The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-05-02
Sixty-nine Persons on City OF
Athens and Seventeen From
French Warship Perish
SAVANNAH VESSEL
SINKS RAPIDLY AS
FIRE ADDS TO PANIC
Cruiser Sends Boat to Pick up
Survivors, Who Are Clothed
by Gifts From Sailors and
Sent to an Atlantic Port

An Atlantic Port. Nav sixty
nine Of the passengers and crew OF
the Savannah Lin steamship City Of
Athens lost their lives when the
steamer was rammed by A French
cruiser and sunk off the Delaware
capes at 1880 this morning.
The cruiser backed OFF after the
crash and lowered BOATS, which pick
ed up all the survivors who we're
found afoat- Many we're dra WI into
the vortex caused ny the sinking OF
the steamer.
The cruisers bow was badly dam
aged by the collision and seventeen
Of her men were reported lost,
The ships came together while both
were running at a fair speed in a
heavy fog which had settled down
about midnight. The City OF Athens
was truck on the stsrhoard side near
the how and went down in seven min
utes after the crash. A FIRE which
started on the ship Immediately after
the collision added to tho panic on
board the Inflated ship n h~ampered
the crew in their efforts 70 launch the
hfeboats.
Among the lost were FIVE recruits
OF LNe marine COZ pS. fhFiAbN}S " n
PARTY of twentv-four on their way
from, New York to the training sta
ton on Parts Island. s G.
The marine corps recruits reported
los were:
Samuel Ginsherg, william w. In
lie. New York; Harry Rosenfieid.
Brooklyn; Stephens b. Tying. Jr., Gar
den City. n. Z. Berchman j. Ora
ham. Buffalo.
Others reported missing are;
Nat Kahn, William J.. Mack and
Howard J.. Walls. New York: Peter
HaneEan. Harry f. Whetmore and
Frank r. Dixon. Buffalo
Among the officers ana crew ~ the
steamer reported lost arc: Charles
Lewis, second officer; Charles Cooke,
assistan Mt engineer; James Poole, oller.
Dick Salmos, water tender.
Albert Thibodeau. OF Waerviile,
Ne, one Of the marine survivors, who
enlisted through the Buffalo recruit
ing sta ton last Monday. told his
story:
Jack Darcy was with me in the
st~ateroor1 when We heard the first
crash. | got W and turned or the
light. but everything seemed quiet
and we turned ii off again. preparing
to go back TO sleep. but soon there
were cries heard on deck and we
again flashed on the light.
Jack looked out OF the door and
then made a rush for one OF the life
belts. l was too much excited to
think, hut after huckhng on the re
naming belt I grabbed an overcoat
and put IL on over my pajanas. When
We got out into the saloon I lost Jack.
Thinking that il was best to head for
the second deck. | made II up there.
hut there was no one in sight.
Seeing a lifehoat. I tried 10 loosen
il. but while working a a caught
me and I went with II The first
thing I found to get hold OF was a
little square box with a strap around
it. Getting a hold on the strap. held
IN for all there wa in me till an sx-
plosion came and a long board fell
only n few feet away.
Swimming to the board, 7 crawled
IN II, and from there watched the
hull Of the ship go down Every lit
tie while a heavy wave would some
along and almost tear me off the
plank, but l held or till the search
lights and the ~lifeboats were search
ing for survivors.
believe me, that was welcome
news. | must have been in the water
for a long time. because | don't re-
member being picked up in the life
boat, when / came to. was in a
bed on The cruiser and Jack was
standing over me. He had a smile all
over his face, and, grabbing my hand,
he said; 1 thought you were gone"
John l.. Wilson. of Geneva. \. y.
who is the possessor of a pair of
oyeralis given him by a ~deckhand,
said:
From the time we left New York
in the afternoon we were having a
wonderful time. In the sa loon the
evening before there was a woman
who played the piano for us and we
danced. sang and were enjoying life.
] wish | knew whether that woman
vas saved; I couldn't find her on he
cruiser.
II really don't know how / got
upon the second deck after the coils
ion. but | snow | was clad only in
my underwear, When saw tina "a
was all UP with the City of Athens,
I Owed into the water. There was a
French soldier hanging on TO a small
box with a little handbag. ! asked
him If | could get a lift in the came
way. For a while we both padded
along hanging on TO the box and then
a wave took the handbag off. The
soldier was hea~rtbroken, hut he hung
on,
when n of the lifeboats ca me
pretty near us he called to the men
in French. | ont know what he
said. but it brought results and we
were nicked uQ.' -