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Show YOUNG OPERATOR I HEARSOEATHCRY I Gives Dramatic Details of H Liner Ancona's Wireless H Call for Help. M ALL STATIONS CALLED H New Italian Liner, Momen- H t,arily Expecting Death B Blow, Returns to Aid H v Stricken Steamer. H New York, Nov. 20, Fresh and H dramatic details of what happened in ' IH the Mediterranean on the morning of ""H November 7, when the Ancona was ""H torpedoed by a submarine flying the jj Austrian flag, were brought to New l"""H York today by the new Italian liner "H Guiseppe Verdi, here, on her maiden. "H voyage. H The Verdi heard the Ancona's Avire- "H less death cry, flashed it on to shore H stations which the sinking steamer lH could' not reach, and then, rushed to lH the Ancona's aid, her boats swung H outward, her passengers lined on the ""H deck and her officers momentarily ex- lH pecting a death blow themselves from IjH submarines known to be lurking near- by. The Verdi steamed as near as HJH she dared to the spot where the An- lH cona went down, but her lookouts H saw nothing. Then, turning swiftly H she fled for Gibraltar and security. "H Young Operator Tells Story. H Luigi Moroni, the youth at the key M of the Verdi's wireless, told the story "H here today. jjH "We were about 200 miles out from H Palermo, watching for submarines, l""H which we had been told -were near- lH by, on the morning or the 7th," he H said. At twenty minutes past nine "H I got a signal. S. O. S. France IH submarined,' the message said. Then lH 'Help!' This was followed by the VH France's position and then 'there was H nothing more. jH "I notified Captain Zannoni and re- H layed the France's message at once Til to the shore wireless stations at Bi- H zerta and Cape Speroni. Captain B Zannoni altered the course of the Ver- IH di so that we would avoid the France. H We had reason to believe that the H submarine had attacked the Franco H was after us. H Ancona Message Breaks In. H "While T was talking with relay H ships Tegarding the France, the An- "H cona's wireless broke in. It was then H half past ten. H " 'S. O. S S. O. S., Ancona.' we H got The Ancona gave her position. PJH I sent this message to the shore sta- H tions and' within a few moments the lH shore stations sent back an answer. IH " 'Go to the Ancona.' it said. H Ship Swings Around. H "Captain Zannoni swung his ship H right about andgave orders for full lH speed. Then he called the passen- H gcrs up on tho deck. At first he did jH not tell them what he had heard, but jjH soon decided that it would be better H to do so. After this was done the lH boats were loaded with'' provisions. jjH water and lifebelts These were H quickly loaded with emergency sup- H plies and swung out on their davits. H "The passengers then were assigned H to the boats, every person being glv- H en a number. They were then to be H prepared to enter the lifeboats as H we did not know when a submarine "H would fire a torpedo into us. H Liner Makes Top Speed. H "It was 94 miles to the Ancona aud jH we made it at top speed. I tried sev- H eral times to get the Ancona by wire- H less, but she did not answer. After- H wards, we learned t.at her wireless H had been shot away by the submarine. H "The captain went as close to the "H Ancona's positions as he dared to take H the Verdi, aud doubled the lookout. H We slowed down and tried to find H some trace of the Ancona or her boats H with glasses, but failed. Then we H turned about and steamed away. We H did not want to stiy there too long H and invite attack ourselves, H "We steamed away as -fast as we H could. The passengers remained on H deck and the lifeboats were still H swung out until we had cleared the H war zone." H Moroni's story was verified by sev- H eral of the steamer's 535 passengers, lH among them being Charles B. Perry, IjH American consul at Torino, Italy. IjjH |
