The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-06-05
NINETEEN SURVIVORS
LAND AT LEWES, DEL.
No Information Concerning Where
abOuts of Rest of Passengers And
Crew.

Two women and eight nlen pas
sengers of the steamship Carolina,
and nine OF her crew are safe at
Lewes, Del, naval station.
They were landed there shortly at
ter 10 O'Clock Monday. bringing
the first and oniy signs of life from
the New York and Porto Rico steam
ship since her wireless calls for help
Sunday night.
These nineteen persons are the
only ones who have been reported as
saved out OF the passenger list OF
22O and crew of $50. No WORD
from the remainder has reached the
outside world Naval authorities at
Lewes admitted that the nineteen
had landed, but refused to give their
names or other information regard
ing them.
According to reports at Lewes, the
survivors were found in the open sea
in a life boat by a steamer bound for
the Delaware river, and were picked
up. This steamer reported the res
cues first when reaching the mari
time station to take on a pilot.
With the landing of the Carolina S
survivors came the roar of guns
from the open sea. Where the firing
was going on the people of Lewes
stood in the streets of the town, I'M
able to locate the source of sound
They declared that the reports came
either from ships only a short dis
lance off shore, or were from heavy
calibre gun, because of the heavy
detOnation.
But with all the conditions it was
said there was exceptionally little ex-
element, despite the fact that the
streets of Lewes overlook the sea, and
the stern of the torpedOed tanker
Pratt is in clear view.
Residents there could see MEM
bers of the crew of the Pratt work
ing about the decks of the SPARKLE
stern in their effort to save the yes
sci from being caught in a storm and
being pounded to pieces on the
shoals on which she rests. The tor
pedo struck in the bow and opened
I'D only the forward bulkheads, ieav-
ing the remainder tight. As a con-
sequence, all the cargo Of oil in the
other parts of the ship is safe for
the present.
Captain William Tooker, Of the
Merritt Wrecking Company, is with
Tie CREW ulISCtluS tuS w VI N VI man
ing temporary repairs and the opera
ton of the pumps. 1t ls~hoped to
close the gaping hole in The Pratt,
sufficiently to have the pumps over
come the thrush of water and thus
life her nose out Of the sand. Ii this
can be accomplished, they will tow
her within the breakwater, where she
would be safe from the strain OF
Lotto 70
pairs then could be made until she
could be carried to drydock.
The shoal where the Pratt lies is
directly off shore from the Cape Hen
lopen life saving station and is just
to the south of Lewes, Del. Captain
III. II. Bennett, master OF the Pratt,
made for this shoal so soon as he
realized that he could not save his
ship after it. had been riddled.
After attacking the Pratt, the sub
marine made for the tanker's sister
ship, the Arco, which was running
close by. The Arco was running
light and was easily maneuvered by
her master. He escaped the subma-
rine and the Hun headed toward the
sea.
News of the attack was quickly
flashed to the naval stations at Cape
May and Sewell's Point, and two fast
warships and flotilla of oestroyers
started off in pursuit of the subma-
rine.
The American ships scon picked
up the wake of the enemy boat and
took up the chase. Just as the first
ship disappeared over the horizon,
persons on the shore heard her open
fire. A constant running fire was
kept up for several hours. No re-
port has yet been made of the result
of the fight.
The Pratt was torpedoed Monday
afternoon just as she was making
her way to the Delaware Breakwa-
ter on her way to Philadelphia with
a cargo of oil from Tuxpam, Mexico.
The Tanker left Tuxpam May %.
Reports at Lewes are that the
Pratt was torpedoed just as a Della
ware river pilot was about to board
her to bring her to Philadelphia. The
pilot boat Philadelphia, commanded
by Robert Chambers, was On its way
to the ship to put the pilot aboard
when the Pratt was struck. Captain
Chambers then took his boat to the
rescue of the crew of thirty-eight
men. These were taken to the naval
station at Lewes, where they still
are.