Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-19
THREE BOMBS AIMED
BY GERMAN PLANE AT
U. S. SHIP NOW HERE
Officers and CrCew Of the
Gushing S avs Taube
Tried to Send American
Vessel to the Bottom.
One Missile Hit Side.

Tho American steamship Cushing which
was struck by bomb dropped from a
German Taube aeroplane, off the Belgian
coast, arrived at her dock, Schuylkill
River and Passyunk avenue, this morning,
with the first direct information brought
to this country by survivors of the vari-
Gus German attacks, mentioned in Presi-
! dent Wilson'S note to the German Gov
ernment.
Captain Lars Larsen Herland, of the
Cushing, which is an oil tanker belonging
to the Atlantic Refining Company, re-
ported to his employers that three bombs
were aimed at the vessel from a Taube
at sunset on April 2S, when there was
sufficient light for the Germans, who were
| flying low, to see plainly the large Amer
lean flag of the Cushing and the letters.
painted large on both\ sides-"Cushing,
New York, U. S. A."
f''The act of the men on the German
areoplane was indefeasible and mex
cusable." said Captain Herald, They
could see our flag and the letters on the
sides of the ship. six feet in height. AS
soon as the bombs fell I ordered the
whistles blown for help and the lifeboats
prepared in case we began to sink, for
we could not tell how badly we We're
damaged.
Part of the rail on the starboard side
near the stern was broken, but was re-
paired before we started home"
SHIP JUST MISSED MINE.
man had narrow egclDe from
death. the steward, who was standing
near the spot where the bomb hit the
rail
Pieces of the steel bomb fell in all
part of the deck and nearly every member
of the crew has one of them, n treasured
relic.
The Cushing was in danger a second
time On tho way home, on May 4. two
days out from Rotterdam, off the Dutch
coast, a German submarine was sighted
laying mines. Members of the crew said
that the submarine, while only 100 feet
away, placed a mine in the water directly
in the path of the Gushing. The mine
had an iron bar which protruded above
the surface: the course Of the vessel was
quickly changed and the mine was
avoided.
One of the crew. Antonio Martinez,
Spaniard, lost his nerve in Rotterdam
and deserted,
The attack by the aeroplane has been
called a mistake by the Germans, but
members of the crew said today that II
there was any mistake It was that the
men in the Taube missed the smoke
stack of the Cushing, at which they We're
evidently aiming. The first two bombs
fell in the water and the third hit the
rail a glancing blow, Then, apparently,
through lack of ammunition, the Taube
flew away
SAILED FROM THIS PORT.
The Cushing sailed from Marcus Hook
on April IL for Rotterdam, with a cargo
of kerosene consigned for the Government
of the Netherlands. According to the Of
fetal statement of the captain. the Cush-
ing. at 1880 o'clock on April 2s, was off
the lightship North Hinder. near the
mouth of the River Schelt. on which Ant
werp is situated, but not in sight of
land. The captain and the first mate
were on the bridge and majority of the
crew of 81 men were on deck,
An aeroplane was seen coming rapidly
from the direction OF the English coast.
II was observed with interest. but with
out alarm. 1t lowered only 200 feet in air,
above the ship.
Suddenly bomb fell and exploded in