The sun., 1918-10-20

meal eaten in front Of an open fire ] was
glad enough TO be there.
For the millionaire's cabin boosted a big
fireplace; a magnificent affair, richly
carved and surmounted by mahogany mar
maids posed in wild struggle for posses
sion of silver ships clock, trove, no
doubt, from a deep sea wreck. Good to-
baeco and an open fre-there is nothing
in all the world so stimulative of story,
and while the mcrmaids' dock spaced off
the long warm hours there unrolled in the
course of the conversation almost com
plete history of the Tin Fleet.
The steward who served our coffee had
been signed on from a castaway crew
picked up at sea after being topedoed
twice on different ships in twenty-four
hours, an experience capped by the un-
usual incident Of going aboard q Ger
man submarine.
"Tho old Exford had been sailing
through wreekage for couple Of days.
he said, telling about 1t. 1--WE passed
boxes, barrels, bales, dead cattle and
horses; once a drowned woman tied to the
top of floating trunk. So We were not
surprised when a torpedo came leaping
out of the sea.
Took Snapshots of Victims.
"Thc explosion killed one man. Six
others were drowned by capsizing boats.
The submarine came to the surface and
took snapshots Of all the men in our boat;
then after telling US it would go hard
with us if we were ever caught at sea
again he carried off the captain and two
gunners as prisoners.
"A few hours later we were picked up
by the Trelessick, but she was torpedoed
next day. The raft on which I'd got away
was so heavily overloaded that four of US
were in the water just hanging on. 1t
was very cold and was just beginning to
wonder how much longer l could hang
on when the U-boat came alongside and
picked the four of US up. After taking
US below for drink of eognac the com
mander put US in the captains boat.
"The Trelessick was still ahOat. 1t had
been the captains home for nineteen years
and with tears streaming down his checks
he begged the German to let US go back
on board. 4 can still get her into port
he pleaded, but though this commander was
a decent sort, not bit like the other, lc
shook his head.
"I'm sorry for you personally he
said. But this is war. She'll have to
sink Going back to her he plugged the
shells into her water line till she went
below"
Recalled Fate of the Aleedo.
His story produced many "reminiscences
Of the passing of fine ships and brave
men; Of the desperate sea duels in which
no quarter is given or asked; of castaways,
men and women, machine gunned till their
boats became 4 shambles; Of 20" boats
and up" boats and their daredevil crews;
of things terrible, wonderful, often clothed
with the beauty Of heroism and self-sac-
rifce, the wonderful crop Of stories one
hears of all the fleets. Lastly of the sink
ing of the yacht Aleedo-for the Tin
Fleet has had its casualties-told by q
survivor.
1t happened at 2 in the morning when
a brilliant moon, always an ally OF the
Boche, suddenly revealed the silver burst
ing Of torpedo out of the shining black
sea. At two hundred yards it swerved
and those who saw it coming held their
breath in the hope that it might pass
ahead. But it rectifed its course and with q
burst Of fire struck into the forward quar-
tiers where half hundred men lay asleep.
Imagine yourself suddenly awakened in
utter darkness to the groans Of wounded
and dying men. Nothing could b. more