The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1916-11-22
CREW DESCRIBES
OBSTRUCTION
Not Allowed By U Boat Captain
To Explain Nationality
Of Ship

COrunna, spain, NOV. 10 IVA faT-
is, 6 p. M When the crew of the
American steamer Columbian landed
here they we're accompanied to their
hotel by great crowd of people.
The sailors told interesting stories
of the attack upon their ship, which
was shelled and sunk off the Span
ish coast by a German submarine.
The Captain of the Columbian
was at dinner when he heard the
first gun, it sounded remote. At the
time the Columbian was making
eleven knots. Suddenly shell
passed over the ship. Capt. Curtis,
on the bridge, soon afterwards dis
tinguished a submarine four miles
distant. He ordered the American
flag hoisted. The submarine, which
was the U-49, approached and sig
nailed the Captain to follow the sub
marine, but not to approach it nor
attempt to escape as he would in
either case. be sunk.
All on board the Columbian put
on life belts. The captain prepared
to send his first officer by boat to the
submarine with documents and
demand that the American flag be
respected, but the sea was too high
and the trip too hazardous. The
Columbian followed the submarine
throughout the night, being guided
by rockets, which also were sent up
from time to time by the Columbian
by order of the Germans.
Toward o'clock in the morning
six American seamen manned boat
and went with petty officer to the
submarine with the obJect\ of eX-
planning that II was an American
ship They were not allowed to en-
plain, but were ordered to take on
board a German officer and two sail
ors, which the boat did, and carried
them to the Columbian. The Ger
mans placed several bombs in the
interior of the ship and meantime
the German officer ordered Capt.
Curtis and his crew to abandon the
ship and go aboard the BALTIC, which
was standing by.
There was some disorder and en-
element, but the officer called out
that there was plenty of time and
there was no need to become pam
icky. The crew before they were al
lowed to enter the boats were exam
ined and deprived of arms and cleo
trio pocket lamps. They were al
lowed to take small part of their
baggage. Capt. Curtis was later re-
uuired to go aboard the submarine
as a prisoner Quantities of food
stuffs were taken from the Column
bian and put aboard the undersea
boat. When all this was done, the
fuses of the bombs were lighted and
the Germans returned to the subma-
rine in one of the Columbian's
boats. Twelve minutes later the
bombs exploded and the vessel sank.
The Coiumbian's crew remained
aboard the BALTIC until the subma-
rine and that vessel fell in with the
Swedish steamer Varing, when they
were put aboard her. The b alto
was then sunk. Shortly afterwards
the submarine sighted the Norweg-
ian steamer Fordalen and ordered
her crew aboardl the Varing, and
sank the Fordalen. Food was run
ming short on the Varing and the
submarine commander was inform
ed of this fact. He gave permission
for the vessel to enter port.
Capt. Curtis. when asked to de-
scribe his experiences, said he pre-
ferred to make no statement except
to American consular officials. His
intention is to return to the United
States at the first opportunity.
The crew of the Columbian were
of various nationalities. There We're
about thirty or forty Americans,
among them several horse tenders,
five Mexicans. five Spaniards, one
Chilean, one Porto Rican, five Chi
nese, three Russians, three Swiss
and one Italian.
49,