Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-11-26
CHAPTER XVI.
Captured by the Moewe.

OdPeNiS0 AtS ffOCWCs
When the tugs had cast off and after
while we had dropped our pilot. I
said to myself: Nov We are off, and
it's the States for me-end of the
line-far as we go-IF-" But the
'if" did not look very big to me,
though l could see it with the naked
eye all right.
got up about four o'clock the next
morning, which was Sunday, Deem
Der 10, 1916-a date / do not think |
viii ever forget.
AS soon as l was dressed / went
down to the forecastle peak and from
there into the paint locker, where l
fond some rope. Then back again on
deck, and made myself a hammock,
which I rugged up on the boat deck,
figuring that would have nice sun
bath, as the weather had at last
turned clear.
AS soon as l had the hammock
strung | went down to the baker and
had a nice chat with him-and stole a
few hot buns, which was what was
really after-and away to the galley
for breakfast | was almost exactly
amidships, sitting on an old orange
box. l had not been there long when
Old Chips, the ships carpenter, stuck
his head in the door and sang out,
''Ship on the starboard bow" l did
not pay any attention to him, because
ships on the Starboard bow were
no novelty to me, or on the port
either. Chips was not crazy about
booking at her, either, for he came in
mud sat on another box and began
soothing He said he thought she was
a tramp and that she flew the British
flag aStern.
ate all could get hold of and went
out on deck. l stepped out of the gal
ley just in time to see the fun. The
ship was just opposite us when away
went our wireless and some of the
boats on the starbOard side, and then,
boom boom and we heard the report
of the guns. l heard the shrapnel
whizzing around us just as had many
a time before. l jumped back in the
galley and Chips and the cook were
shaking so hard they made the pans
rattle.
When the firing stopped l went up
to the boat deck. / had on all of my
clothing. but instead of shoes l was
wearing pair Of wooden clogs. The
men and boys were crazy-rushing
around the deck and knocking each
other down, and everybody getting in
everybody else's way. We lowered our
Jacobs ladders. but some of the men
and boys were already in the water.
Why they Jumped l do not know.
Then the German raider Moewe
headed right in toward US and l
thought she was going TO ram us, but
she backed water about thirty yards
away. She lowered lifebOat and 1t
made for the Georgia, passing our
men in the water as they came and
crashing them on the head with boat
hooks when they could reach them.
noticed that there were red kegs In
the German boat
When the lifeboat reached tine ia
cOb's ladders / went over to the port
side of the George and then the Ger
mans came over the side and hoisted
up the kegs The Germans were
armed with bayonets and revolvers.
Some of them went down into the en-
CINE room and opened the sea cocks.
About this time some of the Limeys
came up from the poop deck and
told them TO stay where l was and
that the Germans would take us over
in lifebOatS. Another squad of Ger
mans hoisted eight of the dynamite
kegs on their shoulders and down into
No. hold with them.
Mean time the Germans saw us up
on the boat deck and came up after
Us. And over went the Limeys. But
/ waited and one or two more waited
with me. When the Germans came up
to US they had their revOlvers out
and were waving them around and
yelling, "Gott strafe England" and
talking about "schweinhunde" Then.
the first thing l knew, I was kicked off
into the sea. I slipped off my trousers
and coat and clogs, and, believe me, it
was not case of all dressed up and
no place to go!
Then / swan hard and caught up to
the LimeyS who had jumped first. They
were asking each other if they were
iownhearted and answering. mot a