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Show GREEK CAPTAIN PRAISES CREW Behavior of Men So Heroic That Hope of Saving Steamer Steam-er Was Sustained Until Last Moment. ' SHIP BADLY STRAINED Sailors Work in Swirling Water Wat-er in Desperate Attempt to Keep Engines and Pumps Working. New York, Jan. 8. The story of how the crow of the Greek steamer Thessa-lonlki Thessa-lonlki before abandoning the vessel on January 5 worked for ten days in from three to four foot of Tvator in a desperate despe-rate effort to keep steam in tho ship's boilers and work tho pumps, "was told today when Captain Goulandris and the crew of 89 arrivod on tho steamship steam-ship Perugia. Captain Goulandris said the be- 1 havior of his men was so heroic that he did not give up hope of bringing tho Thessaloniki into New York until the coal supply was entirely exhausted on January 5. He declined to comment com-ment upon statements made by some of the Thessalonlki's 177 passengers, when they arrived here yesterday on the Patris, that he had refused to send out wireless calls for assistance after the steamer had sprung several leaks. Ship Half Full of Water. The Thessaloniki was half full of water when abandoned at latitude 33.33 north; longitude GG.20 west, Captain Cap-tain Goulandris said, and he believed the vessel, the first he ever commanded, command-ed, had sunk soon after ho and his men boarded the Perugia. He added that the Thessaloniki was badly strained by the series of storms she encountered en-countered almost from tbe time tho ship passed Gibraltar on December 17 Therefore, when a hurricane was encountered en-countered late in December, several plates were opened and the boiler and engine rooms wero partly flooded. It was then that all the crew turned to, and despite tho water that swirled about them, worked constantly at the boilers, engines and pumps. During much of this time there was an acute shortage of water and food on tho disabled vessel. For several days only one-half cup of water was allowed each man and the rations consisted con-sisted of stale bread and a few vegetables. vege-tables. The Pemgia brought 27 sacks of mail removed from the Thessaloniki. |