El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-08-03

still in his paiamas. but he vas there
with his orders and gave them win
such calmness and such freedom from
excitement that every boat anu RAJ
and lumber pile as hastily construct
ed life RATS are called. was low ereq
in order and each carried its Iull
quota OF men away from the danger
OF being drawn into the maelstroIn
which would be caused by the sue
ton Of the sinking ship when the
latter did take its final plunge.
saves His Liberty Blues.7
Many Of those who were forced
TO take TO the boats and rarts naQ
10 do IL In scanty clothing cArIleu
the emergency ditty bag which mum
Der Of US. who had been in the D-bOat
zone. decided we would attempt 10
take with US If we ever were called
upon to take TO the boats In u j
! had my liberty blues (shore clothesl J.,
my camera and my diary also haq
my pea jacket or OyercOat, when l
took my station. but when ordered to
Z take 20 the boats I laid the coat on
the deck while handled a set OF falls
and II was either washed away or
was kicked overheard while the men
were taking their places in the boat
3 When I saw how some OF the men who
were awakened last shivered in their
wet thin underwear I thought OF Civ
/ ing up my bundle but. while / as
} thinking about Il and wondering who
0 4 aMWulM ElAE II TO- We were AAaA4AEA ng
I the tanker which had run into US and
which. though badly damaged herself
could remain afloat We were taken
/ on board and made comfortable,
though we we're crowded.
Fruit Boat Answers s. q. :.
Before all our boats and RATS
could be gathered together and their
OCCUPANTS transferred to the tanker
+ the Saramacca- a fruit boat which had
heard our s O. s. came up and we
were all transferred to her and
] brought to New York. The officers
and crew as Wen as the passengers
were generous in the matter OF Civ
D ing food and shelter TO all OF US and
clothing to those who had been COM
PEELED 10 leave their all on the sink
OIL stills the Waves.
Luckily for US there was but a
very light sea running when the ac-
cideut occurred and this enabled us
Z to lower our boats and RATS without
mishap What little sea there was
was kept at an absolute minimum by
the great quantities OF crude oil the
/ tanker was compelled to pump out OF
Z her forward hold in order to Tighten
I her and keep her damaged bow out
OF water. You can imagine that, how
ever welcome that oil was as uuteter
I Of the sea. II was not what one would
[ pick out as something to swim in and
we were sights when we finally got
on board the SaramacCa and until We
got a chance to wash away some OF
[ the crude oil which stuck to our skins
and our clothing and particularly 10
our hair.
Took Pictures Of WreckaGe.
when we went on board the
tanker, before we were transferred
TO the fruit boa 7 found that my
camera came through the trouble in
--ood condition and. with permission.
! I got several snap shots Of the Schurz
with Just her masts and tunnels
D showing. After we reached the Sara
lmacca got some shots at the Florida.
4 the Texas tanker. which caused all
the trouble
Sensational Stories Printed.
7 was surprised by some OF the
stories printed in the New York pa
! pers OF the affair as told the renort-
ers by the passengers Of the sara
I macca- They were alleged to have
said tnat the captain OF the Sara
macca was attracted to the scene by
the cries Of the crew Of the Schurz
for help. The reports published were
filled with silly stories without foun-
dation. but that we cried for help eX-
cept TO send out the usual wireless
I s. o. s was the silliest.
Men Sang ~ They Worked.
'The men and the Officers. Of
course. were as cool as they would be
[ on parade. When the order to aban-
don shin was given the men at the
boats and RATS began to sing the
---r-~7 '~Nantevs' sung by sailorme1
I the world over when doing that kim
/ Of work and which are sung not Sc