The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-01-25
LifeboatS Pushed Off With
Minimum of Excitement,
They Relate.
Continued From Page One)

lar tune, when suddenly there was
tremendous crash. The ship shook.
Several passengers were knOckedl oil
their feet Some women Shrieked. But
men passengers and officers Gained
them down quickly.
Members Of the crew circulated
among us and told us to get lie
belts. They assured us there was
nothing to worry about.
When the officers got us on the
deck the Mohawk began to list
sharply. We had an awful struggle,
my wife and I. getting up to the
lifeboats and we slipped back sew
eral times before we were able to
reach the boat.
In Water 20 Minutes
About Is minutes after the col
lision we lowered away in life boats.
All of those lowered got away with
out any trouble, although one ap-
peared to be stuck for a moment
we rode away from the sinking
ship. I took a hand at one CT the
oars. 1t was a clear night. The
seas were fairly smooth. In the
moonlight 1 could see the Mohawk
nosing into the water.
I'VE had been in the water about
20 minutes when the Algonquin
picked us up. We got fine treat
ment aboard the Alonquin. 1 I'M
derstand the captain of the Mo-
hawk, who was with the Clyde-Mal-
lorv Line, is missing. I want to sa-
lutte him for the efficiency of his
crew"
Dorothy Damn, Mansfield, O., who
was in the first boat lowered, smiled
as she recalled that just before the
crash the cruise director told the
passengers:
And I promise you we're all go
ing to have a good time"
Find water in LifebOat
She said there were about 80 in
her boat, mostly women and chill
dren.
After we pulled away from the
Mohawk we discovered there was
water in the bottom OF the boat. II
kept rising until it was washing
around our ankles. Then some one
found a plug was missing. We
plugged up the hole and rowed
around for about two hours before
we were picked up"
Kenneth Wheeler, %, smoking
room steward whose home is in De-
troit. said he lost his voice as a
result of exposure in the life boat.
He told his story in low whisper.
Also On MORO Castle
There were six of us rowing in
the lifeboat." he said. But after
while we were so numb we had to
stop rowing. The Mohawk tipped
to a 90-degree angle and I jumped
from a davit on the low starboard
side to the lifeboat I was on the
Moro Castle, too. But I took off
the week of the fire and missed it.
Il was in the smoking room of the
Mohawk when the crash happened.
There were two others with me at
the time. but we remained very
calm. I went up on deck and got
some blankets for the children.
When I jumped into the lifeboat I
must have jumped eight or 10 feet.
Every one saw had life preservers.
Haggard from their experience,
Mrs. E. Bates Mckee and Mrs. Os-
valid B. Lord, daughters of Charles
Pillsbury. Minnesota flour magnate,
disembarked from the rescue liner
Algonquin and were quickly en-
braced by their husbands.
Both women were bundled in
blankets.
I'VE each have a temperature, "
said Mrs. Lord. we need a doctor.
I'm sorry we can not tell you what
happened on the Mohawk, but we
must get home"
They went to the home Of Mrs.
Lord. Mrs. Bates resides in Mt.
KiSco.
interviewed on Algonquin
Chief Officer Cort NJ. Petersen
was in No. I hold making an inspec-
ton when the crash occurred.
I ran TO the bridge" he said.
He was interviewed aboard the
Algonquin as he sat between Chaun-
cey I. Clark. counsel for the Ward
line. and Capt j. w. Mckenzie,
master of the Algonquin.
Petersen said he didn't know what
happened to the other officers.
The last orders from the captain