Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-26
U-BOAT WATCHED
HEALDTON MEN DIE
Consul Sends Captains Re-
port of Extraordinary
Perils and Hardships
OF CREW DIED
WASHINGTON. March 2s.

NASllINGToN. March 2b.
That the submarine which torpedoed ant
sank without warning the American oil
tanker Headton watched her founder with
out an enort to save the lives of those on
board Is made very plain in the complete
affidavit Of Captain Charles Christopher.
This affidavit, forwarded today by Consul
Krogh. from Rotterdam declares the at
tack was without warning and unjustified.
After describing the trip from Philadel-
phia which was uneventfu until March 81.
the captain states that the Healdton was
torpedoed twice without warning at IL
that night. When the vessel was first struck
Captain christopher had the engines stopped
and the boats lowered. He made a fare
well search OF the vessel for missing mem
bers Of the crew hut it was then abaze
The first boat to leave capsiaed and it's
occupants We're drowned. The submarine.
the report says. was then 90 feet away.
krogh's message said in part;
Voyage uneventful until sis evening,
when ship lay twenty-five miles north by
east of Terscheling lightshp Torpedoed
twice without warning. First torpedo hit
amidshps. All lights were out. Second
torpedo hit further aft under flag. Bunk.
ers were ablaze and ship began TO settle
"After first torpedo shot, captain ordered
engine stopped and crew took to boats Yes
sci began to list to port captain made
iarewel! search for missing members crew.
"One boat tried pull away sinking vessel
and Capsized Nationality submarine i'm
possible to determine. From ac
ton and crew believed submarine undoubt-
edly German. Submarine made no effort to
assist crew or offer TO save their lives al
though but 100 feet away.
AT o'clock morning March 90 boats
picked up after seventeen hours exposure
.. One Norwegian with arms and
legs frozen.
"Perils and hardshps suffered by all sur
Nivors extraordinary. Some possessed no
clothes; others had no shoes two naked
stokers, Jose Jacinto and Jose Gonzales
died from exposure.
"Stokers had clothes burned off by fir,
| m boiler room. All members crew nar.
| TALLY clothed: G. w. Embrey, New Or
| leans, first assistant engineer would have
| died exposure and fatigue without clothes
| II trawler had not picked up one hour
| later. Nineteen men died either
capsized boats or from suffocation In
| bunkers, captain bellows two members
| crew were never able to reach lifeboats be-
cause on watch below or in engine room
| two other men as previously mentioned died
from exposure and burns. Engineer EN-.
brey badly frozen; other survivors with
| minor Affections bruised and frozer
ears Heavy snow squall encountered by
survivors in open boats and weather during
| whole night was below freezing All sur
vivors have now reached Rotterdam"
The consuls report of the fate of Ameri
| cans follows:
| Captain Charles Christopher. Brooklyn
saved; First Mate Otto Wilrop, New York
saved Second Mate W. Chandler, Brook
| lyn. drowned suffocated: Third Mat,
Sludgins, Norfolk, Va. drowned; Thirt
Assistant Engineer w. c. Johnson, Hobo
ken. drowned or suffocated; Oliver Emor.
Neaux, Michigan, drowned or suffocated
Able Seaman f. w. Smith Chicago
drowned; Sailor John Steiner Pittsburgh
drowned: Second Steward George Healy
san Francisco drowned: Chief Enginee
John Caldwell, New York, saved; First As
sistant Engineer g. w. Embrey. New Or
leans saved Second Assistant Engineer G
Swanson. Brooklyn. saved Wireless Oper
ator NJ. Parker. Philadelphia, saved