New-York tribune., 1918-05-02

soon as she cleared the harbor and felt
her way down the coast, sounding her
fog horn.
According to Chief Engineer H. w.
Stewart, one of the survivors, she was
110 miles from New York and in the
vicinity Of Atlantic City when she was
struck. There was not word of
warning.
The crash came about 1 o'clock The
cruiser ripped into the starboard side
of the steamer and then backed off,
The City of Athens Immediately began
to settle. The hole was near her bow
far below the water line and the crash
tore out her bulkheads. The force of
the blow bowled the vessel over toward
port.
No Panic on Ship
After che collision the French cruiser
backed off to about three hundred
yards from the City of Athens. So
dense was the fog that even at that
distance the French vessel could not
be seen. The only evidence of her
presence that those aboard the sinking
ship had were the rays of her search
lights cutting the darkness.
There was no panic aboard the City
of Athens, according to the stories of
survivors.
81 was in my bunk" said Chief En-
gineer Stewart. "when the blow came.
It seemed to lift the ship out of the
water. ! pulled on pair of trousers
and rushed to deck. There l bumped
into the captain.
"'My God l told him, "we're hiS!'
He didn't answer. BY that time all the
passengers ard the crew were on deck.
1t was surprisingly quiet. There was
no panic. A woman l didn't recognize,
to me with a baby in her arms, and
cried. For Gods sake. save me!'
found her a place in boat.
No Chance to Launch Boats
"Captain Forward, VINO was among
those saved, was shouting Women and
children first Before we knew it,
the ship was settling. We didn't have
a chance to do thing with our life
boats. Two, think, got away safely.
Several others were smashed.
"The vessel lurched tc port while
We were fighting to clear two others.
They turned over and their passengers
fell into the water. The bow of the
ship was settling and we had to climb
at an awful angle to get to the stern.
81 struggled toward the stern in
time to, see boat turn over. That
one had woman with a baby in it.
It was awful. We helped the women
and some of the other passengers on
with life preservers and then most
of the crew took their chances on life
RATS. I jumped into the water and
foated for long time. Then l was
picked up"
Despite the hole in her bow and the
fact that her mainmast was, snapped in
seriously disabled. Lifeboats put out
from her as soon as she cleared the
City of Athens.
For three hours she stood by the
spot where the City of Athens went
down and searched for survivors. With
the exception of the two boatloads of
passengers, all those saved from the
wreck were picked up by French sail
ors. They worked under terrific handi-
white from the searchlights to guide
them to struggling passengers, clinging
to capsized lifeboats, rafts and bits of
wreckage.
Handless Sailor Saves Woman
Survivors told of the bravery of the
French sailors who left New York City
on the coast steamer. A woman said
one Frenchman, both his hands cut off
above the wrists, helped her to a life
raft. Then he went down, she said.
The marine rockies stood up like
veterans in this first test of their
GOODNESS. Survivors said they made
many heroic rescues.
The lights on the City of Athens
| went out soon after the blow, went
up for a minute or two and then
blinked out again. Her wireless op-
orator was lost While the French
| sailnra mora oaarchiner for Surxiuors