New-York tribune., 1918-07-02
The Great War-1428th Day

the torpedo. The first intimaton of
the presence of submarine was jar
and road of an explosion from aft; ;
then the lights went out.
"All that followed save when dim
light was obtained from all emergency
dynamo just before the ship found
cred, took place in the darkness. The
engines were rung once to stop, then
full speed astern. But from the en-
glne- room came no answer.
Tho rehcarscd routine Of the ship,
however. held good. With the German
enemy one must be prepared for every
emergency like this, and along the
darkencd decks the crew gropcd to the
boat stations and stood by for orders
! to leave her.
Wireless Is Silenced
'From the bridge the captains mega
phone, loud in the night, bade them
hold. The carpenter was aft, making
an examination of the damage
I'm his wireless cabin the Marconi
operator was trying in vain to transmit
the ships position. His key gave no
response. The spark was gone.
The carpenters report was that No.
hold aft was blown in and that the
ship could not remain ahoat. The or
der was given to lower away the boats
on both sides and abandon the ship.
The officer commanding the Ca
madam Army Medical Corps on board
reported that his people were out This
is important in view of the fact that
no boat but the captains has been
picked up.
"Save for any of the ships company or
! been killed by the explosion of the tor
pcdo, 1T Is clear that every one got
away. One of the small boats, called
accident boats, was held back for the
last to leave the ship
but when all the others were away
the captain went to his cabin for an
electric torch, and on returning 10 the
deck found that this also had gcnc
"Ihc submarine hailed the boat in
English. Come alongsidc it ordered.
ne beat was pulling down to pick
up browning man. The second officer
stood up and shouted back: we are
picking up man from the water
Conc alongside, repeated the
nrusquo voice from the submarine The
hoat held on its way, and forthwith the
! two revolver shots were fired at or
over it,
Come alongside. will shoot with
my big gum shouted the submarine
commander. The boat alongside the
submarine and the captain (probably
INC man picked up) WAS ordered on
board. In case he should be made pris-
oncr and kept on board he gave the
second officer. who remained in the
boat. the course to steer. lie was then
taken to the coming tower of the sub
marine. where two officers awaited him.
Captain Questioned on U-Boat
"Ihc commander asked him sharply:
w hat ship is that
''it is the hospital ship Llandovcry
Castle answered the captain.
Ycs,thc commander did not at
tempt to appear surprscd-'But YOU
are carrying eight American flight Off
GERS
"'We are not, replied the captain.
we have seven Canadian medical Off
GERS on board. The ship was chartered
by tho Canadian government to carry
sick and wounded Canadians from Eng
land to Canada
"lo the submarine commanders re-
itcratcd you have been carving
American fight officers he added, L
have been running to Canada for six
months with wounded. [ give you my
word Of honor that VIC have carried
none cxcent patients, medical staff,
crow and Sisters
"rhe commander then demanded if
there were any Canadian medical Of
ficcrs in the boat, and he was told
! there was one. He ordered him to
come aboard.
Where arc our other boats p asked
the captain. The submarine COM
mandcr did not answer. He was watch
ing the Canadian medical officer being
roughly hauled on board and thrust
along the deck. This was done so vo-
lcntly and with such plain intention
10 lniure the Canadian. Major T. Lyon,
of the Canadian Army Medical Corps,
that he actually had d small bone in
his foot broken by the handling he
received.
"Therc was another German officer
in the coming tower, the second in
command. who had not yet spoken In
reply TO the captains question he mo-
toned over his shoulder with his field
glasses, northward.
"Thc following survivors from the
captain boat are the only ones &C
counted for up to the present tcirvcn
of them were picked up from the
ar. A. Sylvester captain, L. Chap
man. second officer: ID. c. Barton.
fourth officer; II. Nj. Evans. rurscr:
Lamp Trimmer Davies. Painter Scott,
O. S. Hunt, able-bodied scamen Muir
ply, Schrocdcr Goodrich. Ward and
Tredgian, Fireman T. McVey, Frcman
Steward Savage Assistant Steward
Abraham Ward, attendant IF the Can
adian Army Medical Corps The boat
also contained the following: Major
F. Lyon, Sergeant Knight AMI Order
lies Taylor, Hickman, Pilot and
F, Cooper.
u-Boat Circles Mrcckage
"Major Lyon was interroga.ed after
protesting as medical officer and
ordered back into the poat. The cap
tain also was allowe / to 20. The boat
was cast off and pulled away from the
submarine.
"Thc submarine began to circle
round the wreckage at full speed.
Several times it shaved the boat mar
rrowly, once swirling past within two
feet of it; once it stopped and again
took the second and fourth officers
aboard and questioned them.
"By this time the submarine COM
mander invented a new excuse. He
stated that there was big explosion
ait as the vessel sank, and that there
fore she must have been carrying am
munltion. The second officer explained
patiently that this was the explosion
Of the boiler and the falling of the
funnel. They were allowed to return
20 the boat, which then made sail and
proceeded.
,"Again FOR a while The submarine
cir led End threatened her by swooping
close to her, then moved off and seemed |
to come to a stop. From this position.
says the captains official statement
she opened fire at an unseen target,
t.r-1,, l.