The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-05-08
RECALLS STORY
OF LUSITANIA'S
FATE MAY IT'S
Anniversary of Worst Sea
Tragedy Is Celebrated
in New York.
BIZ United Press

an a
NEW YORK, May S.-The tenth
anniversary Of the sinking of the
Lusitania by a German submarine
was commemorated Friday at a
meeting in Town Hall under the
auspices Of the Navy and Marine
Memorial Association.
A horde Of events have Numbered
through the years since May Z, 1915.
To the majority of persons the an
%niversary Of the tragedy recalls a
hazy remembrance Of screaming
headlines of partial, then completed
lists Of 1855 men, women and
children dead of the 1857 passengers
aboard.
The dull explosion, the confusion
that followed, the struggling mass
of humans deposited HELPLESS in the
water, has become a part Of the
life Of Charles W. Bowring, one Of
those who was saved from the
disaster.
Sitting in his shipping office over.
looking the North River, through
which the Lusitania sailed for the
last time May 1, 1915, Bowring's
hands shoop as he re-read. the letter
to his wife describing his rescue
from the doomed vessel.
Sitting at Lunch
I'VE were sitting at lunch at 2:10
when a violent shock occurred. Ev-
cry n jumped up and started for
the deck. There was no pushing nor
crowding.
THE ship Immediately began to
list to the starboard. 1 picked up
two nfe-belts IN my way out. There
was an enormous crowd on the deck,
but there was no jostling. I gave
the belts to some women. A boat
full OF passengers was being lowered.
In the rush to get down the stern
was lowered too quickly and she
swung into the water with the bow
still in the air, splitting women and
children into the water.
IT went below for more life pre-
servers and found five. When I
again reached the deck the water
was already over the deck at the
bow Of the vessel. She was sinking
rapidly. I was on the starboard
side and there were but a couple of
people there. I gave away two of
the belts and strapped one around
me and dove into the calm sea.
Frohman Is Calm
1.-THE ship was sinking n I swan
like mad to get clear Of the tunnels
and davits which nearly carried me
under"
Bowring then recounted the
struggle to find wreckage sufficient.
ly buoyant, Of cruising about on a
raft for hours, picking up survivors
and caring for women and children
suffering from the shock n ex-'
posture. 1t was fully four hours, he
recalled, before relief came from
Queenstown and nearly midnight
before port was reached.
AS to the heroism displayed in the
face of death, Bowring told again
Of Alfred G. Vanderbilt, who gave
MS LIZ III . Il ~ q NOlllIlls ~
ring saw him, shortly before the
plunge, standing quietly in a pas
sageway. He vas drowned and his
body never recovered. Charles
Frohman, standing with a little
group, vas heard to say: "Why
fear death. 1t is the most beautiful
adventure hal life gives"
AS the ship sank, eighteen min
utes after the torpedo struck, there
was no outcry, he said, but only "a
long, lingering moan"
In his diary, discovered a few
years later, Lieut.. Capt. Schwieger,
commander of the U-20, wrote:
ut seems the vessel (the Lusi-
tania) will be afloat only a short
time. Submerge to twenty-four
meters and go to sea I could not
have fired a second torpedo into this
throng Of humanity attempting to
save themselves"