The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-05-25
SINKING SHIPS
 SOLDIERS PLAY
 CARDS AND SING
Band Played and Men Be haved Splendid When
 Torpedoed.

London, May 24-What happens
 when a transport loaded with troops
 is sunk by German submarine is
 graphically told in the story of the sinking of the steamer Ballarat which
 was torpedoed April 25 while car- rying Australian troops to England and sunk without the loss of man. Drill, discipline and tradition count ed. There were no heroics, fuss or panic but considerable humor and much efficiency. 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 service. The. commanding officer was dealing with a remanded case. .tAnd what have you been doing?" he ask ed, when then came dull crash, a sound that seemed as he said, "to lift the skin off your face" and the ship began to take a list. The "aIarm'. was instantly sounded by the bugles, instantly followed by the advance, Without confusion of any kind the men in four minutes, fell in at their
 boat stations. During the voyage they had been told the stories of the Southland" and 'Birkenhead'' of the behaviour of the troops and men on these occasions Those men who had used flowery and fluent parts of spech condemning the previous boat drills now used equally literary ex-
 pressions In praise of them
 '.Its all right boys,'' a man called out, "the old man is on the bridge" Don't sing too loud.'s said an of ficer laughing. because can't 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. Destroyers and trawlers appeard 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 remain 1 ed 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; gray squirrel had the run of
 raft; fox terrior and her puppies
 are now guests of the officers of a
 destroyer. And it was all done de- gently and in order
 The bandmaster who was wont 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 cor net sing out, and across the water
 came 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 it.
 It wasn't exactly courage, be-
 cause heaps of the men were in a funk; and it wasn't exactly bluff, be- cause you can't put up bluff in a sinking ship, and the sea looks aw-
 fully big when one can't see any land, and there's just a handful of officers running the Job and enough boats, and g fearful ignorance of maritime geography. It is a thing which is very difficulty to define. It was the voice of the Empire speaking to each | man and saying "We do the thing
 well, and we always have, and we are always going to. Are you game ?'' The men were splendid.
 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 plays a small part in this affair, but the British navy was there and took
 very great part; prompt assistance, up to time and no fuss.