The Mena weekly star., 1916-11-16
Il. s. SEA CAPTAIN
 HELDON A U-DOAT
Commander Curtie of Columbian Was Prisoner for Six Days-N0w Is Safe in Spain-Crew Left in
 LifebOats-0thers Held.

Coronna. Spain. Nov. i3, via Paris. Captain Frederick Curtis of the
 American steamer Columbian, who arrived here with the rescued crew of that steamship, today said he was prisoner on board the German submarine U-i9 for six days after lhe destruction of his vessel. All lhe l09 members of the Columbian's crew were saved he said.
 Other Captains Held.
 Captain Arthur Patterson of the British steamer Seatonia says he al- so was a prisoner on board the U-49 for eight days. during which time he heard the explosion of the tor pedo which. he later learned, blew up the Norwegian steamer Balto, soon after which Captain Yelugsen of the Norwegian ship E0Fdalen joined him in the narrow prison on board the submarine, where they were joined on the following day by Captain Curtis.
 My ship registered at New York, said Captain Curtis, carried cargo of about 5000 tons and a crew of l09. all of whom were saved. stopped on the command of the sub marine, whose commander ordered me to abandon my ship with the crew immediately. which we did without other luggage than two satchels with documents and money. 
 Left Crew in Lifeb0ats.
 Submarine U-i9 fired at once two lOrpedoes at the Columbian. which immediately sank The crew was left in lfeboats, while l was taken on board the submarine. which plunged immediately after l was taken into the small quartermaster cabin. where | found the Captains of the Seatonia and the Balto. Aft CT me came Captain Yelugsen of the F0rdalen.
 The cabin was very small. It contained d little folding table. folding chair and three hunks. Ev- cry thing was permeated with the odOr of benzine. There was no com municati0n with the exterior and the cabin was absolutely dark night and day.
 We were fed in the morning with a few morsels of black bread. cup of cocoa and a small portion of bad butter: at noon with stew of canned meat. and at supper at 10 o'clock with coffee or tea and black bread with butter or marmalade. The hours spent in this narrow pri- son were very long and disagree able."
 The captain of the submarine. Captain Curtis said, was about 36 years old, while his crew of 10 sail ors were all very young. All were attlred in cl0thin" of glossy leather Take Turns on Only Chair
 Captains Curtis and Patterson said they were allowed at intervals be- tween the operations of the subma- rine to go on deck and smoke. They were watched on deck by members of the crew armed with revolvers, but when they went below the crew put aside their weapons. There was only one chair in the cabin, which the captains used in turn: otherwise they had to lie on the hunks.
 The submarine signaled the Swed- sh steamer Naring. B miles off the Spanish coast of Camarines toward noon of November 9 The steamer stopped and was ordered t1 take aboard the captains and land them She also was ordered to take aboard the crews of the Columbian and the Norwegian steamers. All were well e0med aboard the Varing. The sub marine watched this operation and then ordered thp Varing to make for the coast six miles from Carma- rlnes. The Varing was directed tol set out lifebOats and embark the ship wrecked men in them. This was a long and difficult operation