The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-11-22
GERMANS VISITING
IN CITY DESCRIBE
SHIPWRECK HORROR
Passengers on Craft That
Rescued Survivors Tell
Graphic Tale.

"Schreklich," says pretty 2i-year-
old Lena Hagemeier of Lemford,
Prussia.
Horrible" echoes Miss Bertha
Thormeyer, her interpreter.
And that one word in English
and in German sums up the i'm
preSsions which four German per-
sons, who just have come to Indi-
annapolis, retain of what they saw
aboard the Berlin, one OF the ships
which participated in the rescue Of
persons cast into the raging Atlantic
from the liner Vestris, Nov. 3.
The Germans are Miss Hage-
meier, Mr.. and Mrs. John Habert,
and Martin Veile. Miss Hagemeier
is making her home with an uncle,
William Brehob. R. r. 4; Veile is
visiting a relative, Chris Yebe, r. r.
4, and Mr.. and Mrs. Habert are Wis
iting Mr.. and Mrs. Bartholomew
Brintmeyer, r. r. 4. All have en-
rolled in the English class at Man
ual Training night school.
Ship Steam to Rescue
On the morning of Nov. 10, after
radio messages had flashed through
the night asking all ships in the
neighborhood to standby in the
stricken zone, the Berlin steamed
into the narrow strip of ocean in
which 327 men, women, and chill
dren we're reported tossing about il
open boats, on boards, and tied to
spars, said Miss Hagemeier.
Lena talked through her teacher
and interpreter, Miss Bertha Thor
meyer.
The waves were high and VIC
could hear our big ship creaking and
groaning as we steamed slowly back
and forth in the neighborhood of
where the Vestris was reported co
have gone down." she said.
"Soon we saw bits of wreckage
and then something lark and in
distinct-a body. Then another,
and another.
1.-The waves got higher and the
ships officers were forced to cover
the waves with oil, which helped
greatly.
Speck Moves Out of Gloom
Suddenly from out of the rain a
larger black speck moved toward
us. Then came very faint cry.
More oil was thrown upon the
70, - 6OAf Inff tho TQnVIfVN
pulled for the large Speck.
I'm a half hour the boat returned
with another. rowed by sailors from
the Berlin, in its wake.
1.-THE large speck turned out to
be lifeboat from the VestriS with
twenty-five persons in it. There
we're five white people including a
woman; and the other seventeen
were Negroes.
"Oh, how tired and drawn they
looked, but after they we're put into
dry clothing and given hot food,
they felt better and moved about
on deck. What stories of hardship
they told.
"They had been in the water
twenty-five hours.
"a few minutes later a sound
came from black speck bobbing
Up and down. We steamed closer
and a man came out of the water
and without any help climbed the
ladder.
One Carries Money
"He had been in the water for
twenty-five hours and still had
strength to go unaided to the hos
pital He gave his name as Smith.
1--WE steamed about in the vicinity
until noon, when we continued to
New York, arriving there the next
day, and we came to Indianapolis
on Thursday"
The HabertS told how the sur
vivors of the open boat pulled their
most treasured possessions from I'M
dershirtS and caps.
zone man pulled soggy mass
from his shirt, which, when dried
out, proved to be $4,000 in currency"
they said.