TORPEDOED SHIP

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20035, 6 September 1939, Page 6

TORPEDOED SHIP

TEARFUL SCENES GLASGOW LANDNG SURVIVORS OF ATHENIA MANY AMERICAN VICTIMS PRIVATION IN BOATS (Elcc. Ti;l. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Sept. G, 1.30 .p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 5. There were touching scenes at Glasgow, where a rescue ship landed survivors from the torpedoed British liner Athenia. Many of those rescued were clad m their night attire and were covered with curtains and the ship’s draperies. Women were tearfully seeking husbands who were fruitlessly seeking their wives and children. Many children are in a state of semi-coma., The survivors state that many were killed when the boilers exploded. Those rescued included less than year-old babies.

A member of the crew, Mr. John McConnell estimated that 25 per cent of the American passengers -were killed’ in the explosion. Numbers who died on the rescue ships owing to wounds and exposure in the boats were buried ‘at sea. Two ships, landed several hundred of the Athenia’s survivors at Greenock. A fleet of ambulances instantly transported the injured to hospital. The remainder were mostly women and' children, the majority of whom were scantily clad and showed signs of hardship. The disaster has resulted in a rush of recruiting throughout the country. Vessel Shelled The master of the Athenia, Captain James Cook, who landed at Galway from the Knud Nelson said the torpedo was fired at a range of from 800 to 1000 yards at the port side of the ship. It traversed the galley into the engineroom,'* causing heavy loss of life. Immediately afterwards the submarine came to the surface and shelled the Athenia. One shell wrecked the mainmast. It evidently was aimed at the wireless room, which was missed. Among the survivors is an American, Dr. John Kirk, who said: “My wife was killed in the explosion. All I want to know is whether my two children are safe.” Able Seaman Dillon said that all the Athenia’s lifeboats were launched within 75 minutes.

“Our boat containing 52 women got under the stern of a Norwegian rescue vessel and was struck by the propeller /and the bottom knocked out,” he said. “A number of people were killed, there being only about seven or eight survivors from our boat.”

John Sorbie, a steward, said he saw one boat with 70 passengers fall 30ft. from the davits into the water. Most of the occupants were women and children. The majority were injured.