The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1917-02-20
HOUSATON|C SUNK
BY THE U53, SAYS
FORMERS CAPTAIN
Master, Here on Orduna, Tells
of Encounter With Raider
That Visited Newport.
GERMANS VERY POLITE.
Here's Your Taxi" Remarked
the Commander as Allied
Cruiser Hove in Sight.

The ubiquitous German submersible
Y 55, which suddenly appeared In
Newport hnrbor ono afternoon last
fall and then put 90 soa and spent
tho next day sinking ships with tor
pcdocs off Nantucket. was respons-
ible for tho anking OF tho American
freighter Houaatonic Off the Irish
coast on Feb. .. according 10 Capt.
Thomas A. Ensor OF tho HousatonIc.
who arrived to-day from Liverpool
on the Cunarder Orduna.
Capt. Eneor's homo is in Brooklyn.
The men of his crew are bound for
New York on tho American linor
Philadelphia. due Thursday.
THE Housatonic," said Capt. Ensor.
had cargo OF wheat from Calves
ton for Liverpool We sighted tho u
boat about two milos aft on Fob. 3.
She was gaining on us on the Burface.
I stopped and waited. Tho submarine
halted close by and an officer came
over In n small boat and asked for
my papers.
Then he took me and the papers
in the small boat 90 tho submarine,
whore | was greeted by n young licu-
tenant OF charming manners. who
spoke perfect English.
Il recognized hlm at once as Hans
Rose. tho commander OF u bS. from
tho pictures taken at Newport. lie
told mo my cargo was contrabnnd.
and couldn't very we'll dispute 1t.
"T shall have TO sink your ship
said tho lieutenant. L will give you
an hour to get on
"Wo gathered up all our belongings
that we wero anxious TO save and
got into two boats. In tho mean
timo German scamen. had been plnc-
ing bombs on tho Housatonio. When
we wore out of tho way they blow up
the ship.
'Wo were away on shore. the sea
was rough and tho weather was very
cold. Tho lieutenant volunteered to
tow our two boats and no did until
wo saw a great smoke plume In the
sky ahead. Tho lieutenant looked
through his gla6s and made out a
British cruiser.
Here comes your taxi he called
20 me. TO make sure he picks you
up. will glvo him a call
with that no fired gun In tho
direction OF tho cruiser which came
nboW and simply tore through the
water toward us. Tho submarine
dived and got away and tho cruiser
picked us up"
Capt. Ensor had with him a lifo
preserver marked ~ bS." lie said It
dropped out OF tho German small boat
and floated away and his men picked
II up later.
Mark Alexander, n native OF Roam
oke. Va. who left his homo on a
transport for Liverpool In March,
1915. a strong. healthy young man.
came back In the steenage OF the Or
duna a wreck OF the war. Alexander
enlisted In the British Army and was
sent to Gpllipoll.
He waI holding bomb In both
hands during an engagement Just
getting ready TO pull out tho firing
fuse with his teeth and hurl the mis-
silc ut the opposing trenches when "A
bullet struck the bomb, Whcn Alex
andcr recovered consciousness he had
lost both arms at the elbows and hts
left eye was gone. Ho draws "A small
pension from the British Govern
ment.
The Orduna left Liverpool Feb. 10
and the passengers saw no convoy
ships I'm tho German danger zone.
She was closely followed out OF Liv-
erpool and across the Atlantic by hsr
sister ship. the Ausonia. which
reached Quarantine this afternoon.