The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1918-06-27
CONVICTION BOY IS
SURVIVOR or LINCOLN
II. q. MILLER REACHES HOME on
LEAVE or ABSENCE
Writes Graphic Account Of Torpedo
ing and Sinking Of Transport on
NAV 31-Was an officer on the
President Lincoln.


Langston E. Miller, son Of Mr. ana
MRS. Al. s. Miller, Of this city, VINO
was an officer on the U. 5. trans
mart President Lincoln, recently TOT
pedoed and sunk by German SUP,
marine. was afterward safely rescued
and returned to France. Thence ne
crossed the Atlantic again, reacnlng
New York on June 10. He reached
rovington on a visit to his parents
sunday night, and will remain here
until July 8. By request ne has
wsitten the following account OF
the sinking Of the President Llncolh'
Have been asked by many friends
ia give an account in the Leader Of
fhe loss of our transport, " = D
President Lincoln. e.e4l
We were returning from our IItn
trim across, and were 500 miles OH
INV French coast, when at S:5f am;
Friday, May 81, we were attacked
by this submarine. :, r
We were steaming along with three
other transports in convoy lorna
fion, when one Of our officers who was
ami ~ deck saw the wake of the tor
pedoes, and Instantly knew they were
headed for the Lincoln. he yeileu
Ia the bridge torpedo and TOT tne
helmsman to give her hard right rud-
han Sd as to try and get out Of the
wav Of them. The torpedoes were
then only about rs yards away, ana y
was impossible to get out Of the way
WAS AZ the time below decks,
and when / heard the explosion OF
the torpedoes forward | knew what
had happened and ran to my station
iii others doing likewise. Before
we Mad hardly recovered from the two
tornedoes striking forward another
struck aft and exploded.
Within three minutes from the time
We were torpedoed the ships crew
was at their station, excepting those
who were killed, injured or shut OF
IN he water below deck and couidn
cet ant. When we arrived at our
Stations orders came from our cap
fain M lower life boats, life lines
AMI ladders. After we had COM
Melted this he found out that the
shin would not stay afloat, ana I'M
mnd;atelv gave orders to abandon
INA shin. Each man was then Tor
himself, Some went over like frogs
wan, river bank, and others went
down the lines and ladders int0 tns
water and swan to the lite DoaIS
ana rats we had put over the side
Everyone had sufficient time &c
abandon the ship, as il was ~ min
,,tea from the time the first torpedo
NH until she went down.
III the meantime, the submarine
that fired the torpedo had gone oul
I50O ~ 1000 yards and was sub
merged, awaiting the return q SONS
One Of the three transports 70 gel
the survivors.
Fifteen or twenty minutes aftel
the ship had gone down THIS sun
marine came up and crulsed arouh'
among our boats and RATS, LOOKING
for the captain of our snip or SOM
"a fhe senior officers. After search
ine for some time and beino unable Y
find our captain, as he had disguised
himself. they took our first lieu
tenant prisoner, and also took man!
nictures Is evidence Of getting tn
lincoln. While cruising aroun'
among the life boats, the German
suh CAPTAIN recognized one OF on
officers as an old schoolmate 9
Yale--Mr. Cupid Black, Yale's foot
hall star. When Mr.. Blacks boa
was alongside the sub and the su
captain looked the boat over, ne salc
aShove off, Black, ! don't want YOU
AT another time, the submarln
crnised out about two miles ava
ana picked up one Of our men Wn
had drifted away from us on a raj
ana would have probably been losl
Gave him hot coffee and cognac an
fhen nut him back in a life boat.
This submarine was about 200 fee
lane and about 80 feet wide, had tw
three-inch guns, one forward an
40 aft DC the coming tower. Their
seemed to be crew Of 10 or 70 me
Oh her. 1t was said the number 9
the boat was U-10ll.
After about four hours stay On
submarine cr4iised off for fear OF geei
y finv sunk BY the destroyers, wh
NAH received our wireless and wei
coming To our rescue. After the So
laff We rot the RATS and boats e
gether, and that night burned di'
fress signal lights so they could I'm
ii npon their arrival. At II o'cloe
fhat night one of the two destroyer
Kicked up 400 of the men, that numbt
heinc all she could carry, and wei
KIT Searching for the other destroye
Af2 !. M. the other destroyer pickle
III Inc remaining $50 men, and v
started out for the shores Of Franc
After two nights and q day we reacl
81 France again, and there we wei
- hoard the II. S. s. Great Norther
Is snofher transport, for transportatlC
n the United States.
Ann very sorry indeed to state IN
All 81 our crew Of $50 men we 10
sbree officers and % men, who we
Eilled or injured below decks by 7
explosion. IS. q.
hours.
WSS