Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-10
BRITISH TARS FULFILLED ALL
TRADITIONS IN JUTLAND FIGHT
Portsmouth, Home of Sea Warriors Filled With Widows
and Orphans Of Men Lost in Battle-Survivors
Tales Vivid and Thrilling
By ELLEN ADAtR
wrtttcn Specially for the Bvenino Ledger

PORTSMOUTH, June 21.-The great sea-
battle Off the coast Of Jutland remains an
absorbing topic In Portsmouth. For this
famous seafarins town is filled with the
widows and children Of sailors who will re-
turn no more and whose bodies strewed the
waters of the North Sea till II became in
deed IAN ocean Of the dying and the dead"
1t is the sailors home, the breeding-place
Of Englands great sea-hghters.
There's no town in the world like Ports
mouth" said n muoh-traveled sailor yester-
day "and I've called at nearly every port
around the world in my day, so 1 ought to
know"
You want to hear ABOUT the big naval
engagement Of the other week. off the coast
Of Jutland7 2" said he, glancng at his BAN
daged leg, 'Ill tell you all that happened to
me. was an able seaman on the British
destroyer Fortune. Her career was short,
though lively. We fired one torpedo Then
the German guns put a salvo into us.
was blown right through the boiler room,
sky high, then down, down into the sea.
OFFICERS HEROIC.
Don't remember much at that point ex.
cept that IL was frightfully cold! When 1
came up to the surface 1 was just in time
to see my ship make sudden terrible dive,
stern in the air. straight for the bottom of
the sea. Not a trace of her was left, ex-
cept some of the crew struggling in the
gradually propelled me. He was badly
wounded and quite unable to sneak, yet he
could swim better than could and all his
thought was to save as many of his men
as possible. Our officers are all like that
heroes to the end
HE helped me on to the raft swan
around bit and brought to us several other
wounded men who couldn't SWIM We
begged him to climb up, too, but he shook
his head. He insisted on giving his place
Ns, Il al
Of the raft for a little while and saw then
that he was bleeding badly from the head.
After bit he gave feeble sort of n smile,
let go his hold and sank. He never rose
again.
''There we're 25 of us on the raft. A
German ship came up, turned her lights on
us, and we thought she would fire. but she
went away without firing or attempting to
rescue us.
"It was then 1 noticed for the first time
that part of my leg had been shot away.
1 felt no pain, but was very, very tired.
After that, two of the men lying next to me
fell asleep. II was death. I suppose but II
looked like sleep. Their heads slipped back
and before 1 could get at them they had
rolled off into the sea. Then the wind got
up and swell came Puff and our little
raft blew gently over and capsized, plung-
ing us all into the water again
"Only IL of us got back to the raft that
time. One man lost his balance and fell off
and there were 10 left. Then | heard
some one laughing behind me, looked round
and saw that another man had gone mad
He was staggering about singing. In
few seconds he was gone. There were only
nine left.
After while man started to make an
extraordinary speech. 1 can't remember
what 1t was, but he mixed nursery rhymes
up with IL. When he had finished he
jumped overheard. There were eight left.
II don't remember much after that until
a destroyer came alongside. lowered boat
and pulled us in. Our legs were frozen
with the cold. The doctors are going to
amputate one of mine in a few days time.
It's that or death, you see."
Later In the day l talked with n sailor
from the British cruiser Warrior who had
escaped by miracle. I'VE came in for a
terrific pounding" he said, but stood It
we'll and gave as good as we got. II. NJ s.
Defense was in advance of us and at first
drew all the fire until she blew up and dis
appeared. Then came our turn.
I'VE were as cool as cucumbers and no