Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-24
LOCAL BOY TELLS STORY OF SINKING
OF STEAMER AFTER 1T WAS TORPEDOED

and I'm that way | drew myself up on
deck. The boat was sinking fast and
two Of the life boats had been blown
completely to pieces by the explosion
The life boat that ! was assigned TO
and another were turned over while
launching. But I'm getting ahead Of
my story.
when / came on deck | ran back
to my boat and and the Greek bos'un
were ordered to get in and when the
boat hit the water, to throw the line
off and hold her there until the others
had time to get in. Well. this Greek
got nervous and cut the ropes as they
were being paid out by the men on
deck and that threw the two Of us in
to the water and turned the boat over.
I didn't have thing on but my under
clothes and that helped me in the
water. I had to swim around to the
other side of the stern and got right
under the life boat that they were low
ering on that side. They had some
trouble with that one and when it was
about two or three feet from the water
they dropped IT quick and the end hit
me right on the back. / went under
water quite ways, but when bobbed
up some Of the fellows in the boat
grabbed me and hauled me in. For
some reason, ! guess because every
one was anxious to get away from the
Schuylkill, which was going down fast,
our boat tipped over almost immed-
lately and we were in the water until
picked up by one of the other boats
that had been right and was almost
rammed by the submarine which came
up to the surface to see wha was LETT
OF US.
They went under water at once,
though, because a French destroyer
was coming up full speed. The de-
str0yer picked us up and transferred
us 10 another French boat which took
us into the town of Tenes, Some of
the sailors were picked up by an Ital-
/ ian destroyer and others were picked
up by an American boat I didn't
know until / got to New York today
/ that six of the crew were lost. Well,
Dad, / wasn't one of the six and I'm
darn glad Of 1t. | wasn't particularly
! in feed OF bath at the time the
kaiser decided to give me one, but I'll
( forgive him fer that if when the peace
terms are made they include as part OF
/ the indemnity the price Of several
/ personal belongings for one Douglas
C. Smith, such as one perfectly good
Z uniform, a quantity Of civilian clothes
q gold watch and various toilet ar
tieies that are reposing somewhere at
the bottom Of the MEDITERRANEAN.
we came back by way of Marseilles
and Bordeaux, and say, Dad, / gould
tell you lots about what America is
doing, but you know our instructions
are TO see everything and tell nothing
It's enough though to say that the
kaiser is due for a rude shock not
very far in thief uture. / am under
order 10 report at Marconi headquar.
tiers tomorrow and they may have an
other boat for me right away but In
going to try darn hard TO get fur.
Tough at least until after the holidays
Anyway doRt worry about me because
unless Kaiser Bill has a particular
grudge against me personally, | dom
} figure he's going to get every boat
r start out on and / want to do my hi
to down the darn cuss anyway. vii
, write again Sunday if possible.
Yours for America.
! DOUGLAS"