Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1918-11-21


CHAPTER Xl-continued.
10
During our eighth trick of Cape
Helles I was amidships in the galley
when I heard our two 14-pounders 60
of almost at the same time. Every
body ran for his station. Going up
the main deck to my turret man told
me it was a sub on the port bow, but
I only caught glimpse Of the little
whirlpool where her periscope SUBJ
merged. I do not know why she did
not let loose a torpedo at us. The
officers said she was trying to make
the entrance to the Dardanelles and
came up blind among our ships and
was scared of by our guns, but
thought we had just escaped by the
skin Of our teeth. Later on our de-
stroyers claimed to have sighted her
OF Gaba Tepe.
At noon we were at mess when one
Of the boys yelled, "She's HIT" and we
all rushed on deck. There was the
British ship, Triumph. torpedoed and
listing away over to starboard. She
was ready to turn over in few min
utes. One battleship is not supposed
to 60 to the assistance Of another one
that has been torpedoed, because the
chances are the sub is still in the
neighborhood laying for the second
ship with another torpedo. But one
Of the British trawlers went to the
assistance Of the Triumph to pick up
the crew.
We could see the crew jumping into
the water. Then we breezed out
toward the horizon, full speed ahead.
All about the Triumph was a cloud Of
black smoke, but when we looked
through the glass we could see she was
going down. Then our guns began to
lombard the Turkish positions and
had to get busy. When I saw the
Triumph again she was bottom up.
She must have floated upside down
for almost half an hour, then she went
down as though there was somebody
on the bottom pulling her.
When she went our Old Man banged
his telephone on the bridge rail and
swore at the Huns and Turks and
broke his telescope lens to bits. About
fifty from the Triumph were lost.
It was decided that the place was
TOO hot for us with that sub running
loose, and when they reported that
n<kopnnon that ohn ,r,oc ,,.o1-su~ S>o-
way south from Gaba Tepe to Cape
Helles all Of the feet but the Majestic
got under way, and the Majestic was
the only ship left of the cape.
They said the Majestic was then the
oldest Of the chips in that campaign,
but she was the pride Of the British
fleet just the same. She was torpedoed
on Cape Helles later on, when there
were number Of men-of-war of the
cape. The sea was crowded with men
swimming and drowning. I saw life
boat crowded with men and other men
IN the water hanging onto her and
there were SO many hanging on that
they started to pull her under. OF
their own accord the men in the water
let 60 to save those in the boat. Most
Of them were drowned.
The Majestic listed SO that the men
could not stand on deck, and the sides
were covered with men hanging on
to ropes and not knowing whether
10 jump into the sea or not. We low
cred all our lifeboats and steam
launches, and so did the other ships.
We picked up number Of the crew
and were pretty close to the Majestic
when she went down like a rock. Al
she went down she turned over and
. garby ran along her side to the ram
at her bow and got on 1t without even
being wet. A boat picked him up OF
the ram. which stuck out Of the water
after the ship had ceased to settle.
She had torpedo nets on her sides.
and many Of the crew were unable to
get clear Of the nets and went down
with her. Quite lot were caught
below decks and had no possible
chance to escape. There was a big
explosion as she went under-probably
the boilers bursting. Thousands Of
troops on shore and thousands Of
sailors on the ships saw the final
plunge, and 1t was sight to remem-
Der. When the ship started to 60, the
Old Man rushed back to his cabin,
got the signal book and destroyed It.
Also, he saved the lives Of two Of his
men. \
We gave dry clothes and brandy and
coffee to the Limeys we rescued, and
though they had just come through
nsstsias pretty tough. they ware