LOSS OF THE ARABIC.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8271, 16 October 1915, Page 2

LOSS OF THE ARABIC.

A SUDDEN EXPLOSION. DEBRIS HURLED IN THE AIR. AMERICAN LADY DROWNED. Further details of the sinking of the White Star liner Arabic by a German submarine on August 19, not far from •the spot where the Lusitania was torpedoed, were received recently. , Many narrow escapes from death are recorded by the passengers on the Arabic. There were 423 persons on board at the time the vessel sunk, and of these 12 cabin passengers, six steerage passengers, and 21 of the crew were drowned. . One of those on board, Mr James Calmon, when 1 interviewed after the outrage, said: —"Mrs Calmon and I have lived abroad many years. We. wore roturning to America on the Arabic to start a new home there. We had just finished breakfast, and had gone on the promenade deck for a constitutional. We had walked up and down probably two or three times. I mustn't forget to mention that near each of, our'lifeboats stood a couple of sailors, indicating that the captain thoroughly. "appreciated.. the situation and wasn't taking any chances. All the passengers lined the starboard rail, when someone shouted: ' Look out ! Here it conies I' .

" Almost instantly there was a terrific explosion, right under the spot where we were standing aft on the promenade deck. We were thrown back, and a .column of water sh.bt.up 60 feet. I saw what I supposed was the shell of a torpedo flying up, also the bodies of two steerage passengers who had been standing on the rail below us. Even where we were everyone was cool, got 'lifebelts, and put them on. The steward directed us to get into the boat. As wo were lowered tho boat caught the side of the Arabic. We pushed out, hit the water safely, and pulled away. " For a few moments all wanted to be skippers, but order soon obtained. When .ive were about 200 yards off I turned and watched the Arabic, now well down by the stern, and sinking fast. When more than half under there was another big explosion as theboilers burst. It was a terrible, awesome sight as the wreckage shot up likcj a big mushroom and then settled down, spreading the sea with many, things. We stayed about until per-' fectly sure no living persons wero unrescued. , Two people on a life-craft were picked up by our boat. There was plenty of room for all in the 11 lifeboats. We had.a sail hoisted, and when another boat came over we took them in tow. There was littlo wind, so we' barely drifted along. About two hours later a British ship picked us up, with others, and took us to Quecnstown. Everyone was very^ kind.

" if Captain Finch had had another half minute ho would have, been able to swing the Arabic round so that the torpedo, would have gone by. It was an experience we shall never forget. It makes us rather nervous about starting again, '-but we must leave by the next boat. Like everyone else, we've lost everything except our clothes and the things in our pockets. "Im going to tell the American Ambassador my story, and. my only hope is that our Government will finally take action, for there is no oxcuse whatever for a murderous attack like this, as we had no warning, carried no munitions, naturally, and weren't armed ourselves. It is positively certain that no warning was given, or we should have known about it. Germany will have to make a better defence, though, as a matter of fact, there is none she can make."

To add to this American statement are the stories of the following two Canadians. Mr Joseph De Lorimor, of Montreal, said:—" I had just come on deck after breakfast. I. went below and called my friend, Mr Pringle. We stood side by side on the prome-

nade deck. We suddenly noticed a white line in the water, which proved to be the torpedo. That was the only warning the Germans gave ' us." Mr C. H. Pr ingle, of Toronto, said: " I went on deck in my pyjamas. We were watching from the starboard side when wo saw a white streak whizzing through the water coming to us from about 125 feet away. Absolutely no warning was given to us. There were no Uritisb, warships izi sight, nor did we &oc -any. I didn't- see the submarine. It must hare disappeared alter tiring the torpedo." An American woman, Mrs Josephine Sather Bruguiere, who had for years been prominent socially in New York, Paris, and San Francisco, perished on : board the Arabic, ;Ne.vrg of her death. Was received in New York from her son, Mr Louis Bruguiere, who was with his mother and who was swimming with her to ono of the ship's boats, when a blow from falling timber struck him and knocked him unconscious.

"■"When 1 recovered my senses nivj mother had slipped from my grasp j land I could not find her," he said. Mr Bruguiere described his attempts to save himself and his mother. " We. were the last persons to leave. | the promenade deck," he said. "We \got to that deck after the last boaf (had left the ship's side. It-was tooMar away from the vessel for my , mother, who could not swim, to roach' lit. ' .'■■'■ I, " I took her in my arms and jumped. J After we struck the. water we soon rose to the surface. I had managed jto keep my hold on her, and at oneo struck out to try to swim to the nearest boat.

" I had been in the water for about 20 minutes, when a piece, of wreckage fell on me. It struck me on the hsad, arid for a. (ow seconds 1 was unconscious. I must have sunk, for when I came up and regained my senses my mother was no longer in "my arms. J had lost my hold*on hor. T. looked for her and swam in a circle around the spot where we had been, but I could not find hor. She must have sunk as soon as I was hit on the head and released my grip on her. " I swrfm round and round in the vicinity of the place for about.half an hour. Finally a boat which was full of rescued passengers from the Arabic came up to mo and I was dragged on board."

Mr Bruguiero was taking two prijie- ' winning bulldogs to the United States with. him. Before he .jumped from thq,,j deck of tho Arabic lits throw the do.es*j into th-9 water. They wove, rescued, ' find he found them in tlie bottom of ■ I the lifeboat which picked, him up. i j Mr Kenneth Douglas, tho English \ ■actor, said: —"Here's a fine contrast.) Tho (rennsinfi sink a harmless passon- i gor ship without" the. slightest, warning) —a , murderous act. British stokers ! stick to their shiu in her l\n:\] plunge. British seamanship has never bcv.-n

i maintained at a higher level than on this occasion." One passenger, who did not want his name u«ed, said:—"lf Germany should raise the point that we were going to help the Dunsley and the commander of the submarine thought that perhaps we would try to ram him, there is plenty of evidence to show that our captain had no such intentions, for some of us saw small boats making off from the Dunsley, with the j crow aboard." " I emphatically declare that no warning of any -kind was given by the submarine," said Mr A. Gnaltior. of New Zealand. "I believe I saw its periscope showing near one of the boats after tho explosion, but- it disappeared before the patrol bents appeared."