The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-06-14

Dy the warning snOL6 inns SUI
OF warning was given only to save
the expensive torpedoes-worth $1,000
apiece-of which a submarine can
carry only a few. When the ship
gave signs Of surrender, the firing
generally stopped, and a boarding
party from the submarine destroyed
her with bombs. The crew took to
their boats.
Unless picked up they were left
TO certain death by starvation, or
drowning, as these attacks took place
$50 to 200 miles off shore. In only
one case did Frost find that the sub
marine offered to assist the victims
by towing their boats toward the
land.
Many Never Picked Up.
The sufferings Of these crews who
were picked up by patrol boats were
terrible. Many Of them were never
picked up. The men probably went
mad and leaped into the sea. In the
case of the Cairnhill, a British freight
er. with a crew Of sixteen men, five
of whom were Americans, the Ger
mans deliberately Quilted the life
boat, took the provisions which the
men had placed in the boat and threw
them into the sea, emptied the water
keg of fresh water and, to make their
Joke complete, filled IT with salt
water. The boats sails were taken
off, and that was practically the only
hope OF getting to land II the wind
were favorable. She was attacked 100
miles out at sea
While the Germans were INDUCING
in these pranks with the life-boat,
bombing party was wrecking the
ship and the men were kept standing
on the deck Of the submarine. The
AgN
of them had little kitty bags or ban
danna handkerchiefs in which they
carried a few little personal keep
sakes such as photos OF their sweet
hearts, mothers, or wives. These
were taken from them and thrown in
to the sea
Left Men to Drown.
The first officer, Matthewson, was
kept below decks for an hour and
put through the third degree as to
the routes of other ships.
The Germans overplayed this little
drama OF frightfulness as they used
up a whole hour in preparing the life
boat as a torture chamber for the
men who were to be set adrift in 1t.
A destroyer's smoke was seen on the
horizon and the Germans made haste
to dive. Matthewson was thrust
marine dived with the sixteen men
still standing on her deck. They were
left Laundering in the water TO swim
to the empty life-boat as best they
could.
The American schooner Woodward
Abrahams was attacked 400 miles OF
shore. Captain Van Namme and his
crew OF eight were put in a lifeboat
while the Germans set the lumber
laden schooner afre with incendiary
bombs. The American sailors drifted
about the Atlantic for two days and
two nights when they were picked
up by another lumber schooner. the
Norwegian Anna Maria She was sub
marined 200 miles of shore, and the
men again took to the lifeboats. The
crew OF the Anna Maria were never
seen again. After another twenty
four hours adrift, Captain Van
Namme and the Americans were pick
ed up. Their luck held and they lived.
The NorveKians died.
DELIGHT in FIendIah Work.
Frost believes from the evidence
sifted by him that the submarine
commanders are widely different.
Some Of them delight in making their
work as bendiSh as possible. Some
of them, when they can lose nothing
by It, put on Q little "gentlemanly
buccaneer" comedy.
They were very polite to the crews
they showed OF into the boats, ex-
pressed regret and hopes for q speedy
rescue
In no case, however. did this polite
ness affect their interests. 1t disap-
peared as the smoke OF a patrol boat
was sighted or as another victim ap-
peared. In such cases the mask was
dropped and the dirty work was car
ried out at top speed.
A British stewardess and her hCs-
band, q sailor, who were taken below
decks and questioned, most politely
at first. were taken to the deck and
the submarine submerged, leaving
them struggling in the water, after
they had refused to give UP any in
formation. In a very few instanceI
there were signs Of regret on the par
of the submarine officers. One OF
those was related by Second Onicel
Kohlsaat, . natu-aliZed British sub
feet, who was allowed to touch of
the bombs which destroyed his OWL
Ghip.
In talking with the submarine cap.
tain, the latter expressed disgust with
the work cut out for him. With tear
in his eyes. he said that submarine
captains had been put to death By
slow torture In Germany for letting
big passenger liners escape them.
Rohlsaat was asked by Frost IL hG
really believed that
81 don't know about it, he answer.
ed. 81 am ready to believe anything
Of Won Tirpitz. But I do know that
whether any men have been tortured
TO death or not. the captain who wal
talking TO me believed 1t and fear.
cd IT"