Evening star., 1937-11-15
Dy the Associated Press.

by the ASsoclateo Pfek.
NORFOLK, Va, Nov. l5.-Fifteen
disheveled survivors OF the sinking
Saturday of the Greek freighter
TBenny Chandris arrived here TO-
day aboard the Coast Guard cutter
Mendoza and. through interpreters,
told their story OF men agsinst the
sea.
The captain of the crew OF 70. seven
OF whom lost their lives. bore . bright
red cash across the bridge Of his nose
to witness his story of how one sea-
man on the raft with him went mad
"a the narrowing hours before the
rescue, and bit his captain in the
face before he died.
An English seaman said he felt the
heavily laden freishter give two
lurches. and walked of the deck into
the water" He couldn't swim. but
grabbed 4 piece OF timber and kept
aflost. fighting OF sharks that nipped
his ankles.
Il was the last to leave the ship
and the last to be picked up" said
Joseph Corrie. 40, of White Hiben,
England
The captain George Coufopandels
and the other IA survivors were taken
TO the Marine Hospital for treatment
for exposure soon after the Mendoza
docked at 6 Am. E. s. T. All were
suffering from parched and swollen
throats, sunourn and exhaustion. but
Dr. r. c. Smith. medical ofncer in
charge of the Marine Hospital. sale
none appeared to be seriously i'll.
Comdr. Henry Coyle of the Mendoza
said the rescue was extremely din.
cult, rs q heavy swell made it almost
impossible to see the seamen floating
on small pieces Of wreckage
Konstantinos Balaskas. third en-.
gineer of the Tzenny Chandris, told
Gus Maroulis. an interpreter. that hf
believed all the crew could have been
saved had an sos been sounded Ave
hours earlier.
Balaskas charged that the distres
signal was not sent until he stood ovel
the radio operator with a drawn knife
| and threatened to kill him unless HI
sent the signal Immediately.
Balaskas also declared the ship has
been taking water somewhere" il
the hold since shortly after the vesse
left Morehead City and that pump'
were not capable of handling the in.
| flow
Capt. Coufopandelis. who also spok'
through Maroulis, said the vessel hat
sprung . leak. but the pumps wer,
| amply able to handle the water unit
heavy seas swept the vessel, carrying
away q ventilator and flooding tn
engine room.
Alexander Dacoglu, second mate
declared the vessel started listini
sometime before the SOS. Severa
ships passed nearby short time be-
fore the Tzenny Chandris sank. h
told Ernest Gretes, another inter
prefer. but were unaware of tn
freighter's trouble.
Coyle said he was told the radi,
operator and another member of tn
crew jumped from the stricken shil
without life preservers and drowned
A third was pulled through q lif
belt by . shark A fourth. the on
who went mad and bit the captain
died on the raft and his body washe,
into the sea.
Went Over With Life Belt.
Corrie, the Enslishman, said: &c
went over with a life belt and ther
picked up . life buoy as it aoated by
The ship took me down with her an.
I heard her gurgle going down.
couldn't swim, but grabbed q piece o
timber and held on. Sharks cut q
my ankle and I grabbed a stick an,
tried to scare them away.
"A seaplane finally spotted me An,
dropped q smoke bomb It was som,
time before I was picked up. I an
pretty sore. but feel pretty strong"
Corrie said the vessel was heavil,
laden with scrap iron when she pu
out from Morehead, N. c., but raj
into heavy seas soon after leaving port
When she shipped water, then sud
denly lifted, he waited until she tool
two lurches and stepped of into tn
water"
The captain said he drifted on th'
raft with several others for - hour
before being rescued
Comdr. Coyle said every man wa
accounted for" of the 40 aboard tn
vessel when she foundered. Th'
boatswain. Frangolas Kiladitis. die
aboard the Mendoza after being res
cued. The Mendoza brought in thre
other bodies. and three still wsr
missing.