The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-11-14
CAPTAIN IF TIL:
COLlJ|NbIANN NAS
HELD R|S0NE R
REMAINED ON UL49
FOR NEARLY A WEEK
Heard Explosions That Blew
Up Other Ships--Othe
Captains Held.

lOlilNNA \. spain, NnN. Ii (Eil
Paris. @:i1 =. m.D--Captaju Frederick
Curtis OF the American steamer Colum.
bian who arrived here with the rescued
crew Of this steamship. declared 10 Il
representative Of the Associated Press
today that he waS a prisoner on board
the German submarine C-4a for six
days after the destruction Of his YES
sci All OF the l09 members of the
Columbian's crew were saved, Capt.
Curtis stated.
Captain Curtis said the Columbian
was warned before she was torpedOed
and sunk by the U49. The crew was
left in lifeboatS and the captain was
taken on board the submarine.
Captain Arthur Patterson Of tho
British steamer Seatnnia, says tho re-
port. also was a prisoner on board The
U-49 for eight days during which time
he heard the guns Of the submarine
in action and also heard distinctly the
explosion Of the torpedo which he
learned later blew up the Norwegian
ship BALTIC. Soon after Captain Nelug-
sen Of the Norwegian ship Fordalen,
joined him in the narrow prison on
board the submarine, where they were
Joined on the following day by Capt
Curtis.
MY ship, registered al New York, "
said Captain Curtis 10 The correSpon-
dent, carried a cargo of about 5000
tons and Il crew Of 100. all Of whom
were saved. stopped on the COM
mand Of the submarine, whose COM
mander ordered me 10 abandon ship
with the crew immediately, which we
did without other baggage than two
SatChcls with documents and money.
Two Torpcdocs.
"Suhmarine Tag fired at once two
torpeioeS at the Columbian, which i'm
mcdiately sank. The crew WAS left in
lifeboatS. while was taken on board
the submarine which plunged immc-
diatcly after was taken into the
small quarrermaster'S cabin, where |
found the captains of the Seatonia and
the BALTIC. After me came Captain Ye-
luGsen, OF the Forbidden.
The captains cabin was very small.
1t contained Il little folding table. a
folding chair and three hunks. Every
thing was permeated with the odOr Of
benzine. There was no cOmlnuniCa-
tiOn with the exterior and thr cabin
WAS absolutely dark night and day.
We were fed in the morning with
"a few morsels Of black bread. Il cup Of
coffee and small portion of bad but
ter: at noon with a stow nf canned
meat and soup. and AT supper At 10
o'clock with coffee or tra and black
bread, with butter or marmaladc. The
hours spent in this narrow prison
were very long and dSaCrceable."
The raptain Of The submarine. Cap
tain Curtis said, was about %6 years
Of age. while his crew OF 40 sailors
we're all very Young. All were attirnd
In clothing Of glossy leather.
Harsh Treatment
CAPTAINS Curtis aud Patterson. rr-
lating their experiences. said that
they were allowed at intervals. be-
tween the operations Cf The subma-
rinp. 10 90 on deck to smoke. They
wore watched on deck by members uf
tho crew armed with rcvOlvcrs. hu,
wien they went below the crew put
aside their weapons. There was only
one chair in tho cabin. which 1hn
Captains used in turn: otherwise they
had 10 liz on the hunks.
The Suhmarinn SignalIcd tho :Iw"-
dish Steamer Earing thirteen m!I"S
off the Spanish port nf CAmarn"S 10
ward noon nj November y. Tho SteanI-
.Cr stopped and WAS ordered to take
aboard tho captains and land them
She also was ordered Ia take aboard
tho crows nf the Columbian and Nor
wccian steamers. Ali wore welcomed
aboard the Fa7jng Tho submarine
watched the operation. and ihrn "r-
dcrcd tho Varing 70 make for The coast
six miles from Camarincs. Tho Var
ing was directed to set out life hats
and embark thr shipwrcckcd men in
them. This was long and difficult
operation. and an American IRON tn"
Columbian fell into The SEA Lnh mar.
roWly escaped drownin@. II" VIC
slightly injured durn" hiS rr$rUn