The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-05-02
CITY OF ATHENS
WENT DOWN WITH
MANY IN BERTHS
Lacking Time to Launch Boats,
Survivors Leap Into Sea;
... Cruiser Aids
SIXTY-EIGHT ARE RESCUED
U. S. Marines, French Sailors
2 Women, 80 of Crew Are
Lost

An Atlantic Port, May 1.-Six-
ty-six persons lost their lives
when the steamship City Of Ath-
ems, bound from New York for
Savannah, was rammed and sunk
by a French cruiser off the Della
ware coast at one o'clock this
morning. The missing include
ten men and two women who
were passengers, seven out Of "a
United States marines, who were on
board, fourteen out OF twenty French
sailors and thirty.three members OF
the crew 4. .-" E-...
New York, N. Y, May 1.-The City
of Athens carried crew Of 1875 men.
The vessel sank within seven minutes
after the collision. Sixty-one of the
crew were brought to this port late
today by the French cruiser, which
was seriously damaged.
Fire was discovered in one of the
holds of the city of Athens immediate
ly after the collision An attempt was
made to lower the lifeboats but the
vessel was sinking too fast. Most of
those on board leaped overheard and
the, survivors were rescued by the
boats of the cruiser.
All the passengers and many Vi the
crew were in their berths when The
bow OF the Warship plunged into the
side of 2,O3O ton coastwise vessel. Fire
broke out almost Immediately after
ward in hold No. l., but it had no
bearing on the fate of the ship for the
flames were quickly quenched by the
rush of water which poured in.
Captain J. Forward, one Of the veter
an commanders in the service of the
Ocean Steamship Company, owners Of
the vessel, did his best to avert a pan
ic and man the lifeboats So quickly
did the doomed vessel sink, however,
there was no time to get the boats
away, and many of those who persisted
were trapped in their berths.
Those Of the passengers and the
crew who were able to reach the deck,
all Of them thinly clad and many with
out life preservers, plunged into the
sea. ~.
The cruiser launched lifeboats i'm,
mediately after the crash and turned
it's searchlights upon the waters in
which men and women were strug
Cling for their lives. Sixty-eight per
sons were picked up and brought back
to this port by the warship, which
was not seriously, damaged. .,...--.
Both ships were carrying running
lights because of the heavy fog which
hung over the sea-
F. b. Doherty the wireless operator,
was able to send out only one IS. O..
S." call after the warships bow plung
ed into the City of Athens. There was
response to appeal for aid and the
vessel sank so quickly Doherty had no
opportunity to repeat the call. He is
believed to have been drowned at his
post.
One of the heroes of the sea tragedy
was Harry A. Kelley of New York, an
oiler, who swan to an overturned
lifeDoat and dragged up on the bottom
of it four persons who were struggling
in the sea. He held them there until
they were taken of by boat.
The City OF Athens left her pier here
at 3 o'clock yesterday, she carried a
cargo Of general merchandise and
some passengers. She was In charge
Of Captain J. Forward, one of the old
est commanders In the service Of the
Ocean Steamship Company. The YES
sci was OF 5000 tons and was engaged
in trade between this city and Say
annah.