Republican farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1810-1920, 1918-02-15
SUBMARINE THAT
SANK TRANSPORT
GOES TO BOTTOM
American Officer Aboard Tuscana Says Destroyer
Gave Chase Immediately to German U-Boat
and Dropped Depth Charges.

Londonderry, Ireland, Feb. S-The
submarine that torpedoed the Tusca-
mia was attacked subsequently by a
Destroyer and an American officer gave
an iptiInaiicn that the submarine was
destroyed.
This officer, who was one of the last
to leave the Tuscania, gave the Asso-
ciated Press a vivid account of the
disaster.
The second torpedo fired by the
submarine missed it's mark, he said.
Thereupon a destroyer which was
near the sinking liner dashed toward
the submarine, using bomb-drop-
ping device. 1t is asserted that the
submarine was done in by the
bombs thus exploded.
The American officer told this
story:
Everything went well with us
during the voyage. Many of our
/ must say that they stood it like
soldiers
I'VE were one of a powerful con-
voy. l must not tell you our posi-
ton in the convoy or how the various
ships were formed, but you may take
it that all the other boats have got
through as far as I know.
"As for ourselves, well, the Huns
succeeded in getting only a fraction
of our fine fellows, in addition to our
boat, but If they have they have put
the iron into our souls, and we will
be ready to repay them when the
chance offers.
Monday was a wild night. Had
the disaster occurred during gale,
don't like to think of what would
have happened. But Tuesday even
ing was calm.
'~The first intimation we had of pos
sible danger was an order for all men
to go on deck with lifebelts. 1t was
about 4:3O o'clock. At the same
time we sharply altered our course.
Nobody Saw Periscope.
Eat 6 o'clock, just as the darkness
was setting well in, we got the blow.
Nobody saw the periscope, nor could
one have been seen well. Some
soldiers described having heard a
kissing sound Immediately before the
torpedo struck us in the engine room.
1--WE were instantly disabled. All
the lights went out. An order rang
nut. sending the troops to their boat
stations and ordering the lifeboats
out.
1.-THE shock was not severe. 1t was
: more Of a crunching-in feeling that
went through the ship than a direct
blow.
There naturally was a good deal
Of confusion. You cannot lower a
score of lifeboats from the height OF
an upper deck in the darkness without
some confusion, but at no time was
there panic. ~1S-'.
There was great excitement, how
ever, but it lasted only few min
utes. Then all the men pulled them
selves together. Megaphone calls
we're given all over the ship, saying
that there was no danger, that the
vessel would not sink before all were
taken off. In the meantime S o
signals were sent out.
Even before some of US had
grasped the situation British destroy
ers were dashing up alongside. SucH
. soldiers as had been lowered in life
boats were put on board destroyers
A few men who had jumped over
board in the first excitement were
Wicked up. I believe that one or tive
Gffeboats were smashed in launch'
ing.
'.rhe destroyerS took off our mel
On splendid style, with perfect order
Fy..
slowly sinking For a minute I die
not know whether to go into a life
boat or to stick by the ship. One o
he members of the crew urged tina
we stay ON board and trust John Bull
destroyers. He yelled this in my ear
I took his advice and waited for m
turn to come to go on board a des
eroyer.
mo sooner had we cast off wit
500 men on board, than a torped
was fired at US. 1t missed. Anothe
destroyer dashed off, operating
bomb dropping device, and the clair
was afterward made that the sub
marine had been done in"
Proof of the order that prevaile
on the Tuscania is given by tn
handling of two typhoid and tw
pneuminia cases without bad effect.
Forty of the survivors of the Tus
CANA were taken to hospitals, the ma
jority suffering from injuries as a re
suit of accidents in the lowering
lifeboats or to consequences of slid
ing down ropes.
The survivors are proud of the b.
havior OF the only two women on tt
Tuscania. They went down a rope
fine style, laughing.