Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 65, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 November 1915 — SURVIVOR TELLS ANCONA HORROR [ARTICLE]

SURVIVOR TELLS ANCONA HORROR

Austrian Submarine Shelled Vie* tims in Water. WILD PANC ON BOARD Men, Women and Children Mad With Fear as Teutons Turn Gun on Vessel—Lifeboats Filled With Passengers Overturned. Malta, Nov. 12. —Blind panic feigned on the Ancona during her llnal hours. Most of the steerage passengers were women and children, who became lhsane with terror when tho Austrian submarine began shelling the ship Shrieking, terror-stricken women leaped into the sea, some with children in their arms. Passengers badly wounded by the submarine’s shrapnel and unable to move went down with the steamer. These wore the stories of passengers and members of the crew brought here. Practically all the 45 survivors landed at Malta wore Italians. They accused the Austrian submarine crew of inhuman action and declared they fired deliberately oh women and children in the lifeboats. This is the story told by ono of the Burvlvors who was landed hero: “Practically all of tho third-class passengers on the Ancona were Greeks and Italian emigrants bound for the land of promise—the United States. A majority of them were women and children “About ono o’clock on Monday afternoon, while we were steaming through the Mediterranean, a submarine was sighted In the distance. Through tho glasses it could bo seen that she was traveling at top speed toward us. Fired Across Bows. “While still considerable distance away the submarine fired a few shots across our bows os a signal to heave to. Immediately moßt of the passengers came to the conclusion that we were being bombarded and the wildest panic ensued. “Women ran Bcreamlng about the decks with wild-eyed children dinging to their skirtß. Others sought safety In their cabins. While some prayed for deliverance from death, others hastily buckled on life preservers and prepared to clamber Into the lifeboats. “As we did not slow down quick enough the submarine renewed her bombardment and this time the shells were directed at the ship. Every time a projectile struck and tho shattering of wood and glass told that the shell bad struck its mark, the pandemonium on board increased. “The excitable Italian and Greek womqn, believing that they were doomed, lost their heads completely. The men behaved not much better. “Within a short time the submarine had drawn up alongside and we could see that she was flying the Austrian flag. The commander shouted from the bridge that lie would give us a few moments to get away. “ ‘Make haste,’ he shouted, ’for I am going to sink you.' “The submarine commander, smeared with oil of the vessel’s engines, then gave an order and tho un-der-water boat veered off. As he did so, the gun on the big craft was again unllmbered and the shells began dropping around us, throwing up columns of spray high Into the air. "Working in a frenzy of haste, the seamen on the Ancona began filling and lowering lifeboats. There was no time to think of anything but human safety ar.d e eta in that fateful hour, some of the emigrants sought to save their bundles of baggage and wept bitterly when they had to leave their effects behind. The life savings of those poor people were swept away within a few minutes. Lifeboats Overturned. “In their haste to lower the boats, the seamen overturned some of them. The shrieking victims jn the water climbed Into already over-crowded lifeboats and these were soon swamped. Sailors who were manning boats filled with women and children stood up and heat with their oars the struggling victims in the water. Many, who were thus knocked unconscious, sank to their death. \ “It was a terrible scene, but some had to be sacrificed to prevent a disaster of even greater magnitude. If the men in the water had been allowed to climb into the over-crowded boats filled with women and children they too, would have sunk. “Even as the lifeboats were being lowered and even as inen, women and children, helpless in the water, struggled to save themselves, the submarine opened up with her gun again. Although she fired at the sinking Ancona many of the shots fell into the watoer amidst the drowning victims. “The terror on board was nothing compared with the frightfulness of th§

scene afterwards. Many went insane from sheer fright. “I do not know how many were killed, but I believe that at least 60 per cent of the passengers and crew lost their lives The saddest part of the affair was that so many of the victims were women and little children.”