The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-05-01
Wireless Operator on Vessel Tells How It Was Tor
 pedoed by Germans
CAPTAIN REFUSED
 TO STOP ON ORDERS
Believes No Lives Would Have Been Lost if the Armenian Had Obeyed Commands of
 Germans

C. Wood of Athens, Ga, who was a VI -'eless operator on the Armenian when she was torpedoed by a German subma- rine June 2S, last year, is in Birming- ham. and says he has had enough of that kind of work to do him for awhile.
 Mir. Wood says that while 39 lives were lost on the vessel there would probably have been no losses if the captain had obeyed the command to halt when it was first made. He says the captain was too eager to win the thousand pounds re- ward which is offered to commanders of vessels which make their escape from submarines.
 "On the 11th of last June I sailed from Newport News, Va, as wireless operator aboard the British transport Armenian with a cargo of 143O mules bound for Avonmouth, England, to be used by the allied armies,'' said MT. Wood, in de- scribing his trip. ''Other than the usual routine of work nothing unusual hap pened until the eleventh day out when submarine was sighted on the port side of the boat about two miles away The usual signal of three blasts of the whistle was sounded and all came on deck and stationed themselves at their respective lifeboats
 INTO THE BOATS
 we all got in the boats immediately. where we remained possibly 10 or 15 min utes, when we were ordered back on deck and were told that we were out of danger on account of our boat taking zgzag course at full speed. However, a submarine showed up on the starboard aft about a mile behind and immediately opened up the coming tower and began to throw three-inch shells on our deck.
 "The first shot struck the wireless room, which seemed to be their objective target, and put it out of commission Then an incessant fire began and g men were killed before the captain would stop the boat However, when he did stop, the submarine immediately ceased firing and allowed all on board to get in their life boats and be put adrift.
 s'The submarine aft came alongside on the port side and backed off about 75 or 100 yards and fired torpedo, which struck the Armenian almost amidship. An explosion followed, which sounded as though a ton of dynamite had gone off, which I think was partially due to the boilers exploding. The Armenian im- mediately began to settle and in about 40 minutes she went down, the bow be- ing the last we saw of her. Fourteen hundred and twenty-two mules (eight mules had died on the way), and mag nificent boat, had gone to the bottom.
 ALONE AT SEA
 1T was in lifeboat No. 5, along with the captain (tricky) and others. including two wounded men, who afterwards died and had to be thrown overheard. Of course there was quite bit of excite ment although the sea was calm, due to an incessant rain that began shortly after we were clear of the wreckage and the excitement had abated. Had the sea been rough. we would not have had chance, and we would have all been in Davy Jones' locker immediately after being put adrift. We spent the night bailing water and watching the submarines that kept I-circling around us, presumably to catch any rescue boat that came out.
 About o'clock in the morning we sighted a Belgian trawler on the horizon and succeeded in signaling them by means of smoke bombs. They answered, and in about an hour we were picked up. I might mention that 1t seemed like weeks, After being aboard about an hour we sighted British torpedo-boat de- stroyer which came alongside and took us aboarH-this about 50 miles from the Fasnet light on the Irish coast. We
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