The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-09-23
NO WARMING FOR PASSENGERS
Zion Man Managed to Get Away from
Sinking Steamer just in Time to
Avoid Fate of More Than Score
Lost in the Torpedoed Vessel.

PCi1cHceS TO If16nQS III hon0Sua
Thursday night concerning his rescue
from the Arabic. Mr. Morton went in
England recently to attend the marriage
OF ais sister, and was returning on board
the Arabic when the steamer was tor
| pedoed by German submarine.
! Mr.. Morton said he was standing on
the deck Of the Arabic on Thursday
| morning, August 10th, watching the
Dunsley in the distance He was in
company with two ladies and was
| focusing a camera SO as to take a
| picture of the steamer when to his hor-
ror, ne saw torpedo coming towards
caused by the speeding missile was
visible 800 yards away. The ladies at
| his side turned white with horror. He
| rushed down to his stateroom and
seized a life belt and when he returned
on deck he found there was not a mo-
ment to lose. The vessel was struck
one hundred feet from the stern on the
| starboard side and she trembed and
reeled meath the bow. She listed first
| to starboard and then to port and it was
seen that she was settling by the
stern. AS soon as the officers saw the
| torpedo coming orders were given to
! change the ship s course so as to give a
| zig gag motion in the water and so try
to evade the missile or have it strike
aft or forward. This explains why she
was not struck amidships but close to
| the stern.
AS soon as she was struck the order
was given to man the boats. The
bugler blew the assembly, and in a
few seconds passengers were being low
cred in the boats, There was excellent
order and discipline, said Mr.. Morton.
There was not a moment to lose The
steamer was settling fast and all be-
longings had to be left behind The
Engine was stopped SO as to help the
passengers to escape and in about FIVE
minutes about four hundred passengers
/ had been lowered into the boats. The
| boat in which Mr. Morton had taken
refuge was only about dozen yards
! from the Arabic as she sank There was
very little suction, he said so that there
was little danger. There was strong
smell, however, of gunpowder and
| chemicals as the vessel sank, which was
no doubt caused by the explosion Of the
torpedo. Many of the passengers and
crew who did not have time to get into
| the boats were found struggling in the
water, and the boats went back to the
scene of the wreck to rescue them Sew
eral were picked up in this way, and
among them was Captain Finch who was
was rescued. His clothes were torn and
he was in a dilapidated condition
| through having stuck to the ship to the
last minute. All the boats got away
safely excepting two. One boat was
| loaded with passengers and was sus-
pended in the davits through some
thing having got foul and the ropes
would not work. There was not min
ute to lose. There they were sus-
pended over the water and the steamer
sinking by the stern To remain there
would haze meant to be engulfed with
the steamer as she went under. The
bugler who had sounded the nassem-
bly, when the ship was struck came to
the rescue. He climbed up the rope
and freed it and then slid down like a
rocket. It was daring act and the
greatest excitement among all that wit
messed it prevailed. The women in
the boat screamed as they were trap
ped in the boat and what was to be
done had to be done quickly. To the
JOY of all the boat slid down into the
water and all were saved
The Dunsley was not far off but her
captain and crew had deserted her. The
submarine had shelled her thirty times.
Two of her crew had been killed and
six were wounded and the captain of
the submarine had ordered all hands to
leave her as he was about to sink her.
This, it is believed, was simply scheme
on his part to lure the Arabic on to her
rescue and as soon as she would come
near enough they would torpedo her.
This proved to be true because at no
time was the submarine visible to those
on board the Arabic. The submarine
hid behind the Dunsey. She fred no
torpedoes at the Drnsley and as soon
as the Arabic was within range tor
pedo was fired from right angles so
that no one could see from whence it
came. The Dunsley was cargo boat
and carried no passengers, but accord
ing to Mr.. Morton there was absolutely
no warning given to the captain of the
Arabic
After cruising about in the ocean
Tor over four hours the twelve boat
loads OF passengers and crew were pick
ed up By the two British patrol boats.