Evening journal., 1916-10-09

United States destrOyers arrived here
before dawn, bringing the first stories
of the European war carried to Amer
ica's doorstep.
While powerful searchlights flashed
and whistles sounded, the destroyer
Ericsson-the first to arrive-nosed
her way back from the scene of Oper-
ations Of Germanys U-bOats, striking
terror to shipping off the New Eng
land coast.
OF the eighty-one persons picked up
from small boats by the Ericsson, not
one was injured. Practically all, how
ever, had lost every personal belong
ing They were without money or
baggage OF any description. They
had only the clothes which they wore.
For the first time in their lives,
officers and men Of the Ericsson saw
babies cooling on the grim warship.
Fourteen babies we're in the boats the
Ericsson found bobbing on the water
which had become the grave of the
steamer Stephano, bound from st.
Johns to New York. Many were
sleeping peacefully in the arms OF
their mothers or nurses as the life
boats rolled and rocked with the
gentle swell of the sea. Almost all
night long the boats had drifted.
Only the dim light of a lantern in
the life saving craft and the soft rays
of the moon, shifting internationally
through the clouds, served to light
the scene. which but a few hours be.
fore had been one of Americas peace.
The passengers of the StephanO
took to the small boats at $50 Sunday
evening. They we're adrift until about
2.30 this morning.
There was no signs OF hysteria or
fright, as men, women and even an
eight-year-old child told their stories
of being suddenly reused from dining
tables. from little social gatherings
I'm saloons ami babies hurriedly wax
ened from sleep to be hustled over
the side and into lifeboats. Only a
short distance away tioated a sea
green monster. The submarine rested
low in the water. her bulging sides and
pointed snout giving her the appear
ance of a giant man-klling fish.
-Four thousand miles from a home
port, theoretically in "enemy waters
and with no known base for supplies or
fuel, the Teuton was mloosening her
wrath at the very doors of America.
When the first alarm was given and a
shot came screaming across the bow of
the Stephano. many of the passengers
refused to believe they were being at
tackled by a submarine. They laughed
when an officer rushed by, shouting that
all must don life preservers and take
to the boats.
But the serious mien of the children,
the hurrying about of the crew and a
glimpse from the deck of the ship con
WINGED them.
Thousands thronged the Newport
waterfront as the destroyers put into
port, with their cargoes of human
freight picked up from the sea. New
port society turned out in force. Mrs
Elsie French Vanderbilt sent her limous
inc down to the wharf and four womer
passengers from the Stephano were
taken to her home. Other society womeT
also sent their cars TO the dock and the
mothers and babies taken from The
U-boat's victim ships are being cared
for in the palatial homes Of Newport''
elect
On the forward deck Of the de-
stroyer Ericsson as she swung into
her dock. was one of the strangest
groups ever seen on an American
warship. A little band Of women,
with babies in their arms, sat there
silently, trying not to show their
sorrow over the loss of precious pos
sessions and soothing the children
frightened by their strange surround
ings.
They came. for the most part, OF
hardy Canadian stock. and when ask
ed II they were frightened when they
learned a submarine had attacked
their ship. they simply shrugged
their shoulders and replied:
mo"
one blonde-haired baby wore a
sailors cap rakishly over one eye.
In her haste to leave the Stephano
the mother had not had time To
get the baby's bonnet, and a seaman
had furnished the necessary head
covering. Another bright eyed young
ster was having the time of his life
as he lay in his mothers lap gurgline
ioyously at the sailors as though nc
such thing as submarines existed.
Arriving at the Naval Hospital here
the Stephano's passengers and crew
I
The United Press correspondent
was the only newspaperman per-
mitted aboard the destroyer Ericsson
which brought to port the gripping
story of the war carried to American
waters. When the Ericsson dropped
anchor Admiral Gleaves, commanding
the destroyer flotilla, ordered health
officers aboard TO examine passengers
and crew from the Stephano.
The youngest passenger aboard was
little brown-eyed Warren Driscoll. oil
ST Johns. Warren is four months
old. With thirteen other babies lie
Is safe ashore today after an expert
ence. the thrill OF which my never
be repeated, though he may live tC
/ be a gray-haired man.
Miss Elizabeth Butler. OF st. Johns
telling of her experience. said
IT lost everything I owned except
what I've got on. My God. it was
awful We had Just sat down tC
supper when suddenly we heard
shot. Someone called that the shiI
had been fred upon Then I heard
the captain yell to every one to ge
their life preservers oh. went be
low decks and put on a coat and
/ life-Dreserver.
Miss Margaret Wilson stated pos
tivelv that she saw the name "U-6l
painted on a life preserver Of the sui
/ marine which sank the steamer Ste
nhano. Miss Wilson. who was a pas
/ senger on the Stephano, said she look
ed al the submarine through glasse
Ia Il