New-York tribune., 1915-02-15
TORPEDOED TWICE
FOR NOT BLUFFINC
Survivor Says Use of U. S.
Flag Would Have Saved
Steamship Ikaria.
THOUGHT SUBMARINE
WAS PILOT BOAT
Belgian Woman, Here on the st.
Louis, Describes Germans
Methods of Burning.

Some OF the passengers on board the
American liner St Louis who heard the
story of the blowing up Of the steam
ship lkaria, as related yesterday by Al
fred Edwards, survivor, were OF the
opinion that the English flag was an
unsafe emblem to display these days in
the English Channel.
Edwards thought that the American
flag would have saved the lkaris, but
her master, Captain Robertson, being
an honest mariner, sent up the British
ensign from the tafrail, and for his
candor was torpedoed twice by the
German submarine U-2l.
Although born in England, Edwards
is an American citizen and lives in
Philadelphia. He signed at that port
and went out as a fireman on the
lkaris, an American vessel. chartered
by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Com
pany. She carried general cargo from
Santos and Buenos Ayres for England.
Saw the Submarine.
"On January 81, at 1916 p. m.," said
Edwards, 1--WE were about fifteen miles
of Havre waiting for a pilot. ] was
looking out of porthole and saw
small, partly submerged boat with
queer tower on it approaching, about
twenty-five yards away. My mates
thought it was the pilot boat. but they
didn't think so long. While we leaned
there looking at il there was terrific
explosion aft on the starboard side.
This came few minutes after our
master had raised the British flag.
Eve all ran TO the lifebosts, and
had hardly made ready the first one
when the explosion was repeated on
the port side aft. There were twenty
eight of US on board, and we got out in
time, for fifteen minutes after the first
torpedo hit US the lkaria went down.
The boat | was in was so rotten 1t sank
under US, but we we're saved by sew
eral French torpedo boat destroyers
that steamed for US when they heard
the first explosion. The U-2l got away,
and learned afterward that she had
sunk three vessels that day"
Among the travellers on the st. Louis
was rofAssor Leon du Priez, Belgian
educator, who had the chair of Roman
law at the University of Louvain. He
was accompanied by his wife and four
young children, and will lecture at
Harvard University on Roman law and
comparative constitutional law.
Nine. du Priez, who. like her hus.
band, speaks excellent English. said
that there was no bombardment of Lou
vain. "The German forces simply
marched upon the city" she said,
burning every house they approsched
in a most effective and businesslike
and the officers remained apart from
them. It was difficult to get near an
officer. If you did succeed in hsiling
one of them he ignored you. j finally
appealed to some of the soldiers, speak
ing to them in German, and that had
some weight, for they agreed to spare
ny house and those adjacent to it for
several days.
Styles of Incendiarism.
"Thev burned dwellings in three
ways. One method was TO ignite ben
zine within and without; another way
was to throw into the windows two
chemicals in two separate bottles.
When these broke it started terrific
FIRE. Also they used pastilles, which
are small, infammable disks. which are
ignitcd and thrown through the win
dows."
Nine. Aino Malmberg. a Finnish
patriot once imprisoned in Russia, who
Visited this country two year, ago, was
a passenger on the St. Louis. She
comes here to lecture on the subject of
"Big Wars and Little Nations"
Among others on the st. Louis were
Stanley n. Dancey, Henry Dunster
Baker, United States Consul at Bonn
bay; the Rev. John ,. de Vile. Miss
Helena Gordon Mackay, Ernest Klemp-
rer, Alvin A. Rupprecht, Miss Victoria
Moody. Ernest Williams and Mr. and
Mr. Charlcs Z Rrunner.