Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-12

, of the soldiers was wonderful. They
jumped 10 attention at their appointed
places awaiting commands without
panic.
There were 100 sick cases below
and believe they were all lost.
I'VE ioated an hour and a quarter
after the collision when a British de-
stroyer drew up alongside, our boys
began to jump. There were 200 soldiers
aboard. OF those left aboard many
must have been lost"
Other estimates declared there were
300 soldiers aboard. Unstinted praise
is being heaped on Lieutenant Com-
mander Craven. who commanded the
british destroyer Mousen and rescued
more than 200 men.
Most OF the soldiers on the transport
were Georgia men. all casualties tprOD-
ably meaning replacement units).
Red Cross workers met survivors of
the lost ship as they landed. supplying
them with cigarettes, hot conee, food
and other necessities.
Miss Jene Rider. OF Tucson. Ariz.. a
Red Cross nurse, VINO was aboard one
of the vessels In the convoy with which
the Otranto was proceeding, SAID
"The first we knew of trouble TO the
Otranto was when we picked up . )
messages from both the otranto ana
the Kashmir. The storm was so bad
we couldn't turn. but had TO put back
to sea. We cooldnt see thing, Then
we heard the Otranto was trying TO pnt
lifeboats over the side. with some of the
men drowning as they tried to enter.
Miss Ruth Gibbons. OF Ardmore. n. y.
another survivor. said there were many
conflicting stories regarding the num-
ber of missing. Latest reports from
Belfast. she declared, said there were
900 unaccounted for, while others she
had heard placed the loss at 400.
Men from the lost ships described
.,t rttI
cuing ship came alongside the damaged
transport.
The men were told it was every man
for himself Standing on the top deck,
men began to leap aboard 'he destroyer
some OF them as far as twenty rect.
Corporal ]. ]. Donerty, of Brooklyn.
who was among those landed. was asked
il he were scared.
Hell. no !" he said, nothing scares
us"
Private H. $. Appleby. Of Knoxville.
Pa, said: Man. the weather was aw-
full. The waves came over as the ship
listed and It was difficult to stand stu.
Prlvates G. W. Allen. of Noxen. Pa.
and q. J. Holman. of Boston, jumped
together.
Everybody was calm declared Ser
geant Il. J. Donahue, of columbus. -
I'VE knew we were doomed and didn't
think of rescue. Boy, when we saw
that destroyer we felt fine. saw nifty
soldiers swimming at the side OF the
destroyer and saw that ship cut one
in two. Another who was hanging 10
a ladder dangling from the side OF the
destroyer. was crushed to death wheh
the warship was thrown against the
side of the Otranto."
Many other stories of men being
crushed between the rescue ship and
the doomed vessel were told. Other
survivors told of men being washed
into swirlng seas from which there
was no returning.
Corporal F'innigan, of New YORK, was
able 10 grasp rope tied to gun
aboard the destroyer. For forty-hNe
minutes he was dragged in the water
behind the rescue ship, but finally was
pulled aboard.
Private Will Covington. of Columbus
Ga. rescued two privates who were
struggling in the water.
W. j. Weidgenant of Chicago. de.
clared he saw one soldiers head crushed