The Arvada enterprise., 1918-10-24
Germans Fail in Raid on Great
est United States
Transport.
CARRIES 10000 SOLDIERS
Eye Witness Gives Thrilling Account
q Trip Across AtlantIe-Hioh
Praise Tor Work Of American
Navy-Msn on Transport
Behave epiendidlJ In
Time Of Danger.

count OF an attack by three. submarine,
on the United States transport lie
viathan and the destruction Of two Of
the U-boats by United States destroy
err. IL contained In a letter from Capt
Charles A. Harmon Of this city to hii
son. Sergt. Carl A. Harmon. at Camp
Custer. The LevinthaE. formerly the
German Vateriantl. is the largest vessel
aflOat and was seized by the United
States when this country entered the
war.
Captain Harmon Ii In the motor me-
chanics division Of tho aviation corps
now safely In France. while his son
pany.
The Leviathan carried 10000 soldiers
on that particular trip and every pre-
caution OF camoufiagc and zigzag nav.
igatiOn was employed to protect II
from the submar ines. since the Ger.
man government Is said to have offered
fortune and great honOrs to the CON-
inander md crew Of the U.bOat that
succeeds In sinking It.
All Obey Orders.
Most Of the men aboard were raw
recruits" says Captain Harmon. "but
when the emergency came the constant
drill and training told and not a man
tlisobeyeti orders. Twenty hours from
our destination. Mt daybreak. we picked
up the destroyers In q bowling gale.
They cnme swOoplng at Us out Of u
rain squali like flying ash. Boyl They
looked good. They are little. long. in
trepid devils oil engine and wicked
nesA We were tearing along at high
speed. trusting to luck not to hit my.
thing. but those little devils curved
and circied and xiGxagged around US AZ
II we were at anchor.
"Even with our thousand feet Of
length we could hartily keep our feet
m deck. but they. with their 200 feet
or less. were simply doing the impOs-
sIb'c. Seas too high TO ride they dlved
through. actually disappearing ut times.
And when. In their circles, they fell
lat" the trough. they took a list that
would make your heart stop.
They carry two spars about 30 feet
high. On top Of each Ii crows nest.
with man In each watching for peri.
scopes. The gunners are dashed to
their guns. They must be amphibIous.
The ride those crow's-nest birds took
that day would curl your hair.
Taking No Chances.
"All day long II h0wled and ralned
and hisw. nd most oe tho following
nigAt. ~ n was 10 rough for U.
bsats. Mt we were stitching over The
bones Of the Lusitunla and hundreds Of
other good ships aud the dsstr0yers
were taking no chances.
ANY time the UAited States navy II
mentioned you just get onto your legs
and salute on general principles.
Whea yos cross you will understand
why. They are there. those lads.
II went on duty In n troop section
bssow the water line that evening at
ave and was on duty for ~ hours sta.
toned On q stairway whese I could
pick on the Grit bird that batted a.
eye. About midnight the sea went
down. Then We did expect trouble any
mlnuts. II was . tough. long night.
We knew that II 4 torpedo ever hit In
that section We hadn't q chance In the
world. Al i've In the morning I was re-
Iieved and went up topslie. to the for.
ward upper deck. II was Just break.
Ing daylight. clear. no wind. sen ~
smooth a. glass. Six more destroyers
had Joined Us soms time during the
light and they were coursing like
,anthers. near and far. In great.
'wooplng curves all around u.
Finally They Cams.
I'VE were roaring along In sharp
siEsaEs. the ship trembling like =
nervous dog. With the best speed In
her. thought to myself. US I took Il
ali In:
"WAi. fills In the time md the
place. Now where In r. are those
doggoncd Iiunsf
As II In answer 10 my question the
nearest destroyer turned on her tail
and shot straight Mt our cutXvntcr rs n
TO head something on. ut the snme
time firing rapidly nj something the
other side Of her and close by. In.
stantiy the others pointed In toward
10 and came dnrtinI In like diving
sharks.
THE nearest destroyer was not more
thnn 10 yards distant. Next Il swung
uround In n smother Of white water.
and In an instant ! raw the black stern
II n submarine Ms Il urendci In q
dive ~ close to the destroyer that they
sctuaily bumped. Then the destroyer
eMt hack Of the sub only q few feet
endcf the surface.
U.0eat OiewW 70 Atoms.
''Thase was terrific explosion: II
Dheek our ship NJ II Il hnd been struck.
that sab just WAS naturally blown to
atsoa. u almost cut the destroyer In
swo. seasly blew the srru Of her OF.
~ that y just . Part Of the Sob for
tAsso beyA. Their buslness 10 to set
$500 What happeas 10 them u sn.
OtAo9 0attse eaelrsly.