Evening journal., 1918-06-05
CAROLINA SURVIVORS
TELL NARROWING TALE
OF BATTLE WITH SEAS

I area. Our llfeboat. equipped with
motor, was towing another carrying
! about the same number OF persons am
! we were making some progress. whel
about 100 in the morning. the storm
struck us with great intensity.
In short time the long SWELL
which we had been riding became vi
cious combers which caused the boa
10 ship water and eventually stalled
the engine Whether or not the boa
we were towing foundered right then
didn't learn. but it disappeared, anC
some time later our craft capsized anC
! we were all thrown into the sea.
/ "Of the twelve Of our people who
were drowned the majority were caught
under the upturned boat and lost their
lives in this manner One OF the stew
ardesses. a Miss Mccarthy. was caught
by the head under the boat rail. drown
ing before our eyes. and the chief pur-
ser and the first assistant engineer, too,
were among those lost.
I "Time and again the boat was right
ed only 10 capsize when struck by
other seas, and I for my part. became
so exhausted and frightened that I am
not able to remember much OF the next
horrible hours I know that after
seeing the body OF the dead woman for
several hours I thought I must just as
well get her lifebelt SO I succeeded,
after many trials TO Nnfasten II from
her body and push Il over my own
shoulders"
How the fight to right the boat was
continued during the whole terrible
night was then told by others OF the
survivors. one OF them, Emanuel de
Beneditti. OF No 81 Christopher street
New York, also a steward, related how
toward morning. the storm abated and
how the breaking Of daylight gave them
added courage TO keep up the battle for
life
I'VE had nothing 10 cat or drink,
only a couple OF tins OF biscuits which
we picked out OF the water. and they
only added to our thirst" he said Fin
ally. the boat was gotten on her right
keel and first one nah crawled in and
began bailng u out with his cupped
hands, followed by another when she
got some buoyanee and eventually we
all climbed in.
"how that day ever passed ] cannot
say; we suffered for want OF water
more than from hunger. During the
morning we had a shock when we
came upon q young woman, Edith
Leonato, who had been missing since
the boat first upset during the night.
We all believed she had drowned, but
here she was floating, holding herself
above water by clinging 10 the bodies
OF two dead people. The lifebelts
strapped 10 their waist and shoulders
kept the bodies afloat and was even
sufficient to support the weight Of Miss
1 Leonato. who had been twelve hours
/ In the water when we pulled her Hnto
! the boat, more dead than alive.
After this incident we all dropped
! too exhausted TO do anything much,
! but drift around in the hope that some
ship might come along and sight us.
/ 10 was about 9 o'clock in the after
noon when someone detected the smoke
/ trail OF a steamship We were then
almost more frightened than any time
on the trim In the storm, lest the ves-
sci should fail to see us.
III soon became evident however,
that they had seen us because the yes
sci, which later proved 30 be the Ap-
pleby bore down on our boat and be-
fore we realized IL we were on her
decks"
U-boat 800 Feet Long.
While all the men in the party agreed
the submarine was Of exceptional size,
Richard Laurance. OF No. 81 Prospect /
avenue Brooklyn. one OF the party /
made the positive claim that the U-boat
measured fully 900 feet. 10 came very
close 20 the Carolina before sinking the
liner and Laurence, comparing the
ength OF the two vessels, said there
vas no doubt but that the submerslble
vas as long as he insisted The craft
'arried two guns apparently OF six
nch calibre. one fore and aft. and
mailer gun near the coming tower.
30 Laurance and corrobOr-
ted by the other men, there were some
ifty men on her decks at one time, in
Heating still more that she was one OF
he biggest and latest In all probability.
Included in the party was anothe~T
woman. Mrs Juana Nieva, native OF
Porto Rica. who was bound for New
York, where she was going 10 live with
relatives at No. 2ii East Nineteenth
street, while another survivor was
Andre Sanchez. a commission merchant.
II san Juan. who was making the trip
% New York as a passenger.
After the rescue vessel had picked up
he survivors the master and crew did
m they could to make them comfort
bile and when the vessel reached here
It 10 a. m. yesterday, she was met by
he pilot boat Philadelphia, In com
nand Of Captain Robert C. Chambers.
Who took of the Carolina party and
anded them at the naval base.