The Cordova daily times., 1917-06-04
HOW TORPEDOED SHIP MEETS
 EMERGENCY
(By Associated Press)

LONDON, June 4. - What happens when a transport loaded with troops is sunk by a German submarine is graphically told in the story of the sinking of the steamer Ballarat. which was torpedoed April 25, while carry ing Australian troops to England, and sunk without the loss of a man. Drill. discipline and tradition counted. There were no heroics, fuss or panic, but considerable humor and much eff ficiency. As the vessel did not sink for four hours, there was ample time to save even the ships pets and the soldiers mascots.
 It was Anzac day, and the officers were planning to hold a memorial ser vice. The commanding officer was dealing with a remanded case. And what have you been doing?" he asked, when there came dull crash, sound that seemed, as he said, ito lift the skin off your face" and the ship began to take a list. The alarm" was sounded by the bugles, instantly fol lowed by the advance" Without con- fusion of any kind the men in four minutes fell in at their boat stations. During the voyage they had been told stories of the Southland" and "Birk- enhead" of the behaviour of the troops and men on these occasions. Those men who had used flowery and fluent parts of speech condemning the previ- ous boat drills now used equally liter ary expressions in praise of them.
 Its all right, boys" a man called out, "the old man is on the bridge"
 Don't sing too loud" said an off cer laughing, because I cant give orders.' The order to stand easy" was given out
 The turn of the navy came now. The men knew instinctively that the navy would turn up. It turned up. De- stroyers and trawlers appeared like magic. There was a moderate sea- and the ship having been struck near the propeller, began settling down by the stern.
 While waiting for the boats to be lowered some of the men sang, some settled down to play cards, and most of them smoked. The nurses remained with the medical staff until all the patients had been provided for. and the whole medical staff remained with the patients until they were safely placed in boats.
 Every pet was saved, with the ex- ception of some of the ships cats, and cats, as Kipling says, prefer to walk alone. Over the side went Bill Anzac, an Australian parrot, in a cage; a gray squirrel had the run of a raft: a fox terrier and her puppies are now guests of the officers of a destroyer. And it was all done decently and in order.
 A bandmaster who was won't to call upon his band to fall in by means of a certain call on his cornet, had saved that instrument, and when the men were in the boats they heard from destroyer the old familiar cornet sing out, and across the water came a great noise of laughter from all the boats because the little joke had struck home. The men had lost their ship, were miles from anywhere in open boats, but they could see the humor of 1t.
 It wasn't exactly courage, because heaps of the men were in a funk; and 1t wasn't exactly bluff. because you can't put up a bluff in a sinking ship, and the sea looks awfully big when one cant see any land, and there's just handful of officers running tte job and enough boats, and a fearful ignorance of maritime geography. IL is thing which is very difficult to de- fine. It was the voice of the em- pire speaking to each man, and saying We do the thing we'll and we always have, and we are always going to- Are you game? The men were splen- did.
 They were landed with promptness and despatch, and some set foot on England for the first time without boots.
 The submarine was never seen, she n1aUS a email rt in off i.. hnt the British navy was there and took very great part; prompt assistance, up to time and no fuss.