The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1918-03-28
nick Vineyard, Tuscania Vic
tim, Gives First Hand
Experience
VORKHARD;CONTENT
Growing Used to Strange Gus
toms Of French People; En-
joy Good Health
Somewhere In France
Feb. 1S, 1918

Somewhere In France
Feb. 1S, 1918
Nv Dear Father:
I EXPECT you to be unnecessarily wor-
yied until you get this on account Of
the Tuscania and not knowing whether
was on her Or In the States, will
eiye you a first-hand description of
what happened.
Nv Sgt Major and myself were roll
ing pack outNin the hall adjoining my
stateroom when about 8 minutes to six
tremendous explosion and then
everything pitch black with the whole
shin trembling and when you make a
ship $50 feet long weighing 10000 tons
tremble 1t takes some bump. 1t threw
MS both off the deck a foot and fairly
made your teeth rattle. / told the
serg to stay where he was until
got nashlight out Of my stateroom
and we got into our lifebelts and over
coats for i figured we just as well
keep warm as long as possible for we
didn't know, how long we would have
to stay on deck before we were either
taken of the ship or by the life boats
and there was a cold wind blowing.
By the time we had our the boat
had begun to list badly to starboard
for the boat was hit amidships.
Our lifeboat station was on the top
deck about midship and when we got
there and even on the way there
was very much surprised at the or
derly way in which the men were
getting into their places. 1 saw abso-
lutey no confusion and everybody
seemed very cool under the circum-
stances. Everyone was talking at once
ana speculating on how long she would
slay a1oat. When called my men to
attention they quieted right down. I
told them didn't think the ship would
slnk inside Of two hours and that the
Oestroyers which were conveying us
would come to our aid, to stand fast
ana Keep quiet as possible so that they
would be able to hear any orders that
were given.
by tnat time the first lifeboat had
Oeen lowered and ordered the men as
signed to 1t into it and told them to
aste on and get away from the side
VI tne ship for we were on the port
Sue and the list was bothering us and
Just happened that it was the
ssS "sa.ner SIDE OF the ship and a choppy
sea was running.
Inc boat had drifted astern about
ooat iengh and just under the next
49, Ses " oavlts and the boat which they
ue lowering parted her line and II
mvpped on my boat which / had lust
E ~ over, killing several and capsizing
n poats putting an the men in the
a@l fou know it was pitiful the
way tn0se men were calling for helm
mean the ones which had been hurt
thns S were helpless for there wasn't a
wa,s as we could do for them and they
IN \. !ust floating there In the water
ne,r iifebelts. Its something that
hu, "vuid like to blot from my mind
tha sr tne launching of the first boat
hs Jackie became fouled and had to
ana ~. ~, away, so / went up on ton
nus,. cleared away the mess and was
whaas the next boat over the side
wa aen ! noticed smoke smudge II
HI came u,e nrst destroyer. AS soon as
Ehad % aos up into our light for they
1 Eton s;Ss ;Seyiene lights burning on the
alopv II swung around to come
sass slde, saw Ianother tornedo
|her across her stern not missing
|shen y ,,,, more than three feet. Well
|ahop. a'ed right out again but in
cana a9 s1ll minutes she came back and
[5O0 ng along side and took on about
Es an %en including nv SQUADRON that
on tho ~ ~ rev of them which were
signal h,I, htUpes, Tor she didn't give any
there u out just shot right out for
any minr as tne danger Of being struck
Ash ne oy one of the sub (or tin
bows = I'VE we call them). Some of the
<and th we're crushed between the shin
'us not many. "ne" sue puiied out
that pcSed up a few more men
=light nad drifted out of tha shin,s
zed n, alu we steamed away and IanJ.
Some ., 'ne north coast of Ireland.
IN the wa :, my boys that were spilled
Eby ona a.er 80 and We're picked up later
me tho vi ~ the other lifeboats, told
bow firs. 'nlp sank about nine O'Clock
Edown, ana anu ~. plunged almost straight
than m,n. was out Of sight in less
my men MI n llIeboats that had part of
coast ~ q ~ them landed on the north
boats waro oslald on the rocks and the
~ the mas, me- dashed to pieces and most
uprisede e't tn Killed or drowned. was
We wsra mat more wern't killed.
lor the MOL sent to an English camr
as possihle and made as comfortable
iown 10 anu ana the next day We're sent
he Roya, 'notner came occupied by
fushiliers and never In