Middletown transcript., 1918-01-26
|T0RPEDDED-csHIP
HAS LIVELY Times
The Armenia Arrives With Hole
in Her Side.
A THRILLING EXPERIENCE
Graphic Description OF the Encounter
Given BY the Commander OF
the Armed Guard-Piucky
Men Commended.

down IN ner SIDE Dy one TORPEDO, Win
her crews at their guns and ordered to
watch for another torpedo. and with
flour in her hold forming a sort of bulk
head, the steamship Armenia. In mid.
night attack, made her way to a point
Of safety and saved all her men and the
greater part Of her cargo.
Exciting incidents Of the attack were
made public by Secretary Of the Navy
Daniels, taken from the report Of the
commander Of the vessel. Chief Boat
SWANS Mate Stief Hamiaw, U. S. N, in
charge of the crew, is commended by
the Secretary for maintained discipline
and devotion to duty.
The Armenia, under convoy, was pro-
ceeding through the war zone, when,
at midnight, the wirelesse brought news
of the torpedoing Of another vessel in
the zone. The commander Of the gun
crew ordered his men to keep a sharp
lookout, to avoid the use Of speaking
tubes and call to the bridge if sub
marine were sighted.
with my binoculars" the COM
mander of the guard reports, Il picked
up light on the port beam. I sang
out to the mate but got no answer. 1
/ called a second time. Just as the words
came from my mouth I saw a large
stream OF water and rubbish shoot into
| the air, about $50 feet; a shot came
forward. I imagined I saw one Of our
gun platforms go up into the air and
l get to thinking Of the three men on
watch who must have been blown into
the air with it. The first words I got
out of my mouth were My God; she is
hit!'
"The captain of the ship came out
| of the chart house just at this time and
l made rush for the alarm bell, after
telling the mate to shut down the
engines All the gun crews were told
to stick to their guns and look for a
second torpedo and not to wait for or
ders to fire if anything came in sight.
| Running down the port ladder l met
| one Of the officers of the ship who ex-
claimed Why does not some one stop
the engineer
1T was my intention then to go
down into the engine room myself
when ] noticed spot lights blinking
! about the decks and scramble for
| the boats. Only a few were excited, in
| to keep the spotlights off or we would
| get a seconl torpedo, and I also told
them not to mind the boats but save
| the ship
"Abort this time the engine room
! force started back below. Then the
cartain sang out: IF there is no water
in the engine rccn we can beach the
! shin
| "This assured re that everything
! "'"S - riolt "~f' 7 vent to the bridge
I to get my pistol and papers. The cap
tain followed 1ne and he telegra phed
full si,eed ahead, adding that it was his
belief that we could beach the ship
Seeing the CAPTAIN had on his life pre-
server I threw off my raincoat and
| arctics and went to my re ON and got
! M life preserver
Coming back to the bridge we saw
that the men from some Of the lookout
posts were getting ready the boats ant
that the armed guards were standing
BY their guns. They were furnished
With lights fer the boats and lot Of
heavy G. Ting vas thrown in. Order:
we're given to lever The boats and alst
II cast eff the life RATS.
"Afto~ Eine IN insrectinn Of tn.
dcraee went tc the contain and agai,
t-'.' W. tl,at ! thought we could
make it. il there was no eeconi tor
rado. tn N0nts BY this time had On
~'N rom ti,e -" Seeing that we Wer
r~derwar m officer il the bat yale.
tn us to throw Tim q line 50 that h
coTI7d cor7o back On board with tn
men il the bret. but there was no tim
r. Nton \ DESTROYER came alongsid
and ric7;ed ND the men, letting tn
h 'ntc . e6rift
ga collision mat, with weights an,
c"rvss. had be"' r'aced over the to,
~of"od hole. Flour in the hold ha'
Termed skin. that kept he water fror
! ~ '-.~ eo~wa~F 'thn"r,l It had hoode,
the iccbox and storerooms. The e2
niosion h"6 knocked down three 9
~ 'oc's~''+@ on the gun platform. TIL
r-asthead lookouts slid down the bach
ft7vs so fast I thought they ha
jumped from the crows nest"