El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-07-05
GERMAN BRUTALITY SHOWN IN
SINKING BRITISH HOSPITAL SHIP
Spanish Commander Aboard the Rena Declares Ship
Had Compiled With Every Requirement Of the Ger
man Government, Yet Was Torpedoed Without
Warning; Deeds Of Heroism Witnessed
y I0HN sTOREI

Z Won would have been astOnished at
] finding everything so very much like
: a hospital on Shore row Of neat
beds along the white painted side Of
I another neat row Of beds. and so on.
! electric lights everywhere, radiators,
7 fire eNtinguishers cupbOards, tables
Z and seats; screens and glass topped
l trOlleys with trays Of shining in
I struments. rolls Of dressing, Jars OF
various colored liquids. and all the
medley Of mysterious things used in
I alternating pain, lifts 70 convey the
! helpless TO the upper decks. or. per-
I haps. TO one or the other OF the Op-
I Grating theaters. Everything is spot
I lesslT clean UnderfOot, linoleum
I covers the whole deck, and along each
! gangWay, between the rows OF beds,
runs a strip Of White-scrubbed can
vas to deaden the sound OF footsteps
Strange Lights Appear.
Meanwhile the officer on watch Is
stiu gazing into the bIacHness OF the
night, occasionally raising his BIZ
noculars TO his eyes to verify his
naked vision Later on, having just
turned in his walk to and fro across
the bridge. he catches the glimmer OF
a light away on the port bow some
two or three miles off Looking
through his glasses. he sees a dull
white light, and watches It closely
for a couple OF minutes, trying 10 dis
tinguish further detail.
suddenly another light appears al
most alongside the first one. but it is
a much brighter light. and appears
TO be flashing some signal The Of
ficer can make no sense out OF il. it
is not Signalling; IL is just Ike the
light usually by a pilot boat" A
message sent down to the captain i'm
mediately brings him on TO the
1-Le- Co. r-t. r74,,
"a few comments pass between
them while they watch the light BY
this time the lights were about half
a mile distant, well out on the port
bow. The ship was streaming eight
knots. having reduced 10 that speed
getting into port before the time Of
tide next day. Presently the captain
gave the order 70 port the helm The
ship had turned tour points 70 star
board under her helm. when a loud
explosion occurred abreast the funnel
on the port side which shook the
ship as II some giant hand we're using I
her as dice box.
Amid the crash Of falling debris
and tiukle Of broken glass there !
doomed out five blasts on the ships I
whistle.
This was the prearrauged signal
for all on board to 90 10 their boat 4
station" Orders were passed from
the bridge in quiet tones Close all
Wareftight doors Pass all helpless /
patients into their boats Send OUT
the S. o. s wireless CALL And then: {
Abandon ship For IL was soon seen, I
by those responsible for the hurried 4
Examination as to the extent Of the ]
damage that it would be q miracle I
Il she remained afloaL
-Four Die While Working.
The stokehold, which received the T
full force OF the explosion was filled ]
with water almost instantly. Four !
meu-the only lives lOst-who we're
working there were never seen again. d
The hole caused by the explosion Z
extended to the engine room also
The engineers on watch were i
washed Off their feet One managed i
10 gain a ladder, and escaped without 4
further mishapi the other said after
wards.
II couldn't do anything at first;
there was no interval between the eX-
p1osion and a wall Of fOaming water
which rushed at me. 7 had no time to
act il caught me up and carried me,
splutterinE and gaspiuE, the length OF
the engine room 10 the after bulk
head, where as luck would lave it, /
was thrown against the controlling
rod Of a Watertight door.
strength. and fighting the water
swirlinE about me, which threatened
every moment TO tear me from my
hold I managed to get good grip
lf the rod above the water. Losing
not a moment, I was soon climbing up
IT, through the dense fog Of steam
which now filled the place. and gained
The upper gallery, a platform at the
top Of the engine room More than