New Britain herald., 1917-04-30
GRESHAM TELLS OF
 AzTEC'S LAST HOUR
Lieutenant in Charge Of Gun Crew
 Describes Loss of Ship

Washington. April 3O.-Lieutenan, William Fuller Gresham, the An1eri- can naval officer who was in charge !. of the navy gun crews on the Ameri- can ship Aztec, which was destroyed April 1 in French waters either by q < mine or submarine. returned from France yesterday and reported to Sec. retary of the Navy Daniels. No word has been received as to the fate ot l J. I. Epolucci. boatswain's mate, the one missing member of Lieutenant Gresham's command, nor has any news been heard of the twenty-seven Aztec sailors who rowed away from the sinking steamer, never to be heard of again.
 The Aztec was the first American merchant ship to be armed. and Lieu tenant Gresham and twelve picked men were detached from the Dolphin after a careful search for a crew among the best gunners in the navy.
 The Aztec was destroyed in the night. without opportunity for the men to test their skill, but after hear Ing Lieutenant Grasham's story of the crews courage and fortitude Sec rctary Daniels declared that every great tradition of the navy has been upheld
 The Aztec sailed from New York on March IS, and fourteen days later, when the cEd of the voyage was al- most ii, sight. was half lifted from tho sea hy g. floating mine or a U-bcat tor- pedo. Ore of the ships boats was smashed against the side ill launching, another disappeared in the storm. and lieutenant Gresham and his men, i'll third boat, wore picked up by q French patrol after hours of cold and exhaustion.
 The Tennesseean, who is 32 years of age and has been thirteen years In the service. told the following story of the adventure as he sat in the navy department:
 From the day that we left New York the weather was very rough. sales blowing almost continuously. We had gun drills twice a day and target practice several times. using as targets barrels which we threw over- board As we came into the danger zone the tension increased to a point where few of us took any large amount of time for sleep.
 ''As we neared the French coast on April I, I had not had my clothes off for days. Every bluejacket in my crew had slept in his clothes and had his peajacket. pistol. and lifebcN where he could get at them quickly. That night about 9:30 I was standing on the waste deck. .starboard side. There was heavy sea running. the wind was blow ing a moderate gale. The moon was up, but the sky was overcast with dark rain clouds, with frequent squalls. We were running with no lights at all. Every port was covered. The chief engineer came by behind me.
 "As he passed he said, MT. Gresham this is a pretty ticklish night, isn't 1t 2 I answered: I consider this the most dangerous night we have had, and 1T we get by tonight I feel we will be pretty safe
 Lifted Out of Sea.
 .'I had barely gotten these words out of my mouth, when there was 9 flash like a sheet of lightning, with mass of water thrown vAr sx the air. The fash was follo%cd by a report below and aYterrif1ic jolt. The ship was lifted upward and to starboard. and then immediately settled down with a starboard list. She began to go down bv the head so fast that between the forecastie and the b.1dge her we'll deck was awasl in a couple of minutes. The explosion ;,Ad put the electric plant and the wireless out of comnis- sion. 50 m%king it impossible to send out an s. O. S. The ship was in utter darkness, and there was hail sQuall.
 ''In less time than you can tell it the crew were all out of their quar- ters and on deck. I ordered my men to man the guns. But as the forward part of the ship was awash No. crew could not get to their posts. But at No. 2 gun, in the stern, it's crew was standing by in moment. In the meantime went up the ladder to the top of the charthouse and began with my binoculars to search for a subma7 rire. It was raining hard, and I-could zee nothing. After searching for about three minutes came down and gave the order to my men to put the Colt automatic gun in No. 1 boat and stand by to abandon ship.
 "I went into my cabin to get some confidential papers. When I tried to unlock the door of the locker it would not open. smashed the panel took out the papers and went back to the top of the charthouse to make further search for a submarine, but without result. Then I went below on the waste deck, starboard side and made another search from there but could sec nothing.
 ''By this time the ships crew had lowered all three of the boats, and the men were already in them, all ex. cept the third mate and myself. The boat on the weather side had beer smashed on being lowered but did not know this at the time. The thir6 engineer had stuck by his post in the engine room till the very last. Hi name was Herbert Collins and he had his nerve right with him. He stopped the engines and shut off the oil pump which at once put the fires out ant kept the ship from catching freq H, also saw that every man was safel! out of the engine room. Not unti