SINKING OF THE MARQUETTE.

A NURSE'S NARRATIVE.

AN AWFUL EXPERIENCE*.

HOW BRAVE M>MEN PACED

(Received Nor- 24, 0.10 a.m.)' LONDON, Nov. 23

A New Zealand nursing sister, a ! survivor <of the Marquette, tells a ; thrilling story of her experiences. . The New Zealand hospital unit, which 'was doing most valuable work in the ' hospital at Port, ■ Said, embarked; on the Marquette at Alexandria Oct. 19th with a number of English soldiers. They had lifebelt drill on the voyage and were warned! of the dan- ■ gers from lurking submarines; therei fore they were prepared for mishap, i The Marquette was' : within- a few J hours of Salonika; on. the morning of j the. 23vd when a periscope was sight- j cd. An explosion followed almost j immediately and the Marquette commenced to' list. The sea was calm witli a light breeze blowing. There ,was a good chance of escape, but several boats were,overturned in the confusion while . being launched. Some hung perpendicularly. Another lifeboat fell upon one already in the water, -causing several casualties. Sister Fox, another New Zealand nursep was injured and was not seen again. The narrator continues: "Om-boat wasn't lowered properly. We were suspended from one davit and for some time wore hanging on for dear life. Then the rope was cut and we all fell* into the sea. Most of us were in the-water for eight-"hours. 7 did not feel the water sold ; "We did not see the "submarine again. Some of the boats were crowded. Many officers and men were saved. The nurses behaved with grand courage and' revfused to go into the boats until most of the soldiers were saved. The nurses' stayed on the docks cheering the Tommies until only a few men remained to help the women into the boats. "But for the lifebelt drill few would have been< saved when we were precipitated so suddenly into the sea. We must have drowned without the lifebelts. " A large hole was driven in our life Wat. '-'When we dragged 1, ourselves-to th^ •lifeboat it soon- filled and swamped and all were tipped .into the.1 water again. The sea- iyasjfnll of soldiersstruggling for "bits-of raft, and' wreckage. Wo were swamped again and again until we were exhausted. Tt was pitifuf to see nurses and soldiers tiring in frantic struggles,, finally releasing their <rrasp on,the gunwale, •floating for a few seconds, and thru slowly "sinking without a murmur. Dr Harrison was swimming near our boat, supporting a. nursing sister whom he assisted on to raft in which many others were clinging. T last saw that sister some time after, floating near the raft,' while T was almost dead-beat holding, on to fhe upturned boat. She was my greatest pal. T watched her, and *be nodded feebly in - return, but' T was powerless to help her. That was. thts last I saw of her, but T was told that she -was assisted back to the raft and afterwards placed in a boat, which, like ours, was constantly .overturning. Like many others, she collapsed after sr time and died'from exhaustion. We clung to om;' "boat seemingly for an endless period,-suffering jntejtsely from increasing1 .;exhaustion and.only holding on by ,£fif%''"*streneth of will. " Then a hosmtal' ship' steanrvl up and picked ui> the survivors. We were taken to Salonika, where we remained for two days. Here we hoard that our matron was very ill. suffering from shock. Colonel MeCfcivin and .several other officers were saved. Most of us were not fit for duty, and returned ,to Alexandria.' Those well enough intended to get-new equipment and hoped to return to Greece within ,ton days. Sister I?ae was <h> brave.'' She forced m^> to .r pt> into the boat before hor. Sister Poopolwell was wonderful. She "hold up Sister Rattray until sh^ d\ed. They clun^, to a hoird with Sifter Walker. Dr Leahy did his best for us. TTowas very good. Ours was an awful experience. Our chance of esoaoe would have been small had not the attack" occurred in daylight in calm weather and the water "warm. Tt will' be a comfort' to tln> relatives of the nurses in New Zealand,"to knowthat they wpve so-'Sple)'flk!K Ti brfivp and sclf-sacrificinjr' in rae"ng"d.€'U}l."1 a_