The sun., 1916-10-10
S%TRATHDENE'S CREW
HAD THRILLING HOUR
Watched L Boat Shell Their
Freighter without Effect,
Then Use Torpedo.
MOST FORMALLY POLITE
German Skipper Left Captivcs
to Get Oil From. Then
Sink. Tanker.

Never In the spectacular history Of
smashrps by submarines has any big
freighter gone to smiihereens like The
British steamship S~trathdene. torpedoed
by the German C-33 thirteen miles en- ST.
southeast OF Nantucket L'ghtsh,p on Sun
day morning. Capt. wilson. his cfrlcers
and the res. of the S~trathdene's sh,p's
company. thirty-four all told. arrived
yesterday by the new trugua"an Detroit
built steamship p. l.. NJ 80. 4. whSh
took them from the l,ghtshir. They
spun their yarn. although requested not
to do so by the British Consulate.
One OF the officers declared tina mos:
Of the German submers!ble's men spoke
better English than half the S~,rathdenc's
crew. with men from all the world. and
that at no time during the unpleasant:
proceedings was any but the most cor
rect FORMULA observed. The uniformed
skipper Of the submarine expressed re-
greet at the necessity OF sinking the big
freighter. and the skipper practically an
swered with the equivalent of Don't
mention it,
what surprised the German COM
s@sse WIS hh' vi III
dsnc. He expended "A dozen or more
shells in her hull before he was obliged
to waste n torpedo ON her. Perhaps he
thought she vas worth IL. as she car
ried "A cargo said. to he worth to the
Allies more han $4,000. 900. The sec
ond surprise of the Germans was tn,
~suddcnness with which the ~Strathdene
went to pieces. This was due In part
to the explosion OF her boilers. so some
- 49,. 49, I. M.
was caused by tho inhlmmable and en-
plosive nature OF some %! her big cargo.
In which were tons mad tons Of naph;ha-
lene. phenol. bepzol and loaded car
tridgcs.
Disa ppeRrrd III n Minute.
Capt. Wilson also was much impressed
by the eruption as he rowed from the
vicinity in one OF the ships ~lifehoats.
The funnel OF the frcightcr collapsed.
her masts were blown 10 fragments and
less han "a minute after the torpedo
burst she had disappeared.
, The first hint OF the presence OF AZ
enemy war craft In her n~eighborhood
came to Capt. Wilson when he saw and
heard a shell burst ahead OF him. 4
moment later he saw the quick firer
from which the shot was hurled. APP
paren,ly attached to "A f,oaaing gun
platform doing business all alone. Aftc-
a wfkle the gun rose higher and the hull
OF the submarine became visible.
Swiftly officers and men anne out on
deck and two little swallow tail flags.
/ the upper one white and blue and the
lower red, were hoistcd. They meant In
the nautical vcrnacuiar Of the seasoer
OF all ports. abandon the vessel as fast
as POSSIBLE" otherwise. "t'eat it AS
one o. the Amcricanized members OF the
fr.lehter's crew remarked.
Capt. Wilson ordered all hands TO get
out the two lifeboats and waited for the
German to cone near enough to nall.
While he was coming the submarine
commander let go another shell. WHICH
Can't. Wilson interpreted to mean Hurry
up" as Il did not hit near the Strath-
dene.
The submarine came up on the port
quarter OF the Strathdene and ran along
her port sid in the gently heaving sea.
| Then it was that the German skipper
introduced himself in excellent English
to Cspr Wilson. and the crews OF both
vessels swapped sentiments In English.
Tended On 4 Boat.
The frail hull OF the German boat. by
the roll Of the sea. was threatened with
injury against the stout steel side OF the
IFelEnttT. Inc StTtld an CdIAdin "sN'b
the Britons to kindly bear a hand In
Tending on the precious u boat. and
they compiled by using oars on the
gunwale. II was not a long reach from
the main deck OF the frcighter. as she
was laden deeply, with just about al
much f~reeboard as the Plinsoll law,
bit elastic In war times. allows.
The German skipper decided that /
would be more convenient to talk tC
Capt. Wilson while nc was in a lifeboat
and so signiied with more than usua
sea politeness. Thereupon all hands o
the Strathdene lowered away on thei
two lifeboats and went alongside tn
submarine.
The SUI was just getting up and paint
ing its golden autograph across the plac
id sea. Capt. Wilson did not appreciat
the SUNRISE spectacle as he might hav
IL he had had command of the Germai
boat but he was not IA bit grouchy tn
German skipper asked him for his paper
and ne said that he had been In such
hurry to abandon ship, AS requested b
nag and wise. that he had left ther
In his safe. and what good would ship
papers be anyhow " the ship was goin
to he 80 soon sent to Davy Jones2
Now. gentlemen. the skipper said. 1
substance, II you will kindly row a b
further way from the ship. We will sin
/. her. The two lifeboats ~thereupon rowe
OF and the submarine q%uickhfcr boone
six times, One OF the shells missed tn
!. ship, bursting close 10 the second boa
. to leave her. The polite German con
> mander warned the boats crew to "a
, further of as he prepared to fire agaii
. Left to Finish Tanker.
: Just then he observed the Sorwegia
2 tank steamship Christian knudsen, oil
. laden. about five miles away. Tie SUI
> cested that the Strathdene's men Ia
!. better stay in the vicinity until he Al
!, tended to the tank, and that he woul
y then return and finish the Strathdene.
SO the men Of the Strathdene Ju'
hung around. partly to be obliging
. such an obligins submarine and part
, from curiosity about the fate OF the tan
The Christian Knudsen stopped when
. shot fell across her bows, and present.
l l.. ~Iaf1