The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-05-05

LONDON, May !, ":"G Il. III ne
admiralty reports thai III" missing
boat from the Rockingham. with all
the fourteen men, has been picked up
by a British steamer.
LIVERPOOL. May /, lI:45 ii. NJ
Captain Edwards ul the American
I steamer Rockingham in an interview
with Il correspondent oi the ASSOCIATE
ed Press said he had no doubt that
+! the II occupants of the missing Rock
! ingham life boat would b" safety land
ed as the weather had been "YCrilrn;.
This boat contained Third Officer Me-
Kenny and /" American gun:crs.
Captain Edwards said 'hr <uhma-
"ine divrd almost AZ soon a. they were
observed and the ship WAS iOrpcdurd
Il f'w minutes later while The guns
were trained on the SpUI where the
iprrisCOpcS were expected ID rranpCa".
The excellent weather conditions
make me certain thai the missing
boat is safe somewhere said Captain
Edwards, vino arrived. in Liverpool
shortly before noon today with - mch
of the crew. III so the Rockingham
victims are only lwo. namely, Second
Engineer Harry Margay and Oiler Will
liam Wann, who were both Killed III
he engine room by the explosion OF
the torpedo. We were hit al , p. Ill.
on Thursday. l50 miles from land.
! Il was IN tn" bridge ri the time.
/ Captain Edwards continued. Five MIN
ut"s before the torlcd",nS. ] noticed
! through the haze Two SrrckS on Inc
horizon. nnc on III" r"rt bow ana tine
other nn the Starhoard bow. | immediate
! ~ called tlrm I" I'll" attention Of the
. GunnrrS. whu Were, al their posts both
: Tore and aft. and they Immediately
, fI Ii1,,t,- in Ia Al H.
/ di.iat"d The visibility WIS so bad Il
, WIS Impossible for any OF is 10 say
whether they Were submarines or small
patrol boats.
"Whil" all eyes were stralning
: through their glasses L" penetrate the
= haz" both tn" sI"ckS disappeared. Then
! W. knew they w'rr submarines which
had hrrn floating along practIcnlly
,awaSh. We were already steering a zig
ztg rnurs" and thu %unmcrs w"r" ready
/ III the sight Of any target IL lurn Il mttr-
! arruuS iir" on thu. enemy. Nobody SlE!It
ed anything. however. ;tAd suddenly
J there WAS t"rriilC rNrlnSlnn, III" To-
suits of which made il Impossible 20
! handle tn" guns.
'"rhc t"rprd" had Liz us in tn" engine
room on In" Starb"nrd side al III" ship.
She sank quickly hy the stern. going
down III less than twenty minutes. on:
of Oiir llf"hoar$ Was shattered. Th" other
| three. wore launched safely.
/ Naturally our great regret Is lhat " "
uidu'i got an opportunity 10 use the
guns We had II picked gun crew Hho
! had proved their craftsmanship repeat l.
rdly in practice on the WHY over %
| there is no doubt W. should hHv" sent
! both tn" I'-hnats straight 10 Davy
| Jones locker if W. had been able 10
identify them through the haze.
"Th" ships boats got separated after
having III" seen" IF tn" sinking. My
boat had been III III" water six hours
| when We were picked up.
The accounts at Other SURVIVORS OF
! IN" Rockingham H"r"" with that of cap
! tain Edwards that tn" men who were az
| ih. stern gun were ilnahl" Ia use il. ms
the force Of til" t"rp"d" explosion ripped
m tn, deck plates. MI IN" men w"r"
| IN tho hnatS within iir" minutes. excel
| Irui order l",ug mainIuin,d The mon
iuf lh.. crew lost all their effects.
| After III" boats l,lt til" sinking steam
Ter thu Submarn" came 10 In" surface
| AMI asked III, nHm,. Of TN" steamer. her
| ,ary0 and her drStinat ion.