Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1918-02-16
ACTED LIKE AMERICANS
SOLDIERS ON TUSCANlA CALM
WHEN BOATS WERE SMASHED.
Tribute Paid To The Women Who
Helped In Rescuing
Men.

LondOn.-How American soldier
behaved when they found that thu
boats assigned to- them on the Tus
CANA had been smashed is told by an
American officer who landed at an
Irish port. The officer said that his
men behaved as he had expected them
to. Two full boatloads under his com.
mand assembled on the deck when
the torpedo struck the liner and
marched to the boats assigned them.
Arriving at their station they found
that both boats had been destroyed.
Then We Lined up on deck at atten-
tlon," said the officer, land all pre-
served the utmost composure until. a
destroyer came alongside and affected
the transfer. from the gradually sink
ing deck
I'VE stood alongside until the last
man was taken off, who. as might be
expected. was the commander of the
snip. The patients in the ships hos
pital, including several cases of scarle.
tina and fever, were among the first
taken off,"
The correspondent of the Press AS
ISOLATION at an Irish port says the
survivors of the Tuscania who are
there were greatly relieved to hear of
the safe arrival elsewhere of Major
Benjamin F. Wade, of Washington,
commander of contingent on the
steamer and hundreds of other Amer.
lean troops.
Women Do Their Part.
The only two women on board, the
correspondents account says, Mrs.
Collins and Mrs. Parsons, went down
rope into !ifeboat. The former
said that when their boat left the
Tuscania many of the troops had been
thrown out in lowering the next boat.
We were mmediste!y surrounded by
men in the icy water wearing lifey
BELTS" she said. I'VE had only tw$
men in our boat who could manage the
oars. They did their best, and as vie
came across swimming or floating
man we gathered him into the boat.
Soon the boat was very full. We
witnessed many distressing scenes.
Eventually we got on board a destroy
er. l don't remember a harder bit of
work."
A soldier who heard Mrs. Collins, a
tell the story, said:
Eyes, and you did as much as the
best man in the world could have
done, l was in your boat and saw
YOU"
They Soon steadied Down.
A young officer, answering a ques-
ton as to what the soldiers did while
waiting for the destroyers after the
first excitement was over, said:
"Oh, we soon steadied down,
lounged about and smoked. but we
didn't venture below to gather up our
belongings for fear the ship would
suddenly capsize. We talked about
the misfortune of crossing the At
lantic only to be caught in the last
lap. We cheered the first destroyer
which came alongside and its men
cheered us. Their work was mag
and only when they saw they
could save 10 more life did they leave
the scene. 1t was thought well to
make for different ports, and here I
am among people who have over
whelmed us with Kindness"
A young trooper, when asked what
he thought Of the experience, said he
would not have missed it for any,
thing.
Il was on deck talking to my
chum," he went on, when l heard a
bang, and up went a whole heap of
and water over our heads.
was drenched to the skin. Nobody
but you can imagine how it
'elt to stand shiverirg in the dark
ness, not knowing when we would get
another shot that would send the boat
70 the bottom"