Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-28
AnnRpEnN. scotland. July 3.

ABERDEEN Scotland, July g.
The official story of the destruction OF
tho American ship Leelanaw by Ger
man submarine in the North Sea on Sun
day was told today to william p. Quann
the United States Consul here, by Eu-
gene Dek, captain of the destroyed
steamship
The chief features of Captain Delk's
story were these!
First That plenty Of warning was given
to the Leelanaw and that the crew was
given all the time necessary to leave the
vessel before 1t was attacked
Second. That the crew of the German
submarine treated the seamen of the Lee
lanaw with kindness and courtesy. sup
plying them with food
Third. The captain of the submarine
declared that he could not spare the Lee
lanaw because he had not been in the
habit of jettisoning contraband cargoes.
az After the Leelanaws crew had left
their ship the Germans fired shells into
her, but this method proving too slow,
they discharged a torpedo against her
The American ship was burning when she
went down.
(O Most of the seamen on the sub
marine could speak excellent English and
seemed to have been residents of the
United States before the war broke out.
The vessel which brought the Leela-
naws crew to port brought also the crews
Of the ships Grangewood and Rubinia,
which had been sunk by German subma-
rlnes at sea.
THE CAPTAINS STORY.
I'VE were about SIS miles northwest of
the Orkney Island on Sunday afternoon
when 1 observed two ships to the south
ward" said Captain Delk while watch
ing them heard shot and upon looking
closer l saw submarine lying on the
surface of the sea.
almost Immediately one of the two
ships which 1 observed to be of British
nationality began to settle. The sub
marine made of toward the other mer-
chantman and heard another shot. The
Germans attention to the second ship
was shortlived however, for Just then
the commander of the submarine must
have spied my vessel. for he made off
IN our direction.
MY first thought was to seek safety
In flight and after altering my course I
ordered full steam ahead. The subma-
ilne put on all her speed and the chase
was on. The German boat was a very
swift one and made good headway.
When she saw we were going to make a
run a shot was fired, but It fell about |
800 yards shsrt. I then put my helm |
down hard and the Leelanaw slowed |
down until her nose pointed toward the |
submarine.
The submarine continued in our di-
rection and sent UP signal ordering me |
10 send my papers on board. / did So |
and the German commander studied them
carefully. He discovered that was bound
from Archangei for Belfast with cargo
4 OF fax. and he then sent up another sig
nal ordering us to leave the ship immedi-
ately, Then a small boat left the sub
marine and when 1t was within hailing
distance an officer shouted in good Eng
llsh;
Take your time, but get all your crew
into the boats. Get together much of
your personal effects as possible and then
row away from your ship
THE German said that we would be
carried toward the mainland of the Ork-
neyB in the submarine. We obeyed orders,
getting into our small boats as quickly
as possible, at the same time carrying as
many of our personal belongings as we
could get together When we had rowed
Off for some distance the submarine fired
five shots into the hull of the Leelanaw
on the starboard side, but the vessel stlll
remained afoat as all struck above the
water line.
Upon seeing this the German com
mander fired a torpedo which struck the
vessel squarely amidships She immedi-
ately began to go down. but to make a
good job of II two more shots were fred
the last setting the ship on fire.
we were taken on board the sub
marine, and our two lifeboats were taken
In tow. The submarine did not make off
at once. but stood by until the Leelanaw
was nearly under water The Leelanaw
disappeared at 3 p. m Then we made of
toward the orlSneys, keeping up a steady
pace until $3.50 at night. When we were !
few miles OF land. we were ordered into {
our boats again. and we obeyed with {
WELL TREATED. {
II want TO say that the captain OF the
submarine treated US with all the courtesy
In the world. He served us with ground
coffee and German sandwiches. The com !
mander explained that he had TO destroy
the Leeianaw. as he was not in the habit |
Of Jettisoning eontraband eargoes.
"Onr worst adventure came at the |
very last While rowing toward the
mainland We lost our way In the dark
ness and got mixed up IN some rapids;
the seas were tremendous and our two |
boats were nearly swamped. but the ! :
wind was In our favor. and finally we
arrived at KirkWall at o'clock the fol-
lowing morning without any mishap.
The members Of the crew OF the sub {
marine gave US plenty OF food and talked
to US IN the most afiable manner. Most
Of them could speak English and seemed
20 have lived in the United States before
the WaF.
The crew Of the Leelanaw was mostly
Americans. although there we're some
seandinayians among them, We were
surprised that two Of the mess boys on 6
the LeelanaW were OF German national =
ifH When the submarine captain found Y
that out he detained one 81 the boys. He :
evidently did not know that the other boy
WAS German, too, or he probably would .
have Kept him on the submarine also
we were wet through and through
ana chilled 10 the bone when We reached
lkifkWall, but We we're treated very I
kindly aud sooH recovered from our ex-
haustiou"
The kifkWall authorities arrested the
second German mess boy Of the Lesla-
uaH. whose nationality had escaped the
Eafice of the submarine COMMANDER The
members Of the LeelanaWs crew left Tor :
Dundee
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