Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1918-02-28
Most of Those Aboard Ship
Asleep When Missile Hits
Below Water Line; Boats
damned by Explosion.
By RevIew Leased vino

SWANSEA, Eng, FEB. Z7.-Tht
British hospital ship Glenart Castle
which went down yesterday in ths
Bristol channel, was torpedoed. ae
cording to survivors, "a of whom were
landed here. Nothing has been learn
ed o. the fate OF the others, includins
Red Cross doctors, nurses and order
lies.
There were approximately 200 per
sons aboard the ship, one hundred
and fifty Of whom were members OF
the crew.
QuaTtermaster Shiller, who was the
last man to leave the ship, describing
the disaster, said:
4 was on deck at the time. A few
minutes before the torpedofng, the
helmsman called attention to a dim
light flickering on the surface of the
water some distance off. Il appear
ed an instant later. but the officer
of the deck was instantly suspicious
and ordered the course changed He
then ordered the alarm sounded for
life boats drill as precautionary mea-
sure
Lights Offered Target.
"The order was scarcely given when
came the muffled sound of an ex.
plOding torpedo far below the water
line, followed by a shock which told
Us that the beat was done for Our
action IN changing the course availed
little. because the Red Cross lights
were burning brightly and we were
as plain p target in the blac knigS
as the Germans could wish for.
almost everybody aboard was
asleep at the time and most of the
men tumbled 10 the deck in the scant-
lest attire. Few saved more than
trousers and shirt and nine out of
every ten were barefoOted- The men
assignei TO the starbcard lifeboats
found these useless, either boats or
davits being smashed by the shock
OF the explosion
Meanwhile 2 great difficulty was
experienced in launching the life
boats on the port side. because of the
tilt the vessel was taking as il pre-
pared to go down stern foremost.
In seven minutes we launched 7
boats. some with only a few persons
aboard. others ovsrcrowded-
a large number Of men jumped
into the sea with life belts and few
of these survived. for the sea was
so rough that it was impossible TO
rescue them from the life boats. nor
was it possible even to keep the life
boats together
Rescued by French Schooner.
Waves 20 feet high churned up
BY the nasty cross current. dashed
over our boat continually and we bail.
ed for orr lives. We made the best
course we could for large island
which We knew was about fifteen
miles, off. but had made only slight
progress when a French schooner,
seven hours afterwards picked US up.
We would all have perished from ex-
pOsure had not our rescuer appear
ed" The survivors said no submarine
WIS sighted al any time except for
the flights seen by the helmsman- The
Glenart Castle. which had been under
repair since her return from the Ne
diterranesn three weeks ago. was on
her way to France for wounded.
The Glenart Castle went down in
seyen minutes
CsDtsin BUrl was last seen in the
chart house. after the last boat was
larnched and it is believed he went
down with the ship.
OF the 200 passengers aboard one
hundred and fifty were members OF
teh crew. seven were women nurses
ncne Of whom has yet been reported
saved. the others belonged to the
Red Cross and included doctors
nurses and Orderlies.