| Show ISo I JJavcd From the Elbe II I So many people interviewed Hiss II Anna Bocker last week that it was with Quite a feeling of being a nuisance i nui-sance that I approached her on the i subject of her recent terrible experience exper-ience However her cheerful manner her vivid description of the many details de-tails of her vissitudes together with I the delightfully natural way in which 1 she told me her story made me forget i everything except that I was listening to a truly thrilling tale now well known yet full of fresh interest when told by the only lady survivor of the illfated Elbe When the crash occurred commenced I com-menced Mrs Bocker I was resting I having removed my dress but still JU earlng my other cJ1 hes I made no attempt to get up J itll I heard the tramping about oveiead Then putting put-ting on my dressing gown I ran up the companion ladder to try and find out what had happened Hearing an ordar that every one was to dress and cone on deck I hurried down to my cabin which I shared with a airs Sanders and telling her we commenced com-menced at once to dress I put on a blue serge dress a thick coat and tied a shawl over my head I strapped up S my hat box but the strap broke and I tied it with a string then taking mY Dressing gown and mackintosh over my arm and my muff which I did not want to lose I was about to go on deck when Mrs Sanders said Do stay I with me until I am dressed which I I dId and we went on deck together but here we separated and I never saw her again I heard no command on which side the women and children were to be saved C tout a natural Impulse led me to the side of the ship where there were comparatively few people Here some sailors were lowering a boat and they with tame passengers and myself got Into her but she capsized cap-sized and we were all turned out into the water I Instantly struck out with my feet being able to swim at the same time I held on with my hands to some wreckage my muff was on one wrist but the mackintosh and hat anfl Vox were gone I had given my dress 7L ing gown to a man on the ship who I liras shivering with cold and only toartly dressed The time I spent in I Stne water seemed internilnablo I have 6 t Il J r n li I A ill Vfi LV I 1 = r L a recollection of seeing my serge dress around me like a balloon and I think that it and the spar to which I was clinging kept me afloat for I was getting get-ting terribly numbed with the cold I had made an attempt to get on board I the Elbe when thrown out of the boat but was providentially prevented from doing so After what seemed quite ten minutes the second launched boat came quite near me and I distinctly heard someone say We cant stop to save anyone This did not affect meat me-at all for really life held but few attractions at-tractions to me then However I was drawn into the boat by Mr Hoffman air Fevera and Bothen the French r chef and at the bottom of the boat I lay till we were picked up by the Wildflower Wild-flower While layIng there the French cook touched my cheek with his hand and said Tin afraid shes dead but I looked up and lau hcdI could laugh even thenand said No Im all right dont bother about me How we were picked up by the WildfloYrer and son so-n 1y treated by our rescuers you have already heard Their kindness was supplemented by that of Miss Palmer Pal-mer and Mrs Thompson at the Sailors Sail-ors Home at Lowestolt New York Recorder |
