New-York tribune., 1918-06-04
Survivors Warn the Bristol

"F or four hours. we ploughed ahead,
when we saw the smoke of a vessel on
the horizon. The vessel was headed
right for the spot where the U-boat
had disappeared, and we thought she
would be the next victim. We rowed
with all our might to cut across her
course and head her off in time. We
tried to attract the attention of the
commander by shouting all together
and by waving our coats. Our signals
finally were seen.
"'Dont step to pick us up! Beat it
quick or that submarine will get you!
we shouted to the commander of the
vessel, which turned out to be the col
ier Bristol cf the Coastwise Transport
tation Company, but Captain Frederick
Hart refused to look out for his own
safety before taking us aboard
1--WE had only seen one Uboat up to
this time, but when we got on the
Bristol and started heading toward
port, away from the submarine. we ran
plump into a second one. The one
which sank the Cole was busy firing at
another ship and the newcomer was
only 500 yards away.
There's a nest of EN- was my first
thought. We were all prepared to be
shelled if we kept up our fight, but
going to give Fritz a run for his
money.
U-Boat Pursues Steamer
"Six of my men went down to help
the nine firemen and coalers of the
Bristol, with orders to get every
darned knot of speed out of the ship.
They did. While the speedy U-boat,
with only its periscope visible, came
N al rIc ho D.,
tol actually leaped forward.
"The Bristol had never done better
than nine knots an hour. 1t did
seventeen then. The men worked like
devils in the stokehold and slowly we
drew away from the submarine. For
half an hour we could see her hanging
on grimly, however. Then we lost
sight of her.
"But for several hours afterwards,
while we were running full speed for
port, we heard the sound of shellings
and explosions, and Pm sure number
of other boats were sunk.
Owe been across three times to
France in command of vessels, and
I've been a master for twelve years
and this is the first submarine I've
ever met, right hesc near our shore
This was to have been my last trir
on the Cole, for l was going to Rock.
land to get new ship, just built.
I'm going home to see the kids anG
rest up for a week or two, then I'm
going to get that new boat and try
my luck again. I'm not scared, ano
Fritz won't frighten any other Amer
lean skipper either"
Sister Ship Also Sunk
Captain Newcombe was surprised
when informed that the four-masted
schooner Jacob S. Haskell. owned by
the same company, had also been sunk
BY strange coincidence the Haskell, 81
the same type and carrying the same
cargo as the Cole, had followed her
sister ship from port to port for the
last three voyages, never more than
twenty-four hours behind, and had
left Hampton Roads on Thursday with
the Cole.
The U-boat which sunk the Cole was
seen two miles off by the crew of the
Bristol, according to a statement made
by Captain Hart, of the latter.
I'VE picked up the crew of the Cole
forty miles southeast of Barnegat," he
said, "at $40 last night. At thirty
eight miles southeast of Barnegat the
submarine had come up and showed
her coming tower, SO that she was.
plainly visible to US.
apparently she took the awning
over the stern of the Bristol for gun
cover, for it was dusk, and that is the
only way l can account for the U-boat
submerging without firing shot. We
had no gun.
81 have no doubt that number of
small steamers and schooners were
sunk. From his small boat Captain
Newcombe saw one steamer, of goodly
SIZE, sent to the bottom. l myself
leard bombarding seven different