Evening star., 1918-02-26
Families Die One by One.

The pitifu1 manner in which mem
oers OF lamiifes died one by one was
graphically described by survivors.
Three-year-old Betsy Mum, daughter
of John s. Mum, managing director
OF the line, was swept overheard be-
fore his eyes. The child's nurse had
been drowned in her berth. Mum was
swept to his death with the group on
the bridge deck Fred Butler an archi-
tect OF this city, who was going to
Florida with his wife, was supporting
her against the rush of water when
one comber towering above all the
others snatched her from his arms.
He was carried along helpIessly in the
torrent bringing M in . stanele of
wreekage. Bruised and senmeshed, he
wac unable to extricate himself and
perished miserably.
One Of the most remarkable tales Of
the survival OF the strongest. relates
the way in which MAJ Michael SuIli-
van. commander Of the Newfoundland
forestry battalion, and Ralph Burn
ham. cadet of the Royal Flying Corps,
fought back death literally with their
bare nsts. and brought through with
them naked Spanish stoker Mai
sullivan and the young subaltern con-
trfved to shelter themselves in the up-
Per section of the bunker through
which ashes from the stokehold are
emptied into the sea- There, for
twenty-sh hours. they maintained
themselves. They, nearly perished with
the cold, and to keep warmth in their
bodies beat each other Justify with
their fists. Into their precarious re-
treat crept one of the Spanish stokers,
stark naked and nearly dead from the
shock of icy water after the terrific
neat OF the dreroom. He was too numb
to fight for his own life So the major
and the corporal fought for him.
From pummeling themselves thew
took to punnmeling the stoker. Secur-
ing t2rpaulin theyQ wrapped It about
him and though nearly exhausted
themselves they kept up the PROSTATE
stokers circulation by unceasing exer-
tionA They brought the stoker
through. but he lies at Q hospital here
eeftousiy Ill Burnham was badly
frostbitten and Mai Sullivan was Sc
riously crippled when flying wreck
age crushed one Of his legs.
Trapped Below, But Lives.
Another terrible experience was that
picture theater in this city. He is
the only one of those trapped below
who lives to tell of it. The first rush
OF water flooded his stateroom, but.
the air pressure at the top of the room
kept down the water, SO that by lying
on the upper berth, with his nose to
the ceiling, he was able to escape
browning. His greatest fear was that
life-savers might board the ship, take
on those on the decks, and. believing
all below deck drowned. depart and
leave him to die.
He cried for help at the top of his
lungs He beat the ceiling with his
hsts until his knuckles bled But the
bowling of the gale and the crash of
the seas drowned out the feeble sounds
he could make. When hope had nearly
gone he gave a last despairing shout
He heard an answering shout Res
cuers had heard him and in a short
time bluejackefs from one of the res
cuing vessels had smashed a way to
him with axes and lifted him from
his tomb.
Unstinted praise was given to blue-
Jackets of the Newfoundland naval re-
serve, who made up a larger part Of
the volunteer rescue crews One Of
them sacrificed his life. the only one
OF the rescue fleet to perish.
Commander McDermott, senior naval
odhcer in charge Of the reservists, sa-