Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-11-12
u.s. or a sharp metallic crack as n
shrapnel burst Just over our heads
In Glare Of Search,iuhts.

'hrapnel burst Just over our heads.
In Glare Of searchllshts.
PRESENTLY we arrived in the vicinity
OF the stranded submarine. By this
time eight searchlights were trained
on our boat, and we were being fired
oh from six directions. The noise of
the guns and the splashes in the wa.
ter ana the powerful beams of the
searchilghts must have made an effec-
1--WE scene. Personally, however, had
hot much time to consider the artistic
Siue OF II. as | was steaming zigzag
courses to puzzle the gunners, gradu.
ally getting near to the place where
we thought ELS was. The Majestics
BOAT had been fired on, but not to such
an extent, as we, being the leading
boat. received at first most of the
enemy's attention.
we saw a dark mass which we
thought must be the submarine (there
was no searchlight on it, so we could
not make sure), and the order was
gwen to fire one torpedo, which we
ala, but as we heard no explosion con-
cluded we had missed,
The current was very strong and
rather like whirlpool in Kephez bay,
so steering was very difficult, and it
was an effort to keep ones head with
the noise of guns all round US and the
dazzle of the searchlights.
we steamed up a short distance
and turned round intending to close
again and fire our other torpedo, but
suddenly saw the Majestic's boat in
trouble and the crew calling for help.
1t appeared that coming up behind US,
and while the searchlights were TO-
cused on us one of the beams passed
US and shone right on ELS, and the
Majestic's boat was luckily only eco
yards away and saw it. Goodwin i'm.
mediately fired one torpedo, which did
not strike the object. At that mo.
ment his boat was struck by a shell
under the water line aft and com.
menced to take in water rapidly. He
CALAMITY turned his boat toward ELS
again. steamed in q bit and fired his
second torpedo, which caught ELS Just
In front of the coming tower and on
the forward whaleback of the hull,
making a fine explosion. l consider
this was very brave deed, as Goodwin
knew he was in imminent danger of
sinking, but ran in again to have a
second shot.
Wounded Man Overlooked.
when we saw them their stern
sheets were awash and it looked as If
they might have to swim for it. We
Unanswered the boat to go alongside,
but the current was terrible and it
made the handling a very difficult mat
ter. The enemy saw the disaster and
redoubled their efforts. The sea all
round US was mass of splashes from
projectiles. some of them Is to 20 feet
high, while the water where the shrap.
mel burst was pitted as if by heavy
rain. How it was we were not hit
cannot say-one would imagine it was
impossible to come out of such an in
ferno. All / can say is thai God pre-
served us and not shot actually hit,
though we were one and all wet with
the splashes. After some difficulty we
got alongside the. Majestic's boat and
they jumped on board. We were very
delighted to hear that they had been
successful and had done the job of tor
pedoing ELS.
LAS we steamed round again pre-.
paratory to heading out we saw man
crawling out of the other boats stern
sheets. He had been forgotten in the
hurry Of the moment. 1t looked like
suicide to go back, but of course we
could not leave him there, so maneuv-
cred close again and shouted to him to
get into the water and swim toward
US, which he did, and we hauled him
into the boat unconscious. Goodwin,
who looked after him, had him put
down the forepeak and it was found
that his legs had been crushed through
the explosion OF the she'll which struck
the boat. He was the only man in the
stern sheets and in the dark they
overlooked him when it came to aban-
doning their boat.
"The enemy evidently thought that
there were men still on the sinking
boat, as they kept their searchlight
on her and concentrated heavy fire
also. They must have wasted a few
hundred rounds. This enabled US to
steal away quietly, and, as there was
about a four-knot Tor even more) cur.
rent running, we soon got some dis
lance away. We had steamed over
two mine fields to get to ELS.
1.-THE Old Navy Touch"
I'VE first went to the Majestic on
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