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Show HORRIBLE SCENE I WHEN SHIP SINKS I Charles Grant of Boston De- H scribes Sinking of British H Steamship Persia. H WATER BLACK AS INK H Some Passengers Screaming, H Others Calling Good-Bye H Few in Boats or on H Wreckage. t , H Alexandria, Egypt, Jan. 4, via Lon- H don, 10:10 a. m. Charles Grant of H Boston, one of the two Americans M known to have been onboard the M British steamer Persia when she was fl torpedoed in tho Mediterranean last Thursday, has arrived in Alexandria. H Mr. Grant, so far as is known, is the , UH only American from whom can come M the story of the Persia's sinking. H He gave to the Associated Press to- H day the most detailed account yet re- H ceived of the disaster. H "I was in the dining saloon of the H Persia at 1:05 p. m.," he said. "I had H just finished my soup and the stew- IH ard yvap asking what I would take for H my second course when a terrific ex- IH plosion occurred. IH "The saloon became filled with IH smoke, broken glass and steam from M the boiler, which appeared to have H burst. There was no panic on board. H We went on deck as though we were H at drill and reported at the lifeboats H on the starboard side, as the vessel H had listed to port I clung to the rail- IH ing. The last thing done was to tie IH on Captain Sprickly's lifebelt "As the vessel waa then listing so M badly that it was impossible to launch M the starboard boats I slid down the M starboard fail into the water. I got caught in a rope which pulled off a IH shoe, but I broke loose and climbed H on some floating wreckage, to which IH I clung. H "The last I saw of the Persia she had her bow in the air five minutes J after the explosion M "After floating about on the wreck- H age until 4 o'clock in the morning, I J saw boats. I was pulled into one of H them. We rowed about looking for IH "The boats became overloaded and the occupants were re-distributed. IH Four boats were tide together and IH the fifth followed some distance away. H "My boat left the others In order H to search the more frequented steam- H ship channels for help. Wo rowed for H three hours. Then we saw a cruiser H and called out, 'We are English.' We H explained that we were survivors of IH the Persia and gave directions to the H cruiser aB to where the other boats ! were. They were soon found and tho H occupants were taken off immediate- H ly by tho English sailors. H "Robert McNeely, American consul H at Aden, sat at the same table with H me on the voyage. He was not seen H probably because his cabin was on the port side. H "It was a horrible scene. The wa- H ter was black as ink. Some pasen- gers were screaming, others were H calling out goodbye. Those in one H boat sang hymns." H Consul McNeely Missing. H Washington, Jan. 4. Consul Gen- H eral Skinner at Loudon today ad- H vised tho state department that the H telegraphic list of survivors of the tor- H pedoed liner Persia received there H from Alexandria, did not Include tho H name of Robert McNeely. American H consul at Aden, but does include the H name of Charles Grant of Boston. H Eleven survivors, including Lord H Montagu, have been landed at Malta H according to advices to the state de- H partment from American Consul H Klebinger of Malta. Hia dispatch said H seven Indians of the Persia's crew H had been found clinging to a dam- H aged open boat by the steamship H Hingehow. All the men said the Per- H sia had been torpedoed without warn- H Ing. |