The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1917-12-22

FellCianJ's young naval hero To his
horne people
| Lieutenant Smith expressed himself
as being highly gratiGed al the honor
shovp him AT the hands of his fellow
FelICiaHians. and he certainly had a
right to feel proud, for rot since the
ovation rendered the late Robert e.
WGekliffe al the successful termination
81 his first campaign for congress has
such a crows gathered al the court
house to listen 10 any speaker
Lieutenant Smith vas careful 10 OBJ
serve the traditions Of the navy AS 20
secrecy, puFposely r"frainlbg from
mentioning the name Of q single Al
iantic port. on either side. or anything
else that could possibly be- construed
as information useful 10 the enemy
Vet his narrative vas Interesting from
start To finish, and he held the alien.
| ton Of hts audience for over an hour
fits frat several trips into the war
| zone we're made In command OF a gan
crew on the Antilles formerly a South.
ern Pacific liner, later commandeered
by the Government BY the way. Lieu.
tenant Smiths FIRST voyage on this
vessel was made Some four years ago
when he brought bis bride for her FIRST
visit 70 Louisiana Lieutenant Smith
made more Than one voyage from "aB
American port" to a French port IN
| safety, though U.boats were encoup-
tered more than once, and some Of
them we're added to the command Of
Admiral Dayy Jones
The principal facts IN the anai tor.
pedoing and sinking Of the Antilles
have long since been made public
through the newspapers, get the speak
er's account of that occurrence con
tanned many little tRtlmate details of
interest to home people principally
because a home boy was Involved
On the morning Of the disaster, Lieu.
tenant Smith had gone OF watch AZ
midnight The ship was just emerging
from what vas considered the war 1oua
and ne thought he was justified in try.
ing 10 get some mueh.needed rest after
thu trying period elapsing since leaving
the French port he vas Just getting
ITO bis bunk when III" explosion oc.
Cured tie hastily scrambled into
trousers and coat. grabbed his life belt
and pistol and started for his gun deck,
only 10 fud that the door TO his cabin
had become lammed and b. was wiz
taaily prisoner on a sinking ship. He
Wresred q piece Of hts bunk from its
position ard with this succeeded ia
forcing the door open Reachiag the
guns be- found that the enemy vas not
in sight the ship vas rapidly sinking
and the oyders 10 abandon ship we're
His recital of the horrors attend
ant upon this event were thrilling
la the extreme. yet by careful ealcu
iatton Of time but four minutes and
thirty seconds had elapsed between
ihe time Ehen the torpedo struck aud
the time Whoa the ship sank 10 the
bottom Of the sea tie vas precipitated
into the water and started swimming
away from the rapidly sinking ship
H. had been swimming for several
minutes when he managed 10 catch
water cask which was among the
wreckaRc After staying with this for
half an hour be came up with one of
thr Fife RATS and promptly transferred
his command Tie was afterwards res.
cued by one OF the convoy feet The
water was bitter cold and the suffering
OF IN men In the water was intense
After being hguied on board ship the
men were siyen hot toddics and bot
baths, and wrapped In blankets, after
which they headed back 70 France
Lieutenant Smith again started back
TO America CA the Finland This ship
Was also iorpedocd but managed So
put back End reach q French port
II was some time before he again
started for America, and ia the interim
he visited ireland Of the beauties Of
shich country hc gave q vivid descfjF
tion
The speaker paid a beautiful tribute
10 the activities Of the American Red
Cross. and stated how the navy thor
oaghIy appreciated the Knitted articles
which are sout by the local chapters
lie stated that he himself had worn
some OF the helmets and sweaters and
trftfed that they 90 G long way toward
making bcarablc q watch during these
cold nights
Lieutenant Smith impressed upon
his hearers the seriousness Of the pres.
stt World ufitpf mad urvpd that f.Vary