Connecticut western news., 1918-10-03


 nob's ladders I went over to the port 5tde of the Georgic and then the Ger tnans came over the side and hoisted Mp the kegs. The Germans were Rrmed with bayonets and revolvers. Bome of them went down into the en- kine room and opened the sea cocks. About this time some of the Limeys came up from the poop deck and I Bold them to stay where I was and khat the Germans would take us over 4n lfeboats. Another squad of Ger amans hoisted eight of the dynamite kegs on their shoulders and down into No. hold with them.
 Mean time the Germans saw us up nm the boat deck and came up after ns. And over went the Limeys. But waited and one or two more waited with me. When the Germans came up ko us they had their revolvers out md were waving them around and yelling, "Gott strafe England!" and 4alking about "schweinhunde." Then, he first thing knew, was kicked off Into the sea. I slipped off my trousers and coat and clogs, and, believe me, 1t was not a case of all dressed up and mo place to go!
 Then I swan hard and caught up to fhe Limeys who had jumped first. They were asking each other if they were hownhearted and answering, "Not a Dit of it, me lads," and trying to sing, ~Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag" only they could not do much singing on account of the waves that slipped into their mouths every time they opened them. That was just like Limeys, though. Some of the boys were just climbing Np the Jacobs ladder on the Moewe when the old Georgic let out an awful EOar and up went the deck and the hatches high in the air in splinters. One fellow let go his hold on the lad der and went down and he never came up. The Germans were making for the MoeweT in the lifeboat and we reached 1t just before they did. Up the ladder we went and over the side and the Arst thing we caught sight of was the Herman revolvers in our faces drilling 1ns, all into line.
 The lifeboat brought back the ships
 
 Eoll call. They kept us up on deck In bur wet underwear and it was very leold indeed. Then the first mate and &he old man and one of the German officers called off the names and we Bound we had fifty missing. ,, .a
 The Roche commander had gall enough to say that he was not there 10 kill men but to sink all ships that were, supplying the alliesl He said England was trying to starve Germany, but that they would never succeed and that Germany would starve the allies very soon.
 ] After roll call some of us asked the Germans for clothes, or at least a place to dry ourselves in, but Fritz could not see us for the dust on the Oeean and we just had to stand there and shiver till we shook the deck, al- most Then I went and sat down on hhe pipes that feed the deck winches. They had quite a head of steam in them and was beginning to feel more comfortable when I got a good clout alongside of the head for sitting there and trying to keep warm. It was a
 
 me all the various kinds of schwein- hunde he could think of and he could think of lot.
 Finally they mustered us all on another part of the deck, then drilled us down into the forecastle and read the martial law of Germany to us. At least I guess that is what it was. It might have been the Help Wanted Dog Catchers' column from the Der ain Lokal TaggabbleNfo all most of us knew or cared. It shows what cards the Germans are-reading all those four-to-the-pound words to us shiyer- ing garbies, who did not give dime h dozen whether we heard them or not Eritz is like some other hot sketches he Is funniest when he does not mean to be. Every German is a vaudeville Skit when he acts natural.
 There were hammocks there and we jumped into them to get warm, but the Germans. came down with their re volvers and bayonets and, took the hammocks away and poured water on the. decks and told us to sleep there They could not have done a worse trick than that.
 Then they put locks on the portholes nnditold us that anyone caught iddline with the locks would be shot at once This was because we might sight British or French man=of-war at any time and as the Moewe was sailing un der the British flag and trying to keeI out of trouble they did not want u at the ports signaling our own war ships for help. If they had bucket my of the allied ships and had a figh we would have died down there lik' rats.
 The Moewe had already capture'