Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-09-27
A LUSITANIA SURVIVOR
ny Frederic J. Haskin.

|
washington, Sept. 27.---It has been |
said that II man stands at Forty |
Second Street and Broadway he VIII |
see more interesting people in stat
ed length OF time than anywhere else
in the world IL Is possible, however,
that The National Press Club at
| Washington can run n close second 70
and often exceed that notable New
York corner in the number OF curl
ous and interesting visitors.
| Only yesterday Fred Gauntlet was
at the Press Club. Many people know
Mr.. gauntlett--but not TOO many lie
| is as interesting as almost any pri-
vate citizen for many reasons, out
for two In particular which are well
worth mentioning.
| Fred Gauntlet Ii one OF the COM
paratiyeIy few men who went down on
| the Lusitanla--snd came up again 20
| tell tho tale. Also he is practically the
only mon In tho world who ever own
ed modern navy as his personal
property.
Both stories deserve rec!ting.
Mr.. Gauntlet has for years been
| Washington representative OF the
Newport News Shipbuiiding and Dry
dock Company. Ho is an expert in al
matters pertaining 10 shipbuiIding and
az tho company with which he Is
connected is engaged chiefly In con-
structing warshlps. he Is especially
an expert in men o. war. When Ger
many was pressing tho Allica particu-
iarly hard, not many months before
the United States entered the strug
gle, Great Britain needed some spc-
cial advice in the matter OF naval ar
mament Mr.. Gauntlet, Mr.. Knox.
=, President Of the New York Shipbuild-
, ing Company. Mr.. Ferguson, President
I, Of the Newport News Shipbuildlng and
Drydock Company. and one or two
other experts were invited 20 go 10
London to discuss naval matters. They
sailed on the Lusitania
Mr.. Gauntlet says he was having
: lunch about O'Clock In the afternoon
I when there was dull thud aft. He
:. did not know what the cause was IL
T. was so slight he finished his lunch. In
9 a few minutes ne went on deck and
n noticed some signs OF excitement
. among the crew. Discovering that a
Q torpedo had hit the great liner, he
$ took stock OF the situation. Being an
o old shipping man, ne knew instinc-
= lively what every aspect OF such q
V situation would be. He realized that
q the day being warm, every port wa,
o open. He attempted 20 get the stew
> ards force to assist him in ciosint
u them, but the hysteria was increasing
momentarIly and he was unsuccessful
- Menace Of Open Portfolios.
B. Long afterwards. In relating tn
,f tale ne said Il was obvious what wa
about 70 happen. The Lusitania wa
. tall ship. She had three tiers Of cab
= in ports. all open FOR ventilation. Tn
torpedo had struck in such a wa
=. that the ship filed on one side an
:, was listing perceptibly. Mr.. Gaunt
lett knew that as soon as the shi
had heeled over sufficiently, the wa
ter would begin to pour into the port
10 holes. This would accelerate the In
Is. flow OF water and hasten the foodin
nj OF the ship. He made a hasty ealcula
IN ton and arrived at the conclusion tina
10 IL the portfolios once started fllini
III the chip was lost, because there wer
IN on the listing side OF the great line
ht more than six hundred such opening
Id each Of which would admit larg
n, stream. AS the first tier filed. the shi
g. would list more rapidly; this 500
ne would bring down the second tier an
shortly after the third. The resu
|, would be a vertible Niagara OF wats
p pouring into the ship.
h When II was apparent he cou
rally no assistance TO close the por
-, holes he went on deck. Already Il
Lusitania was listing sharply. (
a. took off his coat. The deck was at q
uncomfortable angle. He waited.
:" cry came from alongside. A woms
and child had slid into the waite
With the aid of a sailor he attempt.
to rescue them and did succeed
dragging one into a life-boat on
in time for II 70 become fouled al
sink. Then came an especially shal
HIST and the deck tilted at such {
er. angle that he could hold on no longe
er and he slid into the sea-
of Mr.. Gauntlet says that the narroy
he est escape he ever had in his II
H. came a moment afterwards.
he struck out from the side of the sin
.er ing ship and thought himself sa
ed when the great liner took her I'm
plunge. The great masts slamm
2" over into the water. Between the
was strung the aerial OF the wirele.
he a complicated arrangement of stran
of wire. As they came down into {
f.. - sea, they surrounded him and IL W
on with the greatest difficulty that
freed himself. For half an hour
=, swan around looking for Mr.. Kn
=. and Mr.. Ferguson but could not ii
them. Then he struck out for :
u.s. shore-eight miles away.
When asked IL this was not
ng exceptional exploit for man OF
Ny years-between 40 and 50-he sal
he mot especially. in view Of the (;
that have a cup for winning a te
mile swimming race"
'as Exposes Fraud.
az A curious aftermath of his extra,
ny binary experience was the exposl
eie Of a fraud by Mr.. Gauntlet on
me return TO the United States. Everyc
eht remembers how the lists of missi
Dr. published by the newspapers.
1t seems an old, retired sea capita
living in Newfoundland, had &C
oes ceived the idea OF obtaining mon
ais -----------
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