The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1916-11-17
.C0LUMBIA'S CREW
DESCRIBES SINKING
NOT ALLOWED BY U-BOAT CAP
TAIN TO EXPLAIN THAT 1T
WAS L. =. SHIP.

Corunna, Spain, Nov. Ia (via Par
is, 6 p. m.).---When the crew of the
American steamer Columbian land
ed here they were accompanied to
their hotel by a great crowd of peo-
pie. The sailors told interesting
stories of the attack upon their ship,
which was shelled and sunk OFF the
Spanish coast by a German subma-
rine.
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 a shell passed ov-
er the ship. Capt. Curtis. on the
bridge, soon afterwards distinguish
ed a submarine four miles distant.
He ordered the American flag hoist
ed. The submarine. which was the
U-49, approached and signaled the
captain to follow the submarine, but
not to approach it nor attempt to es-
cape as he would i'm either case be
sunk.
All on board the Columbia put on
life belts. The captain prepared to
send his first officer by boat to the
submarine with documents aud a
demand that the American flag be re-
spected, but the sea was too high and
the trip too hazardous. The Colum-
bian followed the submarine through
out the night, being guided by rock
cts, 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 a boat
and went with a petty officer to the
submarine with the object of explain
ing that it was an American ship
They were not allowd to explain, but
were ordered to take on board Ger
man officer and two sailors, which the
boat did, and carried them to the
Columbian. The Germans placed
several bombs in the interior of the
ship and meantime the German Off
Ger ordered Capt. Curtis and his
crew TO abandon the ship and go
aboard the BALTIC, which was stand
ing by.
There was some disorder and ex-
element. but the officer called out
that there was plenty of time and
there was no need to become PAN
'icky. The crew before they were
allowed to enter the boats were exam
ined and deprived of arms and cleo
trio pocket lamps. They were allow
ed to take a small part of their bag
gage, Capt. Curtis was later requir-
ed to go aboard the submarine as a
prisoner Quantities of foodstuffs
were taken from the Columbian and
but aboard the undersea boat. When
all this was done, the fuses of the
bombs were lighted and the Germans
returned to the submarine in one of
the COlumbia's boats. Twelve min
ites later the bombs exploded and
the vessel sank.
The Columbian's crew remained
aboard the BALTIC until the submarine
and that vessel fell in with the Swed-
ish steamer Varing, when they were
put aboard her. The Baltino was then
sunk. Shortly afterwards the subma-
rine sighted the Norwegian steamer
Fordalen and ordered her crew
aboard the Varing, and sank the For
dalen. Food was running short on
the Varing and the submarine COM
mander was informed 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 in
tention Is to return TO the United
States at the FIRST opportunity.
The crew OF the Columbia were of
various nationalities. There were
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.