El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-08-03
SCHURZ
As SHE SINKS
Tom Clements, FL Paso
Jackie, Gets Real 'Aban-
don Ship Experience.

. MIS- GEuIAG IL clements is IN re-
ceipt Of a delayed in the maiT' ct
ter from her youngest son. Tom. act
ing quartermaster in the United
States navy, who was serving on
board the gunboat Schurz when that
vessel was sunk as a result OF a col
lision with a tanker, off the Atlantic
/ coast during the last week OF June.
/ in which the young man gives evil
dence Of the newspaper training he
! received when he was writing sports
/ for The Herald before his enlistment
/ as an apprentice seaman in the navy
/ a rev days after the declaration Of
war
I U-bOut Aisscdg Tanker Sank Him.
I 1t seems rather irouical," writes
young Clements. that after fighting
! U-boats 50 long and that after the
Schurz should have withstood the
perils Of so many Of the seven. seas
she should have TO be sent. almost
I ANONYMOUSLY, 10 the bottom by
floating oil tank, while placidly plow-
/ ing along in a sea Of glass and when
] she seemed farther from danger than
she ever was since she was launched
from a German ship yard after being
christened the Geier with 4 bottle OF
German champagne in the hands Of
some German madchen. The fates
I had a hand in the matter. perhaps,
with fate"
Both Boats Served are sunk.
Since entering the navy Clements
has served On but two vessels. the
Schurz, which was the German gun
boat Geier and the only German war
vessel III the hands OF the United
states, and the cruiser san Diego.
I That the fates seemed 10 have a hand
IN the matter would be indicated, 10
one protesting to be a fatalist by
the fact that a few days after the
sinking OF the Schurz the san Diego
was also sunk and both Of the yes
sells on which the young man tried
TO do his best for Uncle sam are IN
All Men Are Brave.
"One thing with which our expe-
rience impressed me is the fact that
practically every man is brave in the
face Of physical danger" writes Glenn
ents- with the exception OF a few
Of the mess attendants every man on
! board was as cool as though We we're
being called for inspection There
was no noise or confusion There
was no shouting OF orders. Every
boat and raft was put afloat in proper
order and not a man was put in jeop-
ardy Of life or limb by being COM
PEELED to jump from the deck or bull
warks after the order was given TO
a abandon ship. except two or three
OF the frightened mess attendants
spoken Of before and they. for the
most part. were not Americans.
Crash Came At Night.
The crash came shortly after !
had gone off watch at 4 a. M / had
lain down on the deck berth. with a
book which I had been reading, for a
pillow I had been asleep for but 4
few minutes. I Judge. as IL was still
dark when ] was half awakened by Z
a strange grinding noise. We have
been taught to watch for U-boats and Z
their tOrpedoes and after waiting FOR 4
the explosion OF the torpedo which l ]
thought must have struck the shin I
and hearing none I went 10 sleep /
again. I was awakened again in a 1
minute or two by the cold water. |
which had flowed through the rent in 1
the ships side made BY the boat /
which began TO run over my feet !
This aroused me thoroughly and 1 /
made for the companionway leading 4
to the main deck
No Confusion on Board.
7 seemed 10 be the only person on ]
board awake except those on duty I
and none Of those seemed 10 have any ]
knowledge Of any happening out Of
the ordinary When I reached the
main deck il was so dark that I could
not see the vessel which had rammed
US and I began 70 wonder II we had
run aground on shoal as when 1
went off watch we were but few
miles off shore ] reported what I
E
water seemed TO be pouring into the
lower decks Of the vessel. and then
went TO the station I should have
taken had the collision signal been
given
Water Wakes Angry sailor.
Finding that I was all alone at
the station I thought there must be
4 mistake somewhere and I went be-
low TO see II water was running into
other compartments as IL ran into
: the compartment in which ] was
sleeping. As I went past the hatch
! leading into the third compartment
below I saw n heavy stream OF water
& flowing into the berth space and just
! as I reached a point where 7 could
I give an alarm heard some sailor. who
/ had just been awakened by the water
which had reached his hammock. ask
I in an angry tone who In he'll had
I left that port open I told him what
| the trouble was and in less time than
II can tell u he had every man IN
that compartment awake and swarm
+ ing up the ladders 10 the main deck
But One Man Lost.
BY that time all were up and &C
counted for but q young Portuguese
sailor who had shipped at Honolulu
/ and II was found that he had been
killed at his most when the collision
/ Occurred when the captain ap-
/ peared on deck he was I'm his under
I clothes and a nicely fitting life pre-
I server The executive officer was