The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-10-12

| sci He described as a veTitable rain
| the number of men, landing on the
destroyer.
Many OF those W no reached this
decks OF the vessel suffered broken
! bones or otherwise were hurt. Those
who missed the deck OF the destroyer
| went to almost instant death.
Four times the battered destroyer
| came alongside and each time the
| previous scenes were repeated. Al
| the end of the fourth trip she had
| $40 Americans, 236 Of the crew, 81
French sailors and one British officer
| on board. The bow was full and
having done all possible. she started
for port
The survivors saw the Ontario
| drifting helplessly toward the rocks
| as they pulled away toward the
/ Irish coast. The destroyer barely
| had time TO send a brief message
/ when her wireless was carried away
/ The little overloaded vessel had a
rough trip to port.
Stood at Parade.
One Of the American troops on
board the Ontario pictured the
scene when the vessels coilided. Sol
diers lined the decks as though on
| parade and at the word Of command
| stood at attention like statues. They
| never waivered. remaining there in
military formation, exemplifying
during the crisis the noblest tradi-
| tons Of the army for heroism and
discipline. The same thing. said the
! soldier. applied to the seamen.
Numbers of bodies today were be-
ing washed up rapidly on the shore,
It was reported that 175 had been
counted at noon and nearly all OF
them had been identified.
A seaman on the Ontario described
| the most tragic moment of the disas-
ter as that when the order came for
the men TO jump and save them
selves. The destroyer looked a very
small boat alongside the former Or
| lent liner, and many Iandsmen
among the American troops thought
themselves safer aboard the larger
vessel. This was fatal to many on
them.
The victims are to be collected al
the most. suitable place and buried
there. A boat left Liverpool today
with material for collins. so laborers
and carpenters and chapIains to
conduct the. funeral services. This
grave Of every man will be marked
and charted. fl
There were few cases among the
dead where Identification was delay
ed. Every man had worn an identi-
fication tag on his wrist or neck
but in some instances these were
torn off and it was necessary to take
finger prints of the men.
AN instance OF the many rescues
by the mounsey was that Of T. l.
| Campbell a Memphis lawyer, and a
| secretary Of the Y. NJ. c. A. He
weighs go pounds. He was perched
on the Ontario's rail awaiting a
chance to spring upon the destroy
er, the third time the Mounsev came
| up. As he leaped the Mounsey
lurched and instead OF landing in
the middle Of the deck. as he had
hoped TO do. one OF his legs caught
in a cable on the side of the destroy
err. Campbell pulled himself aboard
| unintured.
Just when the destroyer was pull
! ing away the last time. said Camp
bell today. ''the men lined the rails
or stood on the after deck waving a
farewell A huge wave struck a
crowd Of about 10 privates on the
after deck and a dozen Of them were
! swept into the sea to their death
IT was Impossible to save persons az
the waves were running so to 70
feet high"
From the Interior.
A number Of the troops on board
were from the interior Of the United
states, and many were without ex-
pertence at sea. They had prefer
red to remain on the bigger shin
rather than risk jumping TO the
small destroyer Mounsey, which
came to the rescue, and they seem
to be cheered by the sight of land.
The hopes Of the men that they
would be able 10 make a. safe land
! ing, however, were dispelled by the
Otranto's captain when he shouted
from the bridge:
for it."
About that time the troopship slid
with hardly a jar onto a, shelving
rock which, as a wave receded, BIZ
| it's teeth into the ships timber and
held her in a vise-lik crap. After
that the tragedy moved quickly "a
its climax.
The fury of the storm seemed to
be conferred on the pinioned and
| helpless vessel and In league with
the vicious sea which began TO rend
and tear her to pieces. The steel
| decShouse was wrenched bodily
| from its fastenings by the enormous
waves and was hurled into the
breakers, sweeping many men away
with IL.
A Mile From Shore.
The ship had sstrucIS about a mile
j from shore and on the cliffs stood
groups Of islanders eager to send
aid but which it was impossible to
attempt. Owing TO the terrific wind
there was no chance OF getting a line
to the ship which was now fast
breaking UP.
Scores Of men began TO jump and
many Immediately were washed by
sides Of the ship.
| About noon the Otranto was lifted
on the crest OF a high comber and
dashed back to the rock so violent
| Iy that the vessel broke squarely in
| two. The mast snapped short kill
ing men as It fell.
One section of the hulk turned
| sidewise, emptying all hands still
clinging TO the deck, into the boil
| ing surf. The other section proved
4 a. piaything for the waves and
speedily was ground 20 pieces on
the rocks.
The remaining members OF the
| ships company now were struggling
in the water. The slim chance thes
might have had OF getting ashore
wreckage from the ship through
which the best swimmers were I'M
able to win their way.
One MaH'a Experiences,
The experience related by VIII
1 liam Richards typifies thnt os the
Others but perhaps q bit more sen-
! Eational lie said
The fellows were fine. We knew