The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-12-17

, VlhVu bLlhV VLhg Albtp Wub uNbpAS w move and was sinking, and the ore der was given to abandon ship, Lieutenant Commander Hughes gave the order in the engine room, and Lieutenant Anders penciled it on 0 chart.
 Two boats splashed down into the river from the Panay, . motor sam. pan and on open launch, and mem- bers of the crew began loading them with the wounded. Lieutenant Come mander Hughes was one of the first to Do taken oif--protesting loudly and demanding that he be left on his ship to the end. The bombing and the machine gunning continued oil this time.
 Down They Came Again It looked as if we had seen the worst. But then the Japanese planes dived down like angry hornets and machine gunned the launch. In this launch were i've of the wound- ed---Carl II. Birk, Milaca, Minn., electricianS mate; PereS D. Zieg. Ter, Delaware, Ohio, ships cook; Charles 8. schroyer, Baxter, Iowa, seaman; Cecil D. Green, Tulsa, ok la, seaman, and Alex Kosak, An. sonia, Conn, machinlSt'S mate. ko. zak was wounded again by machine gun bullet, in the chest.
 Three holes were put through the boat, and the men had to keep bail- ing it out with steel helmets during oil the trips it made between ship and shore with crew and passengers. 1 noticed that BoatSWain'S Mate "swede" Mahlniann, still in nothing but his trunks, made every trip In this boat, helping with the evacua- ton.
 Melhsla Was Burning
 During Q faotnentary lull, several of us dashed out of the Sick Bay which was dangerously exposed tc the attack. saw the Melhsia al' most alongside, burning.
 There was another explosion. Wt darted back into the Sick Bay, flat tening out on the deck. The air wa' filled with prayers and curses.
 Sandro Handri, Italian correspond' ent who later died Of wounds, tug. ged ct my arm, saying, T am hit
 Alongside me was Herbert Ros the Italian embassy attache, mak' the sign of the cross and mumbling We will oil Do killed"
 The deafening bombing continued I tried to soothe Ros and sandri All of uB hattened out each tint the roaring motors came overhead shattering the air with manace. Makes Sign of Cross I observed Ros making tho sigr of the cross again and praying, I'll am to die, make it quick"
 I was thinking of home ait friends In America. My heart pounded and expected to be blast- cd to bits every time 1 heard the savage sound of the poWer-divina planes, the rat-tat of the machine guns and the bursting of bombs. Il seemed the world had gone mad.
 The Panay's machine guns, train. cd Into tho sky, fired incessantly The gallant American seamen man. ming them knew they were inef. fective but 1t was Q gallant gesture to keep tho attackers higher. I pulled out my watch and noted that it was l:4B p. m.
 With Wounded Sandrl Most of the other occupants of tho Sick Bay had vanished to the lowei decks. was alone with the wound. cd Sandri. He begged pietously mol to be left alone and asked for water
 could only admire the quietness with which he had said earlier, q am hit" and now the deadly cer. tainty of his voice, T am dying"
 He barred his gaping wound and examined 1t but there was nothing could do.
 I admired, too, the bravery of oui mutual friend Barzini, who went ou in a rain of bombs trying to fine e doctor. Later he brought aid ant removed Sandri to the engine room
 (Walking beside Sandris stretchel that night as we made the painful trek to Hohsien, I marveled at hi fortitude. Jolting over the country. side, he suffered torturlng pain bu manifested marvellous fortitude untl death came to relieve the agonizinl pain of his abdominal wound.)
 After Barzini had removed Sandri raced between bombs to the engine room, the safest spot, where thu civilians and wounded were gath cred.
 could hear the wounded cry out Here it comes" when the roar O the planes grew louder.
 NewsreeI Men Courageous The two newsreel men showe' reckless courage. darting out be tween bombs, grinding away am darting in again at the next attack
 I was half-sitting. holding witl one hand to a steel pillar and liter ally being raised inches in the air Q every explosion.
 Presently 1t was quieter. Most c the others had gone up on deck. followed and went to the sick ba' to pickup my partly smashed camera | ft still worked and ] finished takinl q roll of film.
 I gathered up blankets, coats ant clgarets. I returned to the SICK na'