tiers. prevented an even heavier toll
of life.
Many Crushed to Death.
Most of the City of Athens crew
casualties were among the stewards,
who were crushed to death when the
war vessels steel prov cut into their
quarters. Survivors said the ropes of
one lifeboat snapped, throwing sew
eral persons into the sea.
Two of the French sailors saved
had hands cut off by tackle while des-
perately trying to launch Iifeboats
me loss of fourteen French sailors
out of a party of twenty on the liner
was a story of self-sacrifice.
Mrs. Florence Pickhard Harrison
wife of New York real estate agent
whose father, WincheIl l.. Piclhard
IS president of Mercer university
Macon, Ga, today told how her life
that of her 2-year-old baby, and two
others, were saved thru the bravery OF
q negro fireman on the City OF
Awakened from her sleep, Mrs
Harrison barely had time to put a
coat over her nightdress and hurry tc
the deck with her child. Il saw a life.
boat" she said, but no one was paw
ing any attention to it except a United
states marine, who lifted the baby
into the boat. l was about to climb
IN with his aid when the steamer ton
pied and my grasp on the gunwhale
shpped. / caught up the baby and the
snip sank under the swirling waters
when l came up choking and almost
unconscious from the water, with the
little one in my arms, We were direct.
~ under the bow of a lifeboat.
Became Unconscious.
"a man whom 1 afterwards learned
was James Wallace of Savannah lifted
the baby from my arms. When 1 re-
gained consciousness L found mysel1
in the lifeboat covered with piece
of canvas which l wrapped around the
baby. My coat and nightgown were
torn from the struggle to drag me in
After that Mr.. Wallace rescued one
marine and a civilian. That brave
negro deserves a heros medal.
1--WE were in the lifeboat about two
hours before we were picked up by
the crew of the French cruiser. l car
not speak too highly of the gallantr1
and kindness of the French officer:
and men during our rescue and the
time spent on the cruiser"
Marines Were Heroes.
Many of the marines proved them
selves heroes. After jumping over
board and saving two men by drag
ging them onto floating wreckage, NeC
Rogoff of Springfield, Mass, wen
back into the ice-cold water to the
assistance of a woman. He rescued
her by swimming with her to life
boat from the cruiser.
Swimming with child on his back
Joseph Spaeth of Buffalo saved wo
man and man by assisting them to
fifeboat from the cruiser when the.
were becoming fast exhausted.