The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1915-03-06
The Firfield Arrived in Port
Yesterday, This Being her
Maiden Trip.
WAS STRUCK p" BIG SHELL
When the HartIepoole Bombard-
ed Steamer Was at a Ship
yard Nearing Completion
Crew Talks of Incident.

l
rived in port yesterday morning di
rect from West Hartlepool, England,
this being her maiden trip. Mem
bers of the crew state that II was an
unusually rough one, some bad wealth
| The steamer left Hartlepool on Feb
ruary 5, the trip taking exactly one
month. or course the engines are all
new, as is everything else about the
steamer and this also caused some
delay.
The Firleld was at the plant of
shipbuilding company in Hartlepool
when that English seaport was bonn
barded a few months ago by num-
Der of German warships, which slipped
quietly to within range OF the city
and htrled number Of bombs on in
nocenq people.
! One of the shells from one of the
large 12-inch guns struck the Firfield.
then almost completed. and tore n hole
in her Etarboard side large enough for
| a persdn to walk through The shell
passed practically all the way through
the steh Inner, doing great damage. If
the shd II had struck her below the
water inc she would have unQues-
tionablN been sunk. Fortunately none
of the workmen were aboard the
| I'irlield at the time and consequently
there wts no loss of life. At the time
of the Explosion the work OF Install
ing the machinery in the shop was
under Nay, and had it not been for
the damage ta3ne she would have been
ready TO sailt long ago.
| g A majority, of the members Of the
crew of the (Firfeld were in Hartle-
pool at the fine OF the bombardment
and they tn some awful stories of
the death (dealt to inhabitants of
that cityjby the Tying shells. The
morning before half Of the people
were awake, and many of them were
greatly frightened when they realized
what was happening. Thousands Of
citizens rushed for safety as large
bombs burst over their heads.
ut was not so much the number
killed at the time" said one Of the
members of the crew, but the in
jured list was something horrible" he
continued. while hundred or two
people were killed outright, hundreds
of others were fatally injured and
many have passed away since that
time from the injuries they received,
while many citizens were crippled for
life"
The men stated that at the time
iof the bombardment none of them
were aboard the Firfield; in fact, the
crew had not been made up at that
time. She was only one of a num-
Der of ships which were struck by a
shell
Some Of the men carried pieces OF
shells in their pockets, others had
photographs of four or five of the
large six-inch shells which did not ex-
plode and other photographs as well.
They all said it was an altogether un.
called for act on the part of Germany
to slip over and lombard an innocent
people.
Captain Clark of the steamer, how
ever, was not in Hartlepool at the time
Of the bombardment He was then
in command OF the steamer Mierfield
and was in the port of Dunkirl,
France, when feet OF German hy-
ing machines passed over that city,
dropping number of bombs. which
did considerable damage and killed a
number of people. Captain Clark
later went to West HartIepool to take
command of the Firfield
!. Various numbers Of the crew .taA
interestingly about the bonlbaTfnl
OF the HartIepool and other
dents Of the war When questit
as to whether or not they fear
return trip, they quickly reply
there is nothing at all to fear.
The Firfield is a very handso
ship equipped with the iafest
chinei-y. She is at the At, b. and
terminals taking on cargo Of
ton and will Monday or Tuesday lea +
for Savannah to complete the cara