The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-10-12

l The mast snapped short, killing men as it fell.
 | One section of the hulk turned side wise, emptying all hands still cling ing to the deck into the surf. The other section speedily was ground to pieces on the rocks.
 The ships remaining company now were struggling in the water. The slim chance they might have had of getting ashore virtually was dissipat- ed by the wreckage from the ship through which the best swimmers were unable to win their way. | The experience related by William Richards typifies that of the others but perhaps is a bit more sensational He said:
 "The fellows were fine. We knew that when the ship went fast on the rocks 50 far out we would not have much chance to save our skins. But we all seemed determined to make a good try.
 "A wave washed me off and I man aged to get clear of the ship. The first man I recognized in the water was the captain who was thrown over board when the mast broke away He was standing straight up treading water and Joking about for something to grasp.
 There were three men on a mat tress riding in to shore as though they were enjoying life, but while watched them and wishing I were on it too a big roller swept them all off and banged them against the rocks. SaZU five yOr Ofbarc on bench. Some managed to climb on the tin rafts lowered from the ship but every raft I saw was smashed to pieces against the vessel or on the l rocks
 "The nose of the wreckage grind ing on the rocks was fierce and any fellow who got into the wreckage was as good as gone. There were dozens of the boys floating around. me, all dead, with nothing but their blue faces out of the water.
 "A big roller carried me into a kind of cleft in the rocks and was thrown upon the side. must have passed out. When came to I saw two British soldiers on the other side
 of the ravine. They threw me a rope which I made fast and crossed hand over hand"
 Joseph Pollock said he believed many more of the soldiers would have been saved but for the steep banks of the cliffs. In one little cove twen- ty-eight bodies were counted.
 All the Americans voiced their deee gratitude to the islands for the ten der care they gave the men. The survivors were put to bed in private
 houses and were so well provided for
 in every way that no one wanted
 to leae when the relief ship arrived.
 All the names of the survivors are being cabled to the War Department where they will be checked against the full list from the port from which the vessel sailed. In this way the dead will be ascertained. An officer of the Young Mems Chris tian Association named. brown is among the missing
 A British admiralty statement on the sinking of the. transport Otranto follows:
 "At Ii o'clock on Sunday the armed mercantile cruiser Otranto, acting Captain Ernest Davidson in con- mand, was in collision with the steam ship Kishmir. Both vessels were car rying United States troops. The l weather was very bad and the ships drifted apart and soon lost sight of each other. The torpedo boat de- stroyer Mounsey was called by wire less and by skilful handling succeeded } in taking off 27 officers and 2S9 men of the crew and 300 United States sol diers and 30 French sailors. They were landed at a North Irish port.
 The Otranto drifted ashore on the island of Islay. She lecame a total | wreck. Sixteen survivors have been picked up at Islay. There are missing r and 1t is feared drowned 335 United States soldiers. Il officers and S5 men
 of the crew, including men with mer-
 cartile marine ratings.
 ''The Kashmir reached a Scottish
 port and landed it's troops without casualties"
 Belfast, Oct. 12.---The Telegram
 stateS that it was in obedience to or ders from the Otranto, which was the
 flagship of the concoy. that the steam
 CT Kashmir after the collision pro- \ ceeded without attempting to rescue ! H.sy one from the sOtranto.