Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-05

six shells in the Carolina. below the
waterline.
And it was while this was going on
while some of the Prussians were work.
ing the gun and others grinning at the
castaways and Haunting their German
f1ags-that somebody started to whistle
The Star Spangled Banner"
Others took II up. women's voices join
ed in. and punctuated by the reports Of
the German gun. Americas national
anthem rang out over the lonely waters.
The Prussians stared. They couldn't un-
derstand anything like that
Eight lifeboats were tied together in
a little fotilla and started away toward
where the Jersey coast lay over the
horizon. The Carolina listed, her boilers
burst and she rolled over on her side.
An hour later the S0O0-ton liner sank
the first big American victim of Ger
many's submarine frightfulness on this
side of the Atlantic.
Philadelphian Tells Story
Robert Lebkicker. OF Philadelphia,
quartermaster. described what happened
as night came on and the thunder clouds
gathered As the sea rose it was neces-
sary TO cut the hawsers so the lifeboats
drifted apart. Sea anchors were rugged
to keep them from CapsiZing.
Rain came down In torrents and woIn-
en- began weeping in high. hysterical
notes 1t was hard work to keep the
boats from being swamped When
morning came the storm subsided and II
was seen that the little fleet had been
scattered for. miles. Some time later
the schooner Douglass came in sight.
Captain Lauro, of the Douglass. said
he had heard gunfire Sunday night of
the Delaware capes. so kept a sharp
lookout and in the morning he spotted
the lifehoats. They were gathered In,
and after putting into Barnegat to send
message. he proceeded up the coast
to Scotland Light escorted by the
5on' Near the light a sea-going tug
took the schooner in tow.
There were many rurors current
among the rescued peop.e when they
arrived at New York. one was that
Hungarian. who had been arrested for
espionage in Porto Rico and later re-
leased. dived overheard when the sub
marine first appeared and swan to it,
where he was welcomed by the Ger
mans Another had to do with myster-
ious wireless messages in an unknown
code which were heard about the time
Of the attack. Among the uniformed
men aboard the Carolina we're the fol-
lowing from the San Juan officers train
ing camp:
Lieutenants J. P O'Toole. Clinton.
Mass. f. D. Carpenter. Maplewood, n.
J.; \. J. Boyd, Syracuse. \. Y; G.
Nadal, Porto Rico; Leslie W. Arthur,
Boston; William Redding. Meschanicut,
R. l.; Winfield NJ. Sides, Philadelphia
Captain Robert X. Wright, of the
British navy. formerly living at Ger
mantown. Philadelphia. and Paymaster
D. c. Crowell. u. S. n.
Among other survivors are, Mr. and
Mrs. Charles c. Thome and Mr.. and Mrs.
+. A. Chenute, New Orleans. La. J.
A. Brill, Washington. d. c., Frank a.
Meyers, Philadelphia.
According to the stories of survivors.
the passengers were in the dining saloon
at the time and had just finished fire
drill when a shot was fired across the
bows of the steamship.
Shortly afterward a shrapnel shell eN-
ploded above the vessel in the vicinity
of the wireless operators quarters, and
a final shot across the stern brought the
big vessel TO a halt.
Ernest G. Cox. of Washington. d, C,
who has been doing government work
in Porto Rico, was one Of the survivors
who told of the sinking.
Most of the passengers were in the
dining saloon when the attack was
made" said Cox. "A few of us were
having a card game.
suddenly. without warning, a shell
passed across the bow of the vessel and
this was followed by a bursting shrapnel
shell above the liner. Neither did any
damage. The U-boat circled around the
steamer, but none of her officers put out
in a boat and none came aboard. All
OF the boats were lowered and filled in
good order and plenty of time was al
lowed to get the passengers and crew
off before the German commander be-
gan circling her again and pouring
shells into her on both sides She did
not sink for nearly an hour. and when
she went down she was burning. The
Germans did not get any of Captain
Barbours papers.
Il got a good view of the submarine
She looked to be about 800 feet long
and she carried two guns"