Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-05-07
DIR. BROOKS, SAVED
F R O M STEAMER,
TELLS EXPERIENCE
Atlanta Physician Gives Life
PreSeNer to Miss Looper
and Stays on Vessel Until
the Last

Bringing the first complete details
of the sinking of the steamship City Of
Athens off the Delaware coast Wednes-
day morning and confirming the death
in that tragic wreck of Mr.. August
Denk, treasurer of the Fulton Bag and
Cotton mills, and Miss Corinne Looper,
of 212 Holderness street. DR.. E L.
Brooks the lone Atlanta survivor of the
vessel. arrived in Atlanta Saturday
morning and gave The Journal the full
story of what happened in the hours
which followed the ramming of the City
of Athens by a French cruiser.
DR.. Brooks chatted with Mr.. Denk
few hours before the sinking occurred.
and the two agreed laughingly that lit
would be a cold night to have to take to
the water" In the few short minutes
between the blow from the cruisers
PROV, which almost split the City of
Athens in two pieces, and the moment
when the vessel literally sank under the
feet of the Atlanta physician and left
him whirling diZzily in the icy water
he gave Miss Corinne Looper a life pre-
server. Later, on the rescuing vessel,
he was the last man to leave and he
helped check the list of survivors, so
his story would seem to cut the last
shred of hope chung to by the two At
lanta families who have believed until
now that their loved ones might be
saved.
There was little time for anything to
be done for anybody" said DR.. Brooks
Saturday. cit was 1920 o'clock on
cold, foggy morning when the great
hole, more than twenty feet across, was
ripped through the vitals Of the City OF
Athens, and seven minutes later there
was nothing visible under the glare of
the searchlights of the cruiser but
floating wreckage and bobbing head'
that screamed and prayed in agony.
Everything possible was done by the
officers and crew of the French vessel,
who were blameleSs, as both ships were
travelling under the wartime restrfc-
ton of all lights out, but many of the
passengers on the City Of Athens never
got out of their staterooms and could
hardly have realized the situation be-
fore death took them. Where the prov
of the cruiser struck were the berths Of
twenty French sailors and an officer.
bound for Savannah to report for new
duty, and the fingers and toes Of some
of these men were found on the sharp
edge of the ship.
at had some trouble getting my state
room door open and it must have been
only two or three minutes before the
end when 1 got on deck. 1 did not see
Mr.. Denk at that time. I gave Miss
Looper a life preserver: helped two
children on lifeboat and then the ves-
sci went out from under me and began
a terribly two hours waiting in the
water Two marines, hauled on board
the cruiser at the same time 1 was,
had died from the cold water and 1 was
so thoroughly saturated with It that the
bruises from flying wreckage had not
panied me at all"
As a proof Of how quickly and COM
pletely the City of Athens was destroy
ed, DR.. Brooks exhibited an overcoat
with coffee grounds in the pockets. He
said that grounds were also found in
his other pockets and shoes, and that
the water surrounding the wrack had
been made a chruning mass Of cargo.
DR.. Brooks, who came to Atlanta by
train, had as his travelling companion.
DR.. A. J. Kemp, of Triton, Ga, who
was also on the rammed steamship, and
who was for time thought lost. The
two men had witnessed many instances
of heroism in the tragic night on the At
lantic including the spectacle of wire
less operator who never left his post,
even when the boat went down, and who
consequently lost his life.