Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-05-28
GARDINER man IN
GERMAN PRISON

Harold c. Hinckley, a Massachusetts
boy who was formerly employed in the
r. P. Hazard factory in this city, has
returned after several months absence
into which have been crowded thrilling
experiences such as fall to the lot of few
young men even in these times of thrills.
Mr.. Hinckley is Of a rather rowing dspo-
sition, Is years of age, and on leaving his
employment in this city went to Montreal
where he engaged in his occupation as
shoemaker, After brief space he en-
gagged as member of the crew of the
ill-fater Mounted Temple. which was at
tackled and sunk by the German raider
Moewe on the sixth day of last December.
He was in charge of some of the 700
horses that were being sent to the AL
lies. all of which were lost in the sinking
of the steamer. Mr.. Hinckley says that
the Mt Temple was not torpedoed, but
that she was fired upon and then finally
sunk by a bomb being placed in the hold
of the steamer. The first shot carried
away the smokestack and the second
burst ~ deck. doing considerable damage.
Mr.. Hinckley says that the raider was
tramp steamer. After the firing of the
shots the officers of the raider came
aboard and lined the crew up for classi-
fcation. the Americans being told to ste:,
to one tide and the Canadians to the
other
Mr.. Hinckley said: II stepped to the
American side, but it was recalled by
one Of the officers that l had signed up
as Canadian and I was told to go to
the other side.
I'VE were now prisoners of the Kaiser
and taken aboard the raider. after which
the Germans blew up our ship from the
inside and she remained afloat but short
time. We were aboared the raider about
a week. pretty closely huddled together,
while she secuted around in her search
for other prey. We were allowed one
hour each forenoon on deck and another
in the afternoon. OF course we wondered
what was to be our ultimate fate and
few, if any of us, ever expected to see
home again.
After awhile we were transferred
to the Yarrowdale, a British boat that
the Moewe had captured. and started
north. We skirted to coast of Ice
land and as it was December it was
some cold. Our belongings had been
lost with the sinking of our ship. A
pair of trousers, a flannel shirt and
a cap comprised my outfit, but ! man
aged to get an odd assortment to help
protect me from the chilling cold Our
sleeping quarters were not exactly pa
latial, being the coal bunkerS. The
air was bad and the dirt plentiful but
we were hardly in a position to COM
plain. We passed near the Norwegian
coast and then it dawned upon us that
we were being taken to Germany This
proved to be the case and we arrived
at SWincmuende on the last day of
the year, where we were kept in bar
racks until January 5. The food both
on the raider and here was poor and
carce.
From Swinemuende we were talk
en- in a binding snowstorm to Neu-
strelitz. Many Of the men were suf-
fering from wounds and others were
sick, most of us poorly clad and all
suffering the pangs Of hunger. When
the train reached Altdam we were
given dish each of rice and this was
all the food we had that dav. The
thermometer registered about 20 be-
low f.
The barrack where we were con-
lined at Neustrelitz was constructed
Of boards roughly put together and
there were cracks big enough to put
the hand through There was no heat
and we Were given two thin blankets.
For food loaf of bread was the daily
ration of each group OF 10 prisoners.
Each man was also allowed two cups
of thin soup made of hot water and
cabbage leaves, and in the morning.
something that was called coffee. but
made of something beside coffee"
Continued on Page 4-Column s.