The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-08-18

has been said that II q man St3nuS
At Eorty-second street and Broad
way. he will see more Interesting
people in q stated length OF time
than anywhere else in the world.
II IL possible, however, that the
National Press club at Washington
can run q close second to and often
exceed that notable New York cor-
ner In the number Of curious and
Interesting visitors.
Only yesterday Fred Gauntlet
was at the Press club. Many peo-
pie know Mr.. Gauntlet but not too
many. He 10 ~ interesting ~ al
most any private citizen for many
reasons. but for two in particular
which are we'll worth mentioning.
Fred Gauntlet is one Of the COM
paratively few men who went down
on the Lusitania-and came up
again to tell the tale. Also he Is
practically the only man in the
world who ever owned modern
navy as his personal property.
Both stories deserve reciting.
Mf. Gauntlet has for years been
Washington representative of the
Newport News Shipbuilding and
Drydock company. He is an expert
in all matters pertaining to ship
building and as the company
with which he is connected is en-
gagged chiefly in constructing war
ships, he is especially an expert in
men O. war. When Germany was
pressing, the allies particularly hard
not many months before the Unit
ed States entered the struggle,
Great Britain needed some special
advice in the matter of naval arm
ament. Mr.. Gauntlete, Mr.. Knox,
president of the New York Ship
building company; Mr.. Ferguson
president of the Newport News
Shipbuilding and Drydock com
pany, and one or two other experts
were invited to 60 to London to dis
cuss naval matter. They sailed or
the Lusitania.
Mr.. Gauntlet says he was having
lunch about 2 o'clock in the after.
noon when there was dull thud
aft. He did not know what the
cause was. 1t was so slight he fin.
tished his lunch. In a few minutes
he went on deck and noticed some
signs of excitement among the
] crew. Discovering that torpedo
had hit the liner, he took stock o.
the situation. Being an old ship
ping man, he knew instinctively
what every aspect of such a situa
ton would be. He realized that
the day being warm, every por
was open. He attempted to get tn,
Stewards force to assist him IL
closing them, but the hysteria wa!
increasing momentarily and h'
was unsuccessful.
Menace Of Open Portfolios.
! Long afterwards, in relating tn,
tale he said it was obvious wha
was about to happen. The Lusi
tania was a tall ship. She hat
three tiers of cabin ports, all oper
for pentilation. The torpedo hat
struck in such a way that the shiI
filled on one side and was listing
perceptibly. Mr.. Gauntlet knew
that as soon as the ship had keele(
over sufficiently, the water woult
| begin to pour into the portfolios
This would accelerate the inflow o
water and hasten the flooding o
the ship. He made hasty menta
calculation and arrived at the con
clusion that If the portfolios ono
started filling, the ship was lost
becaue there were on the listing
side of the great liner more thai
six hundred such openings, eacl
Of which would admit a larg
stream. AS the first tier filled, tn
ship would list more rapidly; thi
would bring down the second tie
and shortly after the third. Tn
result would be a veritable Magyar
Of water pouring into the ship.
When it was apparent he coul
\ rally no assistance to close tn
; portfolios he went on deck. AL
ready the Lusitania was listin
sharply. He took off his coat. Tn
deck was at an uncomfortable an
gle. He waited. A cry came fror
alongside. A woman and child ha
slid into the water. With the al
Of a sailor he attempted to rescu
them and did succeed in draggin
! one into life-boat only in tim