The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1918-03-08
u-Boat Victims Lick Boats for
Moisture and Seek Death
in Sea.
TELLSTALEs0F pLUCkY DEEDS
Heroic Acts of Officers and Men Be-
longing to All Branches OF Sea
Services, Naval and
Mercantile.

London.--Much has been written
about the hardShipS endured by the
crews of vessels sunk by German sub
marines. Here are some particulars
dealing with the plucky deeds per-
formed by officers and men belonging
TO all branches of the sea services,
naval and mercantile.
The first case is that Of a passenger
steamer which had been torpedoed on
a Monday, without warning, as usual,
in the Atlantic, 800 miles from land.
The chief officer took charge Of No.
2 lifeboat, which had on board 81 per-
sons including two women and baby
four months old.
Bad weather prevailed all that day
and throughout the night, increasing
the plight Of the miserable people. Pro-
visions, too, were scarce, but what e1-
listed was taken charge Of by the chief
officer, who doled out half dipper
(half-pint) of water to each person
night and morning.
They had been barely twenty-four
! hours in the boat when the horrors OF
the situation were added to by mad-
ness. On the Tuesday the cook lost
his reason, and on the Wednesday he
died. That night witnessed the insan-
ity of the storekeeper, who had to be
dashed dowr On Thursday he too
died. On Friday an A. r. expired.
Water Begins to Get Low.
! The water was now beginning to
give out and the boats company suf-
fered from intense thirst
A fireman was found dead in the
bottom Of the boat on Saturday morn
/ ing, and the third-class pantry boy
died during the day.
On Sunday the cattleman tried to
Jump overheard three times, and sue
ceeded at the fourth attempt. The sur
vivors were in too feeble state to
save him, although they turned the
! boat round and searched for him. The
water gave out on Sunday.
There were occasional showers of
rain, but everything was saturated
with salt, and the little water they got
was undrinkable. They licked the
woodwork, hoping to gather up the
raindrops
Then they broke up the water keg
and licked the inside, which they found
F.! saturated with moisture, and delicious.
At o. m. on Monday land was sighted,
but it was long way Off, and by the
time they drew near darkness and a
/ heavy northerly swell made a landing
impossible. They lay to, and during
a squall their mast carried away at the
heel, but that did not matter much, Tor
it acted as q sea anchor.
At daylight on Tuesday they were
sighted by a couple Of fishing boats,
which towed them into port. The baby
lived for some time after being landed.
The linen keeper died as he was being
lifted from the boat. Two Of the crew
refused to leave the boat, having gone
mad. A trimmer died from gangreae
two weeks later.
The chief officer remarked: 81 would
., like to testify to the excellent behavior
of the boats crew throughout our Pc
siod of eight days hardship and ex-
posure."
The second case. deals with Brit
ish Oil ship which had been tOrpedOed
without warning The torpedo struck
it between the two forward tanks, and
it was burning furiously. It's engines
were still running, because it had been
impossible to reach the engine room
after the explosion on account of the
heat. Visible for miles through the
darkness. it looked like some fiery pen
nant flung across the face Ct the night.
All the holds had caught and con-
tinuous stream Of oil kept feeding the
fire.
Crouched up in the peak, which was
the only part not yet aIight, We're about
thirty Chinese. al who remained of
the crew. Death by fire or by water
was only matter Of time that seemed
to be q certainty.
Sighted by Patrol Boat.
The lieutenant in command of a pa
troll vessel saw ragged sheet of flame
and altered course forthwith. To ex-
tinguish the flames was impossible,
and the rescue Of the survivors in the
oilers peak, but there was no more life
ties.
He ran his vessel close past the oil
er's stem and as she passed RATS life