Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1918-06-05
U-BOAT VICTIMS
TALE OF HORROR
Thirteen Survivors of Carolina
Tell Story on Way to
New York.

Thirteen survivors Of the steamship
Carolina. sunk by German U-boat while
100 miles off the Delaware breakwater on
Sunday night passed through this city
early last evening cnroute from LeWes
to New York.
Tho party, consisting Of eleven men
and two women recalled with horror the
narrowing experiences they had passed
through
The attack 10y tho Hun and their fight
from the ship was bad enough, but later,
when a storrn arose and one lifebont WIS
overturned and they were every minute
IN peril Of being drowned, their plight
became almost hopeless
The survivors related tale that haa
aeldon been equnlled ia the history oi
the Atlantic coast They claimed that
twenty. if not more lives had been lost
from the Carolina Miss Edith Donate
I,lroia. aged eighteen years, 81 Porto
Rico. who was IA passenger on the vessel
was thrown INTO the watoTR OF the Atlantic
during the electrical storm that ragged
on Sunday night. aud managed 70 re-
man anoat bv swimming for hours until
aho finally grabbed what ahe thought
WINS wreekage. only To find hat they were
the bodice II two men who had been
drowned
With either ono If the dead bodies
under her arm she managed to keep
Afloat until the next morning, when help
arrived This was when the llfeboat IN
charge ri 6,eorge Howard the steward
If the III fated vessel. whose home ls a.
rs Forty firat street, New York City.
happened along and Richard Lawrence,
coal passor who was IN the llfeboat pulled
her IN 10 the boat that was burdened
down with eighteen other human beings
The members of the party MISC re-
lated that after reaching lewee, where
they were quartered IN the naval statiuu
there. two men one a member 81 the
crew. the other q passenger were dctain-
Ell by the government officials there both
betnR aheu enemies
They also stated That a number II
the ercw 81 the Inflated vessel were
Germans and that soTno time ago the
chef steward of the vessel was removed
~ Frcnch-man-of-war and sent -
Martinique This man was not aboard
the vessel on this trim, however
FLOATING BODIES SEEN
Those Who arrived 1t Lewcs were
unable lust night to furnish any names
III those drowned, but every one Of the
party claimed to have socn bodies while
thcy were rowing towards land Among
them. they stated vas that Of the stew
arders and the Porto Rico girl, VITO had
teen thrown ont IF the Iifeboat which put
of from the Carolina IN tow u the boat
IL charge of Howard, shortly after
clock Sunday night
Howard, who spoke the most per-
feet English Of any IN the party, stated
that he VAS tWentY-one years OF age
a resident Of New York and had been
aboard the vessel for one month. lie
rad charge Of the party and acted AZ
spokeslnAn w hen asked To relate his
experience he said
Ton SUNDAY evening Just about
clock when all hands We're at dinner
we were startled ~ hearing the report Of a
GIN. This was at once followed ny an
other as We rushed on deck. About nus
time We sighted the submarine, which was
at least $50 feet in length. As the vessel
drew 10 alongside us, the imperial tag
WAS raised and we were ordered TO take
10 tho small boats within ten minutes
Tie behavior OF the crew was all
that could he desired, he added, tins OF
biscuits and water beng placed IN each OF
the life boats and IN the motorboat.
When al hands had taken TO the boats
and We had started away the commander
| OF the J-boat then gave the command
and seven shots were tired N quick sue
| eessl0n INTO the Carolina, winch soon
/ started 10 Inst to the port side As We
| roWed away. the vessel burst into flames
and soon nothing remained 10 be seen
but 4 pillar Of BLACK smoke
Before We had pulled away how
ever aud while We were checking up the
crew ana passengers. Captain Barbour
discovered that one OF the hremen had
T been lett on board the vessel. He at
once ordered one oJ the boats toreturn Tor
this man and be was saved.
ELECTRIC STORM ARISES.
shortly after we pulled away from
the burning vessel, We picked up one
life boat containing eighteen persons,
members OF the crew aud passengers,
/ and We decided - make q hue fast and
/ IL tow them This We did FOR several
hours when the electrical storm arose
and with the high winds and choppy
sen It vas impossible to keep n touch
/ with one another.
Just as We parted the haWscr a huge
wave overturned the other lie boat, and
While we managed 10 grab one or two u
those thrown into the sea- the majority
were drowned When We pulled away
from the Carolina the two boats III my