Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-03-11
WIRELESS BRINGS
 MANY CALLS FOR AID
Witk Ships Sinking All About Vessel oD Which \. F. Correspondent Is Passenger, Vessel Unable to
 Render Assistance.

it's human freight tonight is anchored in comparative safety after having spent in the Mediterranean danger zone three of the most strenuous weeks which the submarine warfare has produced since the beginning of the world conflict. For days the steamers wireless has been hnmming almost steadily with $. o. S." calls received from vessels in distress. 1t was only yesterday morning that a big ship was torpeGoed four miles from us, and signalled wildly with rockets for assistance, while we did the only thing which we could dol ran away as fast as the engines could take us But tonight we are in quiet waters. and for the first time in 21 days the commander will remove his clothes for sleep. Tomorrow we shall dock, and consider ourselves lucky to| have reached port at all. Twice in the past six months a cor respondent of The Associated Press has travelled through the Mediterran- can on a trip to and from India. From Indian ports to Port Said there is, of course, practically no danger to Del encountered from hostile warcraft, but once the Suez canal has been passed on the homeward voyage a ship IS III constant peril.
 A day or two after the ship left Bombay the passengers were sum- moned to the ships boats to which they had been assigned, and the chlef officer made the rounds, delivering ln- structions which gave to many the first real idea of what the coming danger was.
 Wear Belts All the Time.
 "After we leave Port Said we shall
 be in the danger zone,' he began.
 Each one of you will carry a life belt about all the time. This is inn
 perative. Sometimes people get care
 less or are forgetful. This must not be. You should have the lifebelts with you night and day. carrying them even to your baths with you.'
 The officer gave instructions as to how the lifehelts were to be adjusted,
 and continued:
 "In case we are torpedoed five short E blasts on the ships whistle will call you to the boats. You will come inn 7 mediately, bringing such warm cloth ing as you can snatch at the moment
 The unmarried men and those whC
 are travelling without their wives will f see that all women and children arc , in the boats first. You will put them
 into the boats by force if necessary t may tell you bachelors he inter t iected with a smile, "that a woman . will take more rough handling thar you may imagine. So throw them into
 the boats if you have to. Married
 couples will get into the boats to l gether. It is the husbands duty to g ! with his wife, and I make it an orde :. that this shall be carried out. Man. @ times a wife refuses at the last mo . ment to get into boat without he k husband. and we want no delays o r this sort.
 "In case you see that the ship is S
 badly hit that she is going to sin e immediately, you will not wait for tn l. boats. The men will see that tn Il women and children have their life ]. belts properly adjusted and then wi l. throw them overheard, following a
 soon as possible themselves. Jump a # far from the side of the ship as yo
 can, and trust to luck. Probably yo In will be picked up by someone"
 And SO he continued. It was not thing which tended to relieve nervou: * ness. More than one woman who WE * travelling with little children turne 4 away white of face and thoughtfu I and for the thousandth time inspecte * the tiny lifebelts which she was carr. | ing. to make sure that they were reat + for her babies.
 t Always in Suspense.
 | From the beginning of the voya, | no definite information as to when u | ship would reach port or leave W; + given to passengers. In fact, the ] were few questions which one cou [ get answered. The corresponds + tried to get the official number of pa I sengers and asked whether any oth < neutrals were aboard, but he was to 4 that the ships officers had been fo x bidden to give any information wns + ever. After leaving Port Said ev I the emergency compass at the ste < of the steamer was covered so tn i jnuuisitive passengers could not t f what direction she was taking.
 From Port Said progress was nec' i sarily slow, for the ship was co X tinually weaving in and out, leaving i tortuous wake like great sea-serpe I A crew of experienced gunners W I on duty at the big gun in the ste i dav and night, ready to take the co I mander's orders should the occasi + arise. Two or three men passeng' I who appeared on the deck the II night with lighted cigars were roul I ly upbraided by the commander a | were sent below.
 ] At Marseilles the first word or T new German edict regarding the s' r marine warfare was learned. and h' | all but about 150 passengers, mos
 second-class. were disembarked. ! ' ship continued her voyage on Fl | ruary 1, the day set for the beginn