Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-02-26
END
OF FL0RIzEL
IS PICTURED
Survivors of Wrecked Red
Cross Ship Tell Graphic
Stories of Disaster.

st. Johns, N. F., Feb. 26.-Graphic
stories Of rescues from the wrecked
Red Cross liner Florizel and further
details of Sundays disaster we're re-
lated today by survivors who are re-
covering here from the terrible hard
ships they endured before they were
saved by small boats from the New
Foundland steamer Prospero.
When Captain Martin Of the Florizel
] reached here he was in such state Of
collapse that he could make no state
ment.
Members Of the crew said the mis-
take in reckoning which brought the
Florizel head on to the coast 20 miles
north Of Cape Race when all hands
thought she was we'll out to sea as she
turned westward for Halifax, was due
to running without the patent log. The
heavy snow, forming an icy crust, or
what the natives term "slob," as it
struck the sea, made it impossible to
use the log to register the steamers
progress against the storm. The
steamship therefore was navigated by
dead reckoning and as frequently hap
pens in this region of shifting currents
and battling winds the calculations
were off, and the Florizel went the way
of other brave ships in this graveyard
Of the north Atlantic.
Swept to Death Half Clad.
Many of the passengers were swept
to death half clad in less than fifteen
| minutes after the steamer struck the
rocks. Dozens of passengers trapped
below the decks were drowned in their
berths or at the foot Of the compan-
ionways by cascading seas which filled
the saloon.
Directed by officers and crew who
never for moment forgot the best
traditions of the sea in looking after
| their passengers, those who escaped
from the saloon sought safety on the
bridge deck. Two hours later a giant
wall Of water Numbered upon them,
wrenching the structure bodily from
its base and engulfing 80 men and
women.
A short while later 20 persons cling
ing desperately to the roof of the
smoking room met similar fate.
Wireless House Saved Many. =.
The stout construction of the wire
/ less house saved most Of the surviv-
ors. Thirty-two persons piled into the
wireless room, packed SO closely they
could neither sit nor lie down. They
were without food, water or adequate
clothing. They were often engulfed
by boarding seas. Some of them bad
ly injured by flying timers. and other
wreckage. died as they stood.
The pitiful manner in which MEM
bers of families died one by one was
graphically described by survivors.
Three-year-old Betsy Mum, daugh-
| ter of John S. Mum, managing direc,
tor of the line, was swept overheard
before his eyes. The cn1ld's nurse had
! been drowned in her berth. Mum was
swept to his death with the group on
! the bridge deck Fred Butler, an ar
chitect Of this city, who was going to
Florida with his wife was support
/ ing her against the rush of water
when one comber towering above all
the others, snatched her from his
arms. He was carried along helpless
ly in the torrent, bringing up in a
tangle of wreckage. Bruised and en-
meshed he was unable to extricats
himself and persisted miserably.
Beat Each Other To Keep Warm.
One Of the most remarkable tales Of
the survival Of the strongest relates
the way in which Major Michael Sulli
van. commander Of the New Foundlant
forestry battalion. and Ralph Burn
ham, cadet of the royal flying CORPS
fought back death literally with thei,
bare fists and brought with them .
naked Spanish stoker. Major Sulli
van and the young subaltern contriyef
to shelter themselves in the upper sec
tion Of the bunker through which
ashes from the stokehold are emptiet
into the sea- There. for 26 hours the,
maintained themselves. They nearl,
persisted with the cold and to kee,
warm in the body beat each other lus
tily with their fists. Into their pre
carious retreat crept one Of the Span
ish stokers. stark naked and nearl,
dead from the shock OF icy waters aft
er the terrific heat OF the fire room
He was too numb to fight for his owl
fCauffun~A n