New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-13
FLAX DEFIED FOE
FROM LEELANAW
Shell Holes Plugged by
Cargo-BOmb Used to
Sink Ship.

Charles NJ. Nuremberg, second en-
gineer of the American ship Leelanaw
which was sunk by German submarine
off the Orkney Islands July %, came
into The Tribune office last night and
described the sinking.
about 1880 in the afternoon he
said, 1--WE saw ship, followed by sub
marine, whether German or British we
did not know. At first it loked as
though she was towing the submarine
Then a geyser Of spray shot into
the air, and a few moments later the
ship disappeared. At once the sub
marine approached another vessel-a
trawler-and sank her too, and then
we knew she was a German. After fin
ishing this job she turned her attention
to us. She was not submerged, and
coming within hailing distance, sig
nailed us to bring our papers aboard
This the captain did, and the officer
in command, Captain Lieutenant Hen
sen, after looking them over, said that
the fax and tow in the holds Of the
Leelanaw were contraband and that
she would have to be sunk. However
he first sent an under officer on board
TO see if this part Of the cargo could
be thrown overheard. He returned and
answered that the flax and hemp was
buried under other stuffs.
$50 Hensen ordered US to come of
in our boats to the submarine. She
was bird! About $40 feet long, with
room for at least 500 men on her
promenade deck. She was equipped
with wireless and guns marked 'Friedr
Krupp, Essen; 1915 en-. u No. 1894.
| can see these letters now, because
| was standing over the piece with my
parrot. who was cnattering, and
watched the Leelanaw go down
"They did not torpedo her. Flrs'
they shot three holes in her port SIDE
and then three more to start oard
This did little damage, because the
flax and tow Immediately filled the
cans and the water could not get in
So they put a bomb in her, and tins
aid the business She was Just gong
under when we sailed away.
"The Germans spoke good English
and were very good fellows. They
gave us coffee and a hot lunch and
treated US fine. II was raining and
the commander allowed US to stand
behind the coming tower, which was
about twenty feet wide.
"He said that they had been TO sea
twenty-eight days and were out for d
four weeks cruise. He seemed to know
every firm that was dealing in contra
band in England and said that he had
recently come from his base with mill
tary instructions.
"He took us to the Roost Of Berger
which is a bay between two Islands OIL
Kirkwall, Scotland. but just as We
reached this point he sighted the
smoke of another ship and told us We
would have to get into our boats, which
were being towed, and row to Kirk
wall as he had to chase this vessel.
I'VE climbed into our boats, the sub
marine submerged quickly to give chase
and we pulled all night. arriving al
Kirkwall by dawn. 1t is light most al
night in that northern latitude. A
the dock at kirkwall was British
cruiser, and the commander was wilC
when he learned that we had com,
through the Roost Of Berger unnoticeC
and that a German submarine was
near by.
There was much wigwagging and IT.;
lot of destroyers went out to searci
for her. One German of our crew ha'
stayed with the submarine, after show
ing his papers; another was arrested il
Kirkwall, and then interned at Aber
deem"
Nuremberg then became indignan
when speaking of the treatment the!
received from the American consuls il
Dundee and Aberdeen.