The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-10-08
Survivor of Steamer Belgian
Prince Gives Details of Ger
man Atrocity
LIFE BELTS TAKEN
FROM THE PRISONERS
With Hatches Closed, Subma-
rine Moves Away From
Captured Ship. Slowly Going
Down and Leaving Men to
Perish

/ Washington. Oct. THE cou,pIet,
! story of the murder Of the crew O
the British steamer Belgian Prince b,
a German submarine commander wht
/ took them on the deck OF his vesse
and then submerged, leaving them Il
/ drown. was told Officially today 70,
the first time.
/ The narrative Of William Smell
Z colored, cook on the seamer, as taker
| down verbatim by an officer of ths
American navy, was made public by
| the navy depa rtment Smell was one
| of the three survivors OF the fll-fated
crew.
| Smell tells the story in his own
words and the navy department lets
/ II 20 at that, No comment. no edit.
ing can make more horrible the story
of this slaughter or the sea. IN which
more than a score OF innocent men
following their trade to make an hon.
est living. ware LEFT 90 sink to death.
This is Snells story:
About s o'clock p. M, July 81. I
heard an explosion. ala not know
whether II was a torpedo or a bomb,
and ran to ms lifehoat. the boats
having been lowered partly from their
daFfts After the crew boa rded life
boats they were lowered into the
water and we rowed from the shin
about aftv Yards when the submarine
from us and fred at the wireless on
board the Bei<tan Prince and tore It
down Then she came slowly between
our three boats. the fourth lifeooat
having been blown to pieces when the
explosion occurred. leaving the cap
tatn's boat on the rortside OF the sub
marine and the other two boats or
the Etarhoard side, and asked for the
captain. The captain said: Here T
am The captain was taken into the
coming tower OF the submarine and
asked for his papers and they were
delivered up to the commander OF the
suhn1a rine.
The commander OF the submarine
said: Is there any gunners over
fhera9' Apd Cur officer replied. No
SIR. they got Killed
'fThe commander OF me subm arfne
saiG TT there In no Eirners there.
bring your boats alongside and as
we got alongside, he said: All hands
on deck When we got on deck he
said: Hands up Then he lined us up
in single rank from, the bow of the
vessel as far AFT as the gun. which
WAS on board her. forward the con-
ming tower and which appeared TO be
six inch gun.
There were two men Of the sur
marines crew on top OF the coming
tower with gins OF a large bore In
their hands. which they kept train
ed on us. Seven others Of the German
crew stood abreast our line on the star
board Of the ship armed with auto
matte revoivers guarding us. The
commander then commanded us TO
take off our life belts and throw them
on deck. which we did. As the life
belts were dropped the commander
picked them up and threw Them over
board.
When I threw my belt down I
showed II ahead on deck with my foot
and finally stood on II. AZ he walked
along the line and went and pulled
the plug out OF our lifeboats. I picked
up my belt quickly and thrust it I'M
der a big loose oil skin which ] was
wearing at the time, hugging It close
to my breast with my arms.
THE commander went to the con-
ming tower ana four Germans came
on deck and got in our captains boat.
which was lying on the port side OF
the submarine, and the submarine
backed a little, then steamed ahead
and rarnmed and smashed one of our
boats which had been lying on the
starhoard bow and had been cast off
from the submarine a few moments
before she backed.
THE four men, who had gotten into
our captains boat, rowed alongside
the Belgian Prince The submarine
then steamed ahead. as near as can
guess, about nine knots per hour.
leaving her four men in our captains
boat alongside the Belgian Prince. all
Of us. except our captain. being hud- |
Had yvn m ar, hay- upA Aark
she steamed thus about one hour
and a half. at which time I noticed |
that the water was rising slowly on |
the forward deck and II came up to |
my feet. I also noticed some little !
time before this the coming tower |
had been closed.
1.-THE water continued to rise around |
my ankles, and when the water got |
SIX inches up on my legs I pulled my |
life belt out quickly. threw 1t over |
my shoulders and Jumped overheard. (
The other men did not seem to know |
what was going to happen. Some of |
hem We're saying: T wonder II they /
ire going to drown u.s. etc About ten /
seconds after jumped I heard a sue
ion, as of vessel sinking. and the
submarine had submerged entirely.
eastrg the crew OF the Belgian Prince +
struggling in the water.
II commenced to swim towards the |
Belgian Prince, which I could see
'aintly in the distance. It not being
yery dark In this latitude at this time
II night. ] am good swimmer, and
wan practically all night on my back
Ind in other positions. One Of our
rev. who was without life belt, |
10 not know his name, kept about FIVE
ards from me for about half an hour
Lfter the submarine submerged. This
nan finally became exhausted and |,