Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1915-07-16
Liner ESCAPES
UNDERSEA BOAT
Nine Persons Killed by Shell
Fire From Submarine.
MOST THRILLING SEA FIGHT

Wheel From MansIsd Hand and, Fol-
lowing Ziszas Course, Dodsed Tor
pedoes Until Aid Came.
The British steamship Anglo-C alifor-
MAN, from Montreal for Queenstown,
with a number Of Americans, Russian
| reservists and cargo of horses for the
allies, arrived ut her destination a
veritable shambles after the most dra-
matte running fight with a submarine
that has yet occurred. The bodies Of
nine dead men, including the captain,
and eight others MORALLY wounded
lined the decks.
For four hours the Anglo Californian
withstood a continuous storm of bullet
and shell from the submarine. Captain
Parslow maneuvered his ship in spirals
to prevent the German torpedoes from
getting home until shell, exploding
over his head, killed him at his post.
Son Takes Dead Fathers Post.
His son, the first mate, sprang for
ward and took the wheel from the man
gled hands Of his dead father. Another
shell, directed at him, tore the wheel
out of his grasp, leaving him wounded
on the deck. He was able to prop him
self up and, pursuing the tactics Of his
father, kept the ship afloat until a fleet
of torpedo boats, summoned early In
the fight by the Anglo-Californian's
wireless, appeared and drove away the
submarine.
Included in the crew, in charge Of
horses, were the following Americans:
D. F. Feeney, John Mahoney and John
Vaughan of Newport News, Va;
George Rogers of Richmond, Va; Il. L.
Martin of Boston and l.. c. Carroll Of
Syracuse. None of the Americans was
injured in the attack.
The trip was uneventful until on a
Sunday morning at o'clock when of
the coast Of Ireland, in the same lane
where the other recent attacks have
taken place, submarine was sighted
to the east and rear of the Anglo-Cali-
fOrnian.
Steamer Fled as Wireless Called Aid.
Captain Parslow determined to make
run for his life. He ignored the SUBJ
marine signal to stop and put on full
steam ahead. At the same time the
wireless operator repeatedly licked out
the S O s call.
The submarine was travelling on the
surface and was faster than the freight
err. Captain Parslow soon realized that
escape was impossible. The undersea
craft fired as she pursued.
One shell tore away the wireless. ap-
paratus, and then Captain Parslow de-
cided to adopt the zigzag course that is
the only defense against torpedoes
when speed fails.
Winding in and out, he prevented the
commander of the submarine from
making the fatal shot. The Germans
attempted to drive torpedoes, and the
big ship barely escaped several.
Then the submarine began to circle
the liner, drawing in nearer and nearer
and all the time continuing the shot
and shell from her rapid fire guns
mounted on her deck by means Of
trap door and disappearing gun car
riage.
Men Shot Down as They Lowered Boats
Captain Parslow ordered boats to be
lowered and provisioned for escape If a
torpedo should get home. The subma-
rine at one time was so close that the
Germans used rifle and machine gun
fire against the merchantmen.
Time after time the men ut the davis
were shot down. Four boats were
and the captain ordered them
to start away. The submarine paid no
attention to them, continuing its attack
upon the ship, and the men rowed
about for many hours until picked up
by British destroyers after the battle.
Captain Parslow was guiding his
ship with one hand and shouting orders
through a megaphone which he held
with the other when Il shell killed him.
and his son took his place.
The fight continued three hours. For
more than an hour longer the young
man, also wounded, outwitted the Ger
mans, though the upper works of the
ship were shot away, the tunnels were
riddled and the bridge wrecked.
After four hours the fleet Of torpedo
boat destroyers which had picked up
the S o S call hove in sight. The sub
marine, with one more vain attempt to
reach the vitals Of the liner with a tor
pedo, then submerged and disappeared.
THOUSANDTH ITALIAN SHELL.