Norwich bulletin., 1918-06-05

Lewes, Del, June 4.-Nineteen sur vivors, passengers and crew, of the submarined steamship Carolina were landed here today and brought a har- rowing tale of the sea, the news Of the loss of sixteen of their number. and remarkable rescue of a girl while they drifted helplessly on the ocean during a severe thunder storm Sunday night. Ten boats left the Carolina before she was sunk by the German sub U51. All passed through the same storm and the survivors here said they had l 1 felt sure all were lost. They express ed great joy when informed most of , the Carolina's company had been saved. .-,-f4 '.s~.~
 Nineteen Persons Landed.
 | The nineteen persons landed here 1 were brought in by a British vessel ! I that picked them tip more than twen- i 1 ty-fve miles off the Delaware capes. ! | They were taken in charge by the | 1 station near Cape Heniopen. In the 1 : meantime, no one was permitted to see them, but they made full state 1 i ments to naval officers. None of them | had any knowledge that the submarine had shalled the lifeboats. The story of ] the survivors did not become public i until they were taken to the railroad I station late today and left for New York One of their number however, was detained He is a. German mem | Der of the crew and will be held pend
 ing an investigation. I L., Warned Sunday Afternoon.
 According to the survivors the Car
 olina was warned late Sunday after
 noon by wireless to look out for sub
 marines. The steamer was advised that three -masted schooner had just.
 been sunk and was cautioned not to I show lights. At s o'clock Sunday evening submarine appeared above 1.-the surface close to the Carolina. She
 said, and later was Identified as the Submarine sisnaIIed.
 i 'rThe submarine signalled something which our captain could not make
 out" said one of the survivors. and then the U-boat raised the German flag. We were ordered to heave to l and the captain, fearing that the sub | would shell the boat if not obeyed
 signalled the engineer to reverse the
 engines and stop.
 j Armed Guard Game Alongside. 4 "A German officer with an arn- d
 guard came alongside and gave orders
 t oour captain to lower all boats and
 leave the ship in twenty minutes. Of course, it would be uselessto say none of us was frightened, for where there $ are more than 900 persons on a ship ! about to be sunk there must be some timid ones. Good order was maintain n ed however. The sea was smooth and = there appeared to be few elements of danger. Nobody thought of storm
 and the German officers appeared to
 show consideration to the passengers AI. -An aa,- Ten boats were lowered and everybody g got in. There was little or no con-
 fusion. All the time the submarine lay as close as possible, members of her crew standing on her deck watch d ing us or busying themselves about e the boat After all the Efeboats had
 swung away from the Carolina, the German officers aboard the abandoned | steamer hailed one of the. lifeboats and d ordered her to return. This frighten- $ ed many in the other lifeboats, but
 after time we found out the reason for the Germans action Tn going q through the steamer he found a fire It man who had been left behind and he d had ordered the lifeboat to return for
 him. g'
 sheIIed Her Seven Times. IT When this last boat was clear of Y. the ship again. the Germans left the 7 Carolina and in a few minutes the submarine shelled her seven times
 Then she brust into flames. Whether IT the Germans set her afre or whether - the shelling caused the fire to break " out, do not know.
 Many Overcome by Fear.
 "It was beautiful Sunday evening n as we drifted The sun began to sci Le as the Carolina slowly went down. As Ie it grew dark a feeling of fear over l. came many of us, but we hoped for the
 best The sea still was smooth and
 there was no danger apparently. We at strained our eyes to see a light, but IS there was none. All the boats kep n as close together as. possible, every in body that was able taking turn al
 the oars.
 Storm Breaks.
 l. After we had drifted some time Id there were faint flashes of lightning ir IS the horizon and later. when the puff! . wind began to strengthen we instinc
 lively knew there was trouble ahead
 A storm kicked up a nasty sea. Thi ,e boats pi.Shed and soon became sep oI arated and we, who were in a moto II launch, seemed to be alone. Finally ou s- boat capsized and the s occupant T were thrown into the sea. She wa
 righted and capsized again while w
 
 IS times. The storm passed and the SC; in began to calm IL was pitch dark. n .e Launch Full of Water.
 Finally we kept the launch riahtet :. but she was full of water. We clunI !, to her and bailed out the water wit 7I our hands. Some could not stand tn q strain, became exhausted let go thei 'u hold and sank. It was terrible w
 bailed out enough water to let one o
 us in. Then he bailed furiously an 1t enough water was scooped out to per s. init a second to get into teh 1auncf Of We kept on bailing until, the .lannc, ne was able to bear the weight of a thir
 and a fourth. We, kept this LID all tn
 night until finally all who clung t to the sidesof the boat were able to ge ts in. When the last was helped over tn ld side we found there were but 19 Of ou CT Sixteen had gone"
 de With the coming of daylight tn
 hopes of the suryivors rose with th