The Washington herald., 1915-05-12
FLAG, BUT NOT LIVES
SAFE, ASSERTS BERLIN
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

opportune moment for tho United states
to pr.ss its case most vigorously.
The German foreign office has not yet
repIied TO Amba SSador Gerard's requests
for statement of what information. II
any. the German government has in the
Gulfiight and Cushing cases. II Is not
Vet known whether Germany VIII aC-
knowledge that her forces were respOn-
sible for these attacks.
ORcer's sworn Statement.
The following is the sworn statement
of Ralph +. Smith. formerly chief officer,
now master OF the steamship GulfiiSht:
Il am Ralph f. Smith. now master of
the steamship 'Gulfight. AT the COM
mencement of the voyage | was chief Of
liccr The ship left Port Arthur on the
tenth day of April 1915. about p. m,
laden with a tank cargo OF gasoline and
wooden barrels of lubricating oil. The
voyage was uneventful When about half
way across the Atlantic the wireless
operator told me there was British
cruiser in our vicinity and that he had
heard messages from this ship the whole
time since leaving Port Arthur, but she
made no direct communication with or
to our ship. From the sound of the
wireless messages given out by the Brit
ish ship she seemed to maintain the
same distance from us until about three
days before we reached the mouth of
the English Channel
On the first day of May about II
o clock in the forenoon, we spoke two
British patrol vessels named Iago and
Filey. We were then about twenty-five
miles west of the Bishop lighthouse. The
patrol vessels asked where We were
bound. After informing them We were
bound for Rouen they ordered us to fol-
low them to the Bishop. The F'iley took
up a position OF half mile distant on
our port bow. The IaSo off our star
board quarter close to us. We steered
as directed. and at about 1922. the sec
ond officer being on watch. sighted
submarine on our port bow-Silghtly on
the port bOw-steaming at right angles
to our course. The Subma rne was in
sight for about five minutes when she
submerged about right ahead OF us.
saw her. but could not distinguish or
see any flag flying on her.
L. y. Flag stood Out.
The Gulfiight was then steering about
true east. steaming about eight miles an
hour. flying a large American ensign.
size six feet by ten feet. The wind was
about south. about eight miles an hour
in force. l personally observed our flag
was standing out well to the breeze I'm
went aft and notified the crew and came
back and went on the bridge and heard
the captain make the remark that il
must be- a British submarine. as the pa
troll boats took no notice of IL. About
80 an explosion took place in the Gulf
light on the bluff Of the starboard bow,
sending vast quantities of water high in
the air, coming down on the bridge and
shutting everything off from our view
A .IAa
had sunk by the head SO that the sea
was washing over the fore deck and the
ship appeared to be sinking.
Immediately after / went aft to see
to the boats. On my way | saw one
man overheard on the starboard side
The water at that time was black with
oil. The boats were lowered and the
crew got into them without delay or
damage. After ascertaining there was
no one left on board the ship. | got
in my boat and We were picked up by
the patrol vessel Iago and were advised
by her crew to leave the scene. We
proceeded toward St. Mary's. but the
dense fog which then came on pre-
vented us getting into the harbor that
night"
Death Of Capt. Gunt-r.
About $50 o'clock in the morning
following I saw Capt. Alfred Gunter.
master of the Gulflight. who had been
sleeping in the room of the skipper Of
the Iago. standing in the room with a
queer look in his face. I asked him
what his trouble was and he made no
reply. Then he reached for the side of
The berth with his hands, but did not
lake hold. l went in the room. but he
Tell before I rea ched him. He was taken
on deck, as the cabin was small and
hot. After reaching the deck he seemed
10 revive and said. L am cold After
hat he had apparently two fainting
attacks and then expired in a third one
this being about $40.
We arrived at st. Mary's, Scilly.
,bout 10 o'clock in the morning Of
May .. The Gulflight was towed to
Crow Sound. Scilly, on the Cd Of May
by British patrol vessels. and Com
nander Oliver. senior naval officer of
the Port of Scilly. sent for some one
10 come on board the Gulflight. and
went. and the ship was anchored about
p. m. i again left the ship that even
ng. she being then in the charge of
The admiralty. visited the ship on
I went out again on Tuesday,
but II was too rough to get on board
DIR. CHASE'S