Evening star., 1915-07-28
LEELANAW'S CREW
NOT COMP FLAMING
Treated Well Aboard German
Submarine, They
Declare.

They could not have treated us more
courteously than they did," was the
unanimous verdict of Capt. Eugene
Delk and the members of the crew OF
the American steamer LeelanaW. Wheh
questioned regarding their encounter
with German submarine. Ihey
travelled about sixty miles on the deck
of the submersible and became wen
acquainted with it's crew, several OF
whom had been in America.
One member of the Leelanaw's ere"
remained aboard the submarine at MS
own request. He was one of~th mess
boys of the American ship and as ne
was of German nationality preferred
joining the crew of the underwater
craft to the proba bility of internment
in England At Kirkwall another OF
the Leelanaw's mess boys was 1ouho
to be a German and was detained.
Capt. Delk, a resident of Philadel-
phia made a matter-of- f-fact statement
regarding the sinking of his ship and
was not inclined to add details TO the
main facts as he outlined them.
There is no story in it, he SAD;
I'VE stopped when a shot was hred
behind US, and then we had to leaVe.
Our ship was shelled, bombed and tor.
pedoed, but it took an hour ana nail
to sink her. The Germans took us
aboard the submarine, carried US about
sixty miles and then gave US directions
for getting to kirkwall, when we
reached safely in about twelve hours
The members of the crew. of whom
there are thirty-two besides the cap
tain, explained that the German con-
mander apologized for the necessity OF
sinking the ship, but said it was forced
upon him by the fact that the Leela-
nav was carrying contraband, and ne
was not in the habit of throwing over
board contra band cargoes The crew
Of the German boat conversed affably
in good English with the Leelana"
men.
Ignorant of Latest Note.
The Germans had no idea of the con-
tents of the latest American note on
the sinking of the Lusitania, for their
newspapers were two days OLD. ine
Leelanaw was the sixth vessel the sub
marine had sunk that day, and IT start
ed in pursuit of two others when the
Americans had been returned to their
boats after their long ride on the sub
mersible's deck.
The sailors from the Leelanaw were
cold and wet when they landed after
their twelve hours row in nfepoats'
eral times in cross tides off the Ork-
ney Islands. They will leave today
for Dundee, where their statements
will be taken by the United States
consul.
Story of Capt. Delk.
we were on our way from Archan-
gel to Belfast Sunday afternoon with
a cargo of fax and tow said Capt
Eugene Delk in describing the de-
struction of his ship, when / OBJ
served two steamers to the north
and heard shot fired. We were
then sixty-five miles northwest OF
Kirkwau Soon l saw a submarine
heading toward one of the vessels. I'm
mediately afterward one of them sank
The submarine fired another shot ano
started in pursuit of the Leelanaw.
Il altered my course and decided 70
good headway and fred a shot which
fell only 300 yards short. Thereupon
l put the helm over and headed toward
the submarine, which signaled to US
to send our papers aboard This did
The officers and crew then were tolo
to abandon the ship.
"a boat was sent out by the COM
mander of the submarine, who told III
to take time to get all our enects into
our own boats. He informed us also
that we would be put on the proper
course to Orkney.
Sunk by Torpedo.
I'VE got into the boats and rowe6
away, after which the submarine fire6
FIVE shots at the starboard side. None
of them took effect, as they struck
above the waterline. The submarine
then fired a torpedo which hit the
| steamer amidships and she began te
sink at once.
Our crew afterward was taker
aboard the submarine with our boats In
tow AS the Leelanaw still was above
water. more shots were fired into the
port side, the second of which set the
steamer afire. The German commander
s.ood by until he saw the vessel dis
appear We were taken to a poin,
eight miles from the coast of Orkney
where the crew was ordered into oul
boats and the submarine disappeared
beneath the surface. The commander
showed US every courtesy"
Crew Will Sail Saturday.
LONDON, July 2s.-The crew of the
American steamer Leelanaw will sal
for New York Saturday on board the
steamer St. Paul.
Dn;4;oL Adro;ro l%N Donan%a