Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-21

Washington, D. c., Aug. 1S.-lt has
been said that If a man stands at Forty
second street and Broadway he will see
more interesting people in a stated
length of time than anywhere else IN
the world. 1t is possible. however,
that the National Press club at wash
ington can run a close second to d
often exceed that notable New 0 r
corner in the number of curious inc
interesting visitors.
Only yesterday Fred Gauntlet was
at the Press club. Many people know
Mr.. Gauntlet but not too many. lie
is as interesting as almost any private
citizen for many reasons, but for TWO
in particular which are well worth men
tioning.
Fred Gauntlet is one of the COM
paratively few men who went down on
the Lusitania--and came up again 70
tell the tale. Also, he is practically
the only man in the world who ever
owned a modern navy as his personal
property.
Both stories deserve reciting.
Mr.. Gauntlet has for years been
Washington representative of the New
port News Shipping and Drydock COM
pany. He is an expert in all matters
pertaining to shipbuilding and as the
company with which he is connected
is engaged 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 United States
entered the struggle. Great Britain
needed some special advice in the mat
ter of naval armament. Mr.. Gauntlet,
Mr.. Knox. president of the New York
shipbnilding company: Mr.: FergSson'
president of the Newport News Ship
building and Drydock company, and one
or two other experts were invited to
60 to London to discuss naval matters.
They sailed on the Lusitania.
Mr.. Gauntlet says he was having
lunch about 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
when there was a dull thud aft. He did
not know what the cause was. 1t was
so slight he finished his lunch. In
a few minutes he went on deck and no.
ticed some signs Of excitement among
the crew. Discovering that a torpedo
had hit the great liner. he took stock
of the situation. Being an old ship
ping man, he knew instinctively what
every aspect Of such a situation would
be. He realized that. the day being
cfeIs pOTl WIS tptH. AAC az
tempted to get the stewards force to
assist him in closing them. but the
hysteria was increasing ~momentarily
and he was unsuccessful.
Menace Of Open Portfolios
Long afterwards. in relating the tale,
he said it was obvious what was about
happen. The Lusitania was a tall
ship. She had three tires Of cabin
oil nrnn Co., ventilation TIKI
torpedo had struck in such a way that
the ship filled on one side and was
perceptibly. Mr.. Gauntlet
knew that as soon as the ship had
over sufficiently. the water
would begin to pour into the portfolios.
This would accelerate the inflow Of
and hasten the flooding of the
ship. He made a hasty mental cal
and arrived at the conclusion
if the portfolios once started fill
ing. the ship was lost. because there
were or the listing side of the great
liner more than 600 such openings. each
of which would admit a large stream.
As the first tier filled. the ship would
list more rapidly: this soon would bring
down the second tier and shortly after
the third. The result would be a veri-
able Niagara of water pouring into the
ship.
When il was apparent he could rally
no assistance to close the portfolios
he went on deck. Already the Lusi-
tania was listing sharply. He took off
his coat. The deck was at an uncom-
angle. He waited. A cry
came from alongside. A woman and
child had slid into the water. With
the aid of a sailor he attempted to
rescue them and did succeed in drag
ging one into a lifeboat only in time
for it to become fouled and sink. Then
an especially sharp list and the
deck tilted at such an angle that he