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CARRIED DOWN BY FUNNEL
Samuel M. Knox of Philadelphia Tells Thrilling Story of Escape. By SAMUEL M. KNOX, (Philadelphia.) Special Cable to THE NEW YORK TIMES. QUEENSTOWN, May 9 -- Shortly after 2 o' clock on Friday, while we were finishing luncheon on board the Lusitania, in a calm sea, a heavy concussion was felt on the starboard side, throwing the vessel to port. She immediately swung back, and proceededto take on a list to starboard, which rapidly increased. The passengers rapidly, but in good form, left the dining room, proceeding mostly to A deck, or the boat deck. There preparations were being made to launch the boats. Order among the passengers was well maintained, there being nothing approaching a panic. Many of the passengers had gone to their stations and provided themselves with lifebelts. The vessel reached an angle of about 24 degrees, and at the point there seemed to be a cessation in the listing, the vessel maintaining this position for four or five minutes, when something apparently gave way and the list started anew and increased rapidity, until in the end the greater number of the passengers were congregated on the high side of the ship. When it became apparent that she ws going to sink, I made my way to the lower, or port, side, where there appeared to be several boats only partly filled and no passengers on that deck. At this juncture I found the outside of the boat deck practically even with the water, and the ship was even further down by the head. I stepped into a boat, and a sailor in charge then attempted to cast her off, but it was found that the boat falls had fouled the boat, and she could not be released in the limited time available. I went overboard at once and attempted to get clear of the ship, which was coming over slowly. I was cuaght by one of the smokestacks and carried down a considerable distance before being released. On coming to the surface I floated abot for a considerable time, when I was picked up by a life raft. This raft, with others, had floated free when the vessel sank, and had been picked up and taken in charge by Mr. Gauntlett of Washington and Mr. Lauriatt [sic] of Boston, who picked up thirty-two persons in all. It was equipped with oars, and we made our way to a fishing smack about five miles distant, which took us on aboard, although it was already overloaded. We were all finally taken off this boat by the Cunard tebder Flying Fish and brought to Queenstown, arriving at 9:30 o' clock. |