The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-25

The point Is that Mr.. ROOSEVELT
would have to look to the President
to get a start In any war as the leader
Of n large body Of trained soldiers.
The Narrative Of Captain Groom.
Almost three centuries and q half
after CERvANrEs fell into the hands
Of Algerine pirates, and. as a captive
of HAssAN Pasha. saw his compan-
ions tortured by the. Arabs. a part Of
the crew Of the British steamship
COquct, which was sunk by an Aus
TRAN submarine in the Mediterra.
mean, reached the African coast in
n OF the ships boats. only to be
attacked by treacherous BedOu!hs.
Those sailors not killed or left for
dead we're carried into captivity.
The story Is told by Captain Ar.
vol c. b. CROOK In a signed state
ment, every word Of which was writ
zen by himself. In reading this mar
rative Of hardship and perllous ad.
venture and tragedy me Is reminded
Of DEroE's "Captain Singleton" but
there Is not a page Of that fanciful
tale better worth reading than the
British seaman's chronicle Of what
befell the Coquet and her crew.
On the morning Of January 4, 1918,
Captain GROOM was writing in his
cabin when he heard the boom Of a
gun. He ran up to the bridge to
take command. On the port quarter
was a submarine, an Austrian. 1t
fired three shots In all. one across
the bow, m owe the bridge and one
under the stern. The engines Of the
COquet were at once stopped. and as
she lost Roadway the Austrian sig
nailed abandon ship Immediately"
All hands got into two small boats,
Captain Groom taking with him chro.
nOmeters, sextants and charts. The
Austrians then set time fuse bombs
under 1 and 2 holds. The CoQuet
must have seemed like a human
thing to her master, for he says:
shortly afterward there were two
explosions. and the ship settled down
| by the head, Four or hve minutes after
the explosions the Coouet lifted her
stern high in the air. something hit the
whistle lanyard. and with pitiful
scream the Coquet disappeared"
The boats had hardly got clear of
the ship when they were found to he
leaking, land bailing was In full prog
ress in each boat with two or three
buckets" According to GROOM, "the
bilge planks had most likely been
sprung" alongside the awash deck of
the submarine, the Austrian comman'
der holding the boats there to ask the
captain "many questions as regards
my ideas about the progress, ultimate
result. termination. &C.. OF the war;
The British skipper told. the Aus
trian that 1t twas nothing short OF
murder to send thirty.one men away
like that. in the middle Of winter too
so far from land" The Austrian
laughed at him. said "he would save
the next ship and send her to look
for u.s." and finished by taking away
chronometers. sextants and charts, q
set from each boat.
Six days the captains boat tossed
upon u rough sea, the men bailing by
turns to keep her afiOat; two and
half biscuits and two gills OF water
per man per day and all hands wet
to the skin from rain and spray
(never a dry rag on them) and Grip
pied with the cold in ankles, knees
and wrists. A shift was once made
tn Calk the bottom with "bits OF
shirt" hut buckets were always going
In the heaviest weather a sea anchor
was put Over the side. but II WAS OF
little use. Sometimes the sail wa,
hoisted, but generally the men Ia
bored Mt the oars ms best they coult
In their weakened state. On the sec
Ond day the first mates boat wa!
not to be seen, nor was 1t q after
ward. Just before midnight on thu
fifth day the low lying African coas
appeared to the south. Landing was
made the next day in a little cove
the men hardly able to pull an oai
through the water, and the boa
almost swapping twice.
Some buildings above the surf lin
proved to be ruins. No sign o.
life anywhere. Fortunately shellfsf
could he picked up along shore. Al
old well yielded stagnant water 70
drinking. The second day Captain
GRooM with three men staggered int
the interlor-they could just put on
foot before the other from shee
weakness--to find n human being
They were about to give up when
tall Arab hove In sight. He turne'
out to be friendly and proposed to
Greek fireman who spoke Arabic tina