The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-09-05
Rescued People Say It Was German Torpedo
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rom rage II
 ships at about No. 5 hatch.
 Several members of the crew said two shells were fired at the ship. GA little while before the survivors landed, Baron Ernst von WieZ- saecker, secretary of state of the German foreign office, assured AL exander c. Kirk, charge d'affaires of the American embassy, that the German navy had had not part in the disaster)
 Death Toll May Grow
 Able Seaman Dillon's story, and description of the scenes after the attack, made 1t evident that the death toll would prove heavy.
 Dillon said:
 "All the Athenia's lifeboats. were launched within an hour and a quarter.
 "Three other members of the crew and I had charge of one boat.
 "It contained 52 women.
 "When the Norwegian ship (The Knute Nelson) came to our rescue we drew alongside and made fast But our boat got under the stern of the vessel and was struck by the propeller. The bottom was knocked out of our boat. Several in our boat were killed and there were only about seven or eight survivors alto gether in our boat"
 The two rescue ships which ar- rived at Greenock, 20 miles west of Glasgow at the mouth of the Clyde were first to land their survivors. Ambulances were waiting to take injured to hospital.
 Women and children looked from the ships decks, pathetically, many with arms in a sling. They cheered however, as the ships approached the guarded dock. They asked for newspapers and an air raid warden handed them aboard.
 Survivor Donald MacMillan said al Greenock:
 The lifeboats were lowered in or- derly fashion. There was no panic whatever. Women and children were lowered into the boats first.
 There were about 100 survivors in my boat. We were eventually picked up by the (yachD Southern Cross and later transferred to C British warship."
 Woman Describes Scene
 Mrs. Turner, a Canadian survivor of Toronto whose husband was kill ed in the World war, said:
 T was standing looking over tn, rail when the torpedo struck us There was a violent heave. I wa! thrown away from the rails. When came to I saw several men lyinf near me dead. Then I heard twt shells burst.
 T got into a boat but the boa capsized. Some way or other the! got it lighted and put us back ii but there was lot of water in and two people were clinging to thu side.
 We could not take them on. Tn. boat had so much water in it. Tn, water was up to my waist"
 Lifeboats Falls Into Sea
 Third Class Steward John Sorbi, said he saw one boat with about 7l passengers in it fall from the Athe nia's davits about 30 feet to the wa ter.
 Most of those in 1t were womel and children and the majority O them were injured" he said.
 Greenock police said that abou 400 survivors had arrived there or a British destroyer.
 Ten, including passengers ant crew members, were injured, polic' said.
 They were first to disembarl Ambulances and surgeons had beer waiting and they were taken to hos pital in five of the ambulances.
 Survivors Welcomed
 As the destroyers bearing sur viyors. many of them women carry ing children, entered the quay, the. were welcomed by blasts from steam CTS and shouts from the crowds ol the pier.
 James Mcconnell, of the crew o the Athenia, added his testimon, that after the submarine came t the surface 1t fired twice at tn sinking ship.
 He said many Americans mus have been lost because several O them were in third class quarter over the engine rooms where he sai' the torpedo struck.
 Mcconnell estimated that a tota of 800 were lost.
 Hartford Girl Saved
 Helen Mcdonald. an American of 6 Wayerly road. Hartford, Conn said the destroyer which picked he and about 40 others up from tn lifeboat in which they had been row ing all night fired several shots a the .Athenia to insure it's renovs as a danger to shipping.
 The sailors gave us cotton to pu in our ears to deaden the sound c the shelling." she shaid.
 We were sitting in the loung when the torpedo hit the Atheni at about p. m.." she said. "Th lights went out and we rushed t the deck and got into . lifeboa which crashed into the water. I be