Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-07-06
STEAMSHIP
ESCAPES FROM
A SUBMARINE
Anglo Californian Arrives at Queens
town With Nine Dead and
Eight Wounded. 81
CAPTAIN SHOT FROM BRIDGE
He Remains at Post in Hail Of Shot
Until Blown to Pieces
by a Shell.
CAPTAIN SHOT FROM BRIDGE

Queenstown, July with nine
dead sailors stretched on her deck,
eight men lying wounded below,
and her sides riddled with shot and
shell, the British steamship Anglo
Californian steamed into Queens
town harbor yesterday morning af-
ter having withstood the attack of a
German submarine for four hours.
The ships escape from destruc-
ton was accomplished with nosoth-
er means of defense than the in
dQmitable spirit of her captain and
crew, combined with mastery sea-
manship, which enabled her to frus-
trate the efforts of her assailant to
torpedo her.
| The story of how Captain Pars-
low stood on the bridge of the An
glo-Californian amidst a rain of
shot and calmly directed the move
ments of his ship until he was kill
ed by a shell and of how his place
was taken by his son until British
destroyers appeared and the subma-
rine was compelled to flee, was told
| by the survivors.
The Anglo-C Californian left Mon
treal for the British isles on June
"a. The submarine was sighted at
8 o'clock last Sunday morning. Cap
tain Parslow ordered full steam
ahead and wireless calls for assist
ance were sent out.
The submarine on the surface
proved to be far speedier craft
than the steamer, and rapidly over
hauled her, meanwhile deluging her
with shells. One shot put the wire
less apparatus on the Anglo Califor-
MAN out of action. Finding he
could not escape by running from
it, Captain Parslow devoted his at
tention to maneuvering his ship to
prevent the submarine from using
torpedoes effectively.
'.Our captain was brave man."
said one of the narrators. "He kept
at his post on the bridge, coolly Civ
ing orders as the submarine circled
around US vainly seeking to, get a
position from which it could give
us death blow with torpedoes. All
the while the underwater boat con-
tinued to rain shot and shell upon
us, and at times was so close that
she was able to employ them effect
lively.
"At last one shell blew the cap
tain off the bridge, killing him out
right and terribly mutilating him.
Just before that he had given orders
to launch the boats, but this was
very difficult under the shell fire.
Several men were struck down
while working at the davits. Ulti-
mately four boats were gotten over
board and were rowed away until
picked up"
The son of Captain Parslow, serv-
ing as second mate, was standing by
his fathers side when the latter
was killed The son was knocked
down by the violence of the explo-
sion. Springing to his feet, he seiz-
ed the wheel and as ably as his faith
er had done, continued lodging the
submarine. Another shell burst
alongside him, shattering one of the
spokes of the wheel, but young Pars-
low remained at his post.
The wireless IS. O. S." calls that
had been sent out at the first alarm
had reached those able to give more
than passive assistance, however,
and British destroyers appeared. On
their approach the submarine aban-
doned the attack and submerged.
Young Parslow was still at the
wheel when the destroyers came up.