The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-04-27
The Narrative Of Captain Groom
(Froln tho New York Sun. }

Almost three centuries and half
after Cervantes fell into the hands Of
Algerine pirates, and. as a captive OF
Hassan Pasha, saw his companions
tortured by the Arabs, a part Of the
crew Of the British steamship Coquet.
which was sunk by an Austrian sub
marine in the Mediterranean. reached
the African coast in one OF the ships
boats, only to be attacked by treach-
erous Bedouins. Those sailors not
killed or left for dead were carried
into captivity.
The story is told by Captain Arnold
lC. B. Groom In a signed statement,
every word Of which was written by
himself. In reading this narrative OF
hardship and perilous adventure and
tragedy one Is reminded Of Defoe's
Captain Singleton" but there Is not a
page Of that fanciful tale better worth
reading than the British seaman's
chronicle Of what befell the Coquet
and its crew.
On the morning Of January 4. 1915,
Captain Groom was writing In his
cabin when he heard the boom of a
gun. He ran up to the bridge to take
command On the port quarter was q
submarine. an Austrian. 1t fred three
shots in all. one. across the bow, one
over the bridge and one under the
stern. The engines OF the Coque,
were at once stopped, and as 1t lost
headway the Austrian signalled "Aban-
don ship Immediately" All hands got
into two small boats. Captain Groom
taking with him chronometers, sex
tants and charts. The Austrians then
set time fuse bombs under / and
holds. The Coquet must have seemed
| like human thing to its master. for
no says:
Shortly afterward there were two
explosions, and the ship settled down
| by the head. Four or five minutes after
the explosions the Coquet lifted its
stern high in the dir, something hit the
whistle lanyard. and with a pitiful
scream the Coquet disappeared"
The boats had hardly got clear Of
the ship when they were found to be
leaking, land bailing was in full prog
ress in each boat with two or three
buckets" According to Groom. "the
bilge planks had most likely. been
sprung" alongside the awash deck OF
the submarine, the Austrian comman.
der holding tho boats there to ask the
captain many questions as regards
my ideas about the progress, ultimate
result. termination. etc., of the war
The British skipper told the Aus,
trian that 1t was nothing short oil
murder to send thirty-one men away
like that, in the middle of winter too
so far from land" The Austrian
laughed at him, said "he would save
the next ship and send 1t to look fol
u.s." and finished by taking away
thermometers, sextants and charts, 9
set from each boat.
I Six days the captains boat tossed
upon a rough sea. the men bailing b!
turns to keep 1t afloat; two and a hal
biscuits and two glls of water PEI
man per day: and all hands wet to tn,
skin from rain and spray (never a dr..
rag on them) and crippled with tn,
cold in ankles, knees and wrists.
shift was once made to calk the bottom
with "bits Of shirt" but buckets wer,
always going. In the heaviest weather
a sea anchor was put over the side, bu
1t was of little use. Sometimes thu
sail was hoisted, but generally the mer
labored at the oars as best they coult
in their weakened state. On the sec