New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-15
Belgian Prince Atroc;tv
Ahdavits of Three Who Survive,
Deliberate U-Boat Murde,
IRON IN. LONDON Morning Po,,,

HsI
Prince, which was sunk by enemy subu,r,..
on July 81, 1917.
Thomas A. Bowman, chief engineer:
About 1850 p. m. on Tuesday night IN. az.
was travelling along al ten knots, when All
denly the wake Of torpedo was ...n :.
be coming toward the ship on II. "a.
beam. The helm was put hard 49,
bu. the ship was struck between N. 80
part Of the engine-room and No. 6 hsl1
which consisted Of q deep tank for b.l,,,,
The torpedo was sighted about fifty ,.,o,A.
before the ship was struck, and no.hin, ~.
seen Of the submarine at that tim. r..
main engines were disabled and also "a.
dynamo, which rendered the wirel.s, MAJ.
less, so there was TO S o s sent out. II.
ship took very heavy list to por, arr,
being struck, so il was deemed nec.u,,
20 get into the lifeboats. While doing "a
the submarine started to fire at the shin,
wireless aerials, which they destroyed. Att,
getting into the boats the submarin. A
peared a. the fore end Of the ship on n.
surface. | may here state could no. 50.
what happened on the port side, a. Va,
in the stsrboard lifeboat. When the suh.
marine came round 10 the starboard ,d.
he started TO fire at the ships side with
machine gun By this time everybody va,
clear OF the ship, and the boats we're ibou,
200 yards from the ship. The submarin.
came up 70 where the boats were and or.
dered the boats % come alongside. n.
commander ordered the master to step On
The submarine after which he took him down
III the submarine. Then all the crew and
officers were ordered aboard, searched, and
the lifebclts taken of the mos. Of the erev
and thrown overheard. I may add duru,
this time the Germans were very sbusy.
towards the crew. After which the German
sailors got into two lifebosts, threw ii.
oars, bailers and grstings overheard, took
out the provisions and compasses and than
damaged the lifeboats with an axe Tia
small boat was left intact and five German
sailors got into her and went towards the
ship. When they boarded her they signall.d
to the submarine with fash lamp, and
then the submarine cast the damaged life.
boats adrift and steamed away from the ship
for about two miles, after which he .topped
ABOUT y D. III. the suDHdElHe OlNeO ana Threw
everybody in the water without the mean,
of saving themselves, as the majority Of
them had had their lifebelts taken Of them.
After this | was swimming about all night
until daylight, when | saw that the ship was
still afoat. So ! was swimming toward.
her with the intention of boarding her, when
suddenly | saw her explode aft and sink
stern first, which was about $3.50 a. m. After
swimming about for some time after thi.
| saw smoke on the horizon, so | swan TO-
wards il. 1t proved 10 be an English patrol
boat, which picked me up at about $3.50
a. m. Wednesday morning. There we're only
three survivors out OF crew Of forty-tvo
men all told. The master was taken away
in the submarine. The total loss Of life was
thirty-eght. TH0S. A. BOWMAN,
Chief Engineer, 5. S. Belgian Prince.
The Belgian Prince was torpedoed sOog.
s p. m, s. A. time, on Tuesday July 81.
The boats were lowered, and witness 80; into
the starboard lifeboat, and was ordered on
board the submarine. A German officer or
dered the crew TO give up their lifeOeI;S
the submarine then steamed away Tor about
an hour. The submarine then dived, and all
the crew were left in the water Witness
swan towards the ship all night though
he had no lifebelt or anything to supper,
him. About 8 a. m. he reached the Bel.
gan Prince and climbed or board He was
on board about an hour and tied his clothes
to a barrel; he then saw a German sub.
marine coming towards: the snip; the sub.
marine came alongside the ship. and tire.
or four men came on board. He was rot OBJ
h.. ~ L.
board from the poop with lifebelt or.
lie was in the water about twenty minutes,
and the submarine fired two shots from a
~ at the Belgian Prince, which sank stern
first. lie saw two boats floating near the
ship, and he climbed into the small boat;
he had been in the boat about half an hour
when he saw steamer. which picked him
up. This was an English patrol vessel. He
also states the Germans smashed up both
lifeboats with axes, and kept the small boa.
for their own use. G. SILESSI, A. b.
About $3.50 p. m. on the Dist OF July. 1917,
the Belgian Prince was torpedoed; three
boats were lowered and all hands got in
the beats. The submarine then cane up
close to the boats ard ordered the boat,
10 come alongside, and the crew 10 com. oa
board the submarine; they were ordered 70
hold their hands up, then Take your lfe'
belts off," were asked il they had any AIMS
and told 10 lay their lifebelts on the deck
One Of the officers then threw seven or eight
of the belts overheard; the submarine then
proceeded east for about 49, miles, when
she commenced sinking slowly and quite
suddenly submerged The witness when the
water was over his feet. jumped into the
sea; he had previously managed 10 pick up
his 'ifebelt and put It under his raiaecat
probably unobsorved) lie sew all me
others JUMP also. This occurred about
2. n. Hc remained in the water all nisat
and swan in the direction Of the Belgiat
Prince. About a. m. he was only seou'
a mile from the Belgian Prince, and he say
Silessi and another man get into hea'
and go on board the submarine, which haa
returned to the ship. He called 70 thsn
but they paid no attention. The Belgian
Prince broke in hall suddenly and sank ne
was nickod bv Of cur own yesseb