Evening journal., 1916-10-10
WILMINGTON Survivor
OF THE lost STEPHANO
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safe TO allow ms 20 wear our heavy
coats. for I afterwards learned mat
the officers expected that we would
soon be i'm the water and any heavy
clothing satcheis, etc, would have
seriously mterfered with our keep ne
ahoat
No Panic 1soard Ship.
"There was mo panic. but some of the
women were hysterioaL IL was not
long before the true situation was mau
known to MS. and we realized that the
queer looking shape In the water with
ms two blinking eye. and reminding mo
for an the world of the devil. was a
German submarine and that the Ste
ulano had been ordered 20 IaN to ana
discharge her passengers at the order
OF the commander of the J-h0at. We
were informed also that the fifteen or
twenty war vessels surrounding MS were
our own American ships and that we
had nothing to- fear.
"rhat was an easy 20 say. but some
of the timid women who were yentunu,
in "a small boat ON the open sea for the
first time in their lives. did NOT cou-
slider it such light thing While the
ocean seemed smooth enough from the
deck of the Stephano, W. found 10 quite
rough when we were heaying aboir in
the small lfeboat. and some of tn3I
women and children were badly fright
ened
Not all the shapes surrounding us
were war vessels. however as ] ar
forwards found out Lying not far
away was another merchantmen
which the submarine commander
had stopped before he sent his shots
across the bows Of the Stephano and
ordered 10 lay by until he was ready
to attend TO IT, We had a mixed
crowd I'm our passengers OF
both sexes and members of the crew.
We had rOwed about only a short
time though. when a vessel We af-
forwards learned was the destroyer
Ericsson hailed us and bade us come
aboard.
I'VE had entered our life boat. some
while il sim hung on the davits,
scrambline over the side in a near
panic and others descending rope
ladder after she was launched. But
we stepped up on the deck OF the
Ericsson In "A more orderly manner
ascending the rope ladder like vet
Grams. The officers and crew stood
by to assist us in every way possible
and began looking out for our welfare
as soon as we put foot on the deck. I
The run Of the vessel was ours and
the men We'd with each other i'm maxi
ing us comfortable. Bunks were made
up in every available place, and lunch
con was served us Immediately
Those OF us who had any appetites
left were given an opportunity to nm
ish our interrupted dinner.
when we were safely on board the
Ericsson and had recovered our bear
lngs we had a chance to look about
There just beyond us lay the subma
rine, and with one OF her small boats,
containing an officer and a few men
waiting until every one had left the
Stephano. When the vessel was
cleared the small boat made for the
side Of the British ship. The crew
/ boarded her and secured her papers
and we learned afterwards. opened
tho sea valves I'm an attempt 10 sink
her that way. The valves refused &c
work. however, so that attempt had
TO be abandoned.
Next the submarine commander
sought to sink the Stephaho with
shells, but her hull was formed Of
thick iron and steel plates and the
shells did not take effect Finally
torpedo was called into play and this
brought about the desired result We
did not witness the sinking of the
vessel. however. as the Ericsson had
steamed away before the final act in
the sea drama was enacted.
81 don't know whether this is true,