Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-10-06
VIVID STORIES OF
SUBMARINE ONSET
Told by Survivors Of Lost.
British Cruisers.
SPLENDID HEROISM SHOWN.

Men Fighting For Their Lives In the
Sea After Torpedoss' Deadly Work
Shouted Cheering Messages to One
Acknowledgement Came Right UP
Under Noses Of Our Guns"
Survivors tells graphic stories Of the
destruction Ut the British armored
cruisers Aboukir, Hogue and Cressy.
Describing the sinking Of the Greasy
Chief Gunner Dougherty said:
suddenly heard a great crash and
saw the Aboukir heeling over and 60
Ing down rapidly. We came to the
conclusion that she had been struck
By n torpedo, and kept sharp look.
out for these craft while steahihg to
the assistance of the AbOukir.
The HOgue was also closing up to-
ward the sinking ship with the object
Of assisting the crew. who were drop
ping into the water, when we heard
a second crash. As the Hogue began
to settle we knew that she also had
been torpedoed.
"As we drew near, some one shouted
to me. Look out, sir. there's a sub
marine on our port beam"
She was about 400 yards away.
took careful aim at her and she dis
appeared. Up she came again SO
fired my third shot and smashed In
the top of the coming tower.
Let Out a Great Shout Of Joy.
"The men standing by shouted. She's
hit, sir!' and then they let out a great
cheer as the submarine sank. and
while she was going down two German
sailors hoated up from her, both swim
ming hard.
After that we shot at trawler
which was 1000 yards away and evi.
IDENTIFY u German boat in disguise. dl.
recting operations. We hit her with
the first shot and set her on fire.
by this time we already had been
struck by one torpedo, but the dam
age was not in vital spot and we
should have kept afoat all right. We
saw another submarine ON our star
board side and made desperate effort
to get her. but failed. and her tor
pedo got home in our engine room.
Then the Cressy began to turn
over. and this will say for the men,"
said Mr. Dougherty proudly. they act
ed like British sailors, and those who
died died us Il Briton should.
"Our captain was on the bridge, and
in these critical minutes he spoke some
words Of advice to the crew. Keep
COOL my lads. keep COOL he said in a
steady voice. Pick up spar, my
lads. and put it under your arm. Thatll
help you to keep afloat until the de-
stroyers pick you up
Water Thick With Drowning Men.
"They were discharging torpedoes at
US while the water was thick with
drowning men. When l dropped into
the sea. clinging to bit Of wood.
there We're men all around me. We
shouted CHEEKY messages to one an
other. l was afloat for four hours"
Says Muiden. Holland. dispatch to
the London Daily Chronicle:
"The men Of the Aboukir afoat in the
water hoped for everything from the
arrival of her sister cruisers, and all
survivors agree that when these also
sank many gave up the struggle for
life and went down. An officer told
me that when swimming, after having
lost his jacket in the grip OF drown
ing man. his chief thought was that
the Germans had succeeded In sinking
only three comparatively obsolete
cruisers which shortly would have
been scrapped anyway.
"Twenty-four men were saved on a
target which loated off the HOgue's
deck The men We're gathered on 1t
for four hours waist deep In water.
"The daring of those Germans was
amazing They must have seen us a
long way off. We could not see them.
and they came right up under the noses
of our guns"