The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1917-04-09
BRING
THRILLING STORIES
OF UBOAT S|NKINGS
Survivors of the Vigilancia, H.
linois and Memphis Arrive
on st. Louis.
TORPEDO ONLY WARNS.
Chief Engineer Tells How Six
Men Died-Three Days
in Open Boat.

The most illuminating picture of tho
psrils OF the American freight
steamship within the German u boat
zone thus far exhibited to the people
Of the United States was brought to
port to-day by a company OF Ameri-
can ssamen on the American liner ct.
Louis.
On board the st. Louis. which Is the
FIRST American armed ship to make
the round trip between New York and
British port, wero Frederick
Schmidt, OF Brooklyn. who was chief
engineer OF tho freighter Vigilancia; I;
Capt L. u. Borum, OF Norfolk. and
nfty-seven of his crow. survivors Of
the City OF Memphis, and Capt. I've
son and thirty-thres OF his crew. sur
vtvors Of the Illinois. Tho three ships
mentioned were sunk. fyinR the Am
cricon nag. by German submarines.
Sohmldts story takes precedence
because loss of life attended the sink
Ing OF the Vigilancla The ship was
torpedoed $50 miles off ths Scilly
Islands March Ie.
Tho sea was very rough. but the
captain OF the Vlgilancla was sending
hls ship along through thick weather
At 10 Knots an hour ut $50 o'clock In
The morning. Somewhere off In tho
mist a submarine commander took a
lucky cnhnco and launched u torpedo
NJ tho Nigilancia. Those on board
the steamslip did not sea the sub
nersible.
Their first warning was an ex-
plOslon Unlidships that blew a great
noie In tho hun, put the boiler rooms
out OF business. and rendered tho
enslnoa useless. IL was Impossible
10 slow up and the VlEilancla lunged
along through the waves, sinking on
ono side. by great good fortune two
boats were launched. The third boat
commanded by Schmidt, with eleven
others aboard, capsized as soon us Il
struck Dhs waves.
Schmidt and five others, by keeping
busy in the icy water and shedding
thcir boots and Jackets, managed 10
Keep afoat for half an hour until fhry
were picked up by the captains boat,
The other six men were drowned.
After three days and two nights, with
The aid OF improvlsed sails, the two
lifeboats made st. Mary's, Scllly Isl.
ands.
Tho Illinois was also attacked with
out warning. She was twenty miles
north OF Alderney March ls, bound
west In ballast. when Capt. Iveson
heard the whistle OF a shell passing
across his bows. Tho weather was
very thick. Through the mist he
heard the roar OF gun. Other shells
passed over the Illinois and one
struck on the deck and exploded, but
INFLICTED no injury to any one,
Capt. lveson ordered the boats
lowered. The sea was calm. TIE
submarine came into sight as IN,
boats were going overheard. Tho
submarine Commander fired shel
after shell at the steamship. Many
narrowly missed the liteboat. The
lllinots was n stout ship and tho Ger.
man found he could not sink hel
with Eunfirc. The submarine steamed
alongside the hfcboats and an officcl
asked for the Captain. lveson stooC
up.
You and four OF your men com,
aboard the submarine" commando
the German officer.
The lifeboat and the submarin,
were brought alongside and Capt
Iveson and four OF his men climbed
onto the slippery deck OF the Ger
man vessel. Thon q German Office
and four seamen boarded the life
boat and the offioer ordered the crev
to row 20 the Illinois.
II was a tough Job. but the seameI
Of the American ship had 10 obey or
ders. Pointing at their boats was
hiV gun noun ted on a platform abov,
tho deck OF the " boat The Gerlnd!
officer and his men went aboard IN
Illinois and planted time bombs, The!
were half way back TO the submarin
when tho Illinois blow TO pieces an
sank.
Cant. Iveson and his four men re
turned to their lifeboat, the German
went aboard tho submarine ana n few
hours later a British patrol picked n
the Illinois's survivors.
Cant. Dorum's shin was sunk Il
clear weat ther March II, A submarln
appeared and nm officer on the dec
signnlled Capt. Dorum to take to tn
bOntu. When the lltcbonts were we
Inwav from danger the submarin
shelled the city Of Memphis ana san
her In n fcw minutes. Capt, BoTus
/, and his men were Eighteen hour
! adrift before a patrol boat picke
thom UP.