Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-07-23
STORIES OF RESCUE
Continued from Page one)

other party danced to photograph
music while waiting to be taken off.
Three Boston men, James Driscoll.
A. A. Barrett and John P. Murray,
described how. the first lifeboat was
lowered from the damaged liner
nearly two hours after the crash,
hen the first boat, filled with
women and children, hit the water"
Mr.. Murray said, 1T Immediately be-
gan to fill up. Driscoll, Barrett and
! jumped down among the women
and discovered that the sea plugs
had been removed. These we stuff
fed with clothing and the boat made
the Swift Arrow safely"
In response to allegation of some
of the passengers that the Boston's
llfeboats were awarkwardly handled,
j. Alfred Coates. vice president of the
steamship company. said he had re-
ceived several complaints that the
negro stewards had shown ineffi-
cheney in handling the lifeboats and
the oars. The stewards, he added,
had not been trained for such work,
which was the duty of the seamen.
First Mate w. d. Tod of the Bos-
ton praised the presence of mind of
the passengers.
1t was almost miraculous" he said,
for SO many people to keep their
heads and without direction quietly
to take their places in the boats,
rowing away from the ship in the
blackness of a foggy night. A panic
might have resulted in a terrible
disaster"
The Eastern Steamship Company
announced that the baggage of the
Boston's passengers. most of which
was left. aboard. would be forwarded
to the owners.
Eugene V. Brewster, the publish
er. one of the Boston's passengers,
said:
i was on deck talking with a group
of men and women when the shock
of the collision came. People were
thrown about the decks and imme-
diately, it seemed, every stateroom
was emptied, the passengers pouring
out to the deck to see what had hap
pened. There were some screams
and. of course, there was excitement,
but the bravery of everyone, partic-
ularly of the women and children,
was outstanding.
1 told all the women to put on
their life preservers and then went
to the captains quarters to ask if he
couldn't give a message of reassur-
ance for the passengers. Everything
Is all right he replied. Wishing to
find out the extent of the damage, |
went to the engine room, but | was
not allowed to enter.
About an hour and half after the
collision, work of placing the women
and children in the lifeboats began.
There was no panic and everything
was done in an orderly way. Women
ana children were placed in the boats
hrst. Not single man, that | saw,
tried to get ahead of the women and
children. 1t was noticeable, however,
that the women seemed less excited
than the men. Most of the women
were more completely dressed and some
of them even took the time to powder
their noses"
II. G. Dawson, purser of the Boston,
said there was no commotion aboard
the steamer following the crash and
that the members of the crew behaved
admirably. The first S O S, he said.
was dispatched Immediately after the
collision Meanwhile the Boston's pas
sengers were taken aboard the Swift
Arrow, where they remained until the
rescue steamers came up.
Captain Joe Comes of the tanker
ordered coffee prepared and then serv-
ed 1t to women passengers.
Mr.. Brewster said that immediately
following the collision the Boston list
ed and in few minutes the water was
about two feet deep in the freight hold.
In the group standing on the deck
with Mr.. Brewster were Miss Corliss
Palmer, her brother Ennis and Mrs.
Ray Morgan, all of Morristown, y. J.
Miss Sadie Monyeb of Newark, n. j.,
and Miss Ann Simmons of BROOKLYN
were in stateroom adjoining one
which was crushed by the impact.
They said that in the next room were
a newly married couple on their honey
moon. The bride, they said, was kill
ed. They did not know her name.