Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-05-02
Tells Of Tuscania Tragedy

Mr.. and Mrs. Frank HerfOrt have
received the following letter from
their son, Corporal Randall Herfort,
Somewhere in France" dated March
81, 1918:
Dear Father:
Just received your two letters, No.
4 and 5, which is the first mail re-
ceived. since leaving Waco, Tex, on
January 10, and you can rest assured
it is the most welcome and precious
mail have ever had the pleasure Of
getting. In your letter No. you ask
me- if possible, to give you detailed
statement of my experience on the
Tuscania during the time it was tor
pedoed and sunk, which [ will relate
Just as near as | can recollect, as 1t
befell me personally. Just after dark
on February 5, we were sailing along
on the north coast of Ireland on not
very rough sea. Everything, appar-
emily, was going along smoothly on
our boat. I had just eaten supper
and went below to my bunk.
1t was about 5:45 p. m, and pitch
dark over the water. | was sitting on
the edge of my bunk preparatory to
going back on deck George Gilmore,
nv bunkee, was getting ready to
shave, and had his face fully lathered.
Just at that moment we were joking
about living in France, when sudden
ly there was a thunderOus explosion,
which seemed as though the boat was
being torn to pieces and threw me OF
the bunk. All the lights went out 81
multaneOusly to the explosion which
was certainly anything but pleasant
sensation. Several times previous
we had scares caused by big waves
bS4ting our ship. We all knew that
we were in the subzone, therefore any
of these sudden jars were somewhat
Anticipated. The ship would seem to
nearly stop, but at this terrific eXplO-
sion we were not mistaken this time,
as Immediately after the explosion
the ship listed to the starboard. or the
right side, with a terrible jerking, as
an automobile engine sometimes
does.
IN TOTAL DARKNESS
Being in total darkness. naturally,
every one was for himself and | no
execution. | reached for my life belt
and also my overcoat at the same
time. I put on the belt, but could not
see what the rest were doing, but
heard a rush of men for the stairway.
During this period there was a rush
of water into the hull of our boat
which sounded much like the water
running over the mill dam at Baraboo
AT high water time I started for the
stairway adjusting my life belt as L
went along and found that the stairs
were packed with boys trying to es-
cape. 1t was a very tight squeeze
for everybody was running for thelr
lives. although they were all orderly
and no fighting, but were jammed
together very tight and | was In the
jam.
I herewith enclose a photograph
of the Tuscania and have marked A,
r. G.. D. and E the different locations
where I was in the boat during the
time of leaving it. My bunk was IN
r deck, which I have labeled G. on
the picture card; my life boat stat
ion was on A deck, marked A. [ was
scheduled for life boat GA, marked d.
Well, after what seemed to be 10 or
20 minutes I at last reached my stat
ion where most of my company had
already assembled and as far as
know and saw, which was very little
in the dark up to this time, the dis
cipline was fine, considering the con
dition of the boat which was listing
heavily and in the total darkness of
the water.
NO LIGHTS ANYWHERE
We knew that there must be some
of the destroyers, which would come
to our rescue, but being in the u
boat zzone no outside lights are per
mitted; we could see no lights nor
boats nowhere.
Finally our life boat was gotten
over the side and was being lowered
it contained only the crew to man
the boat and orders were immediae
1y given that no man was to enter a
boat until it hit the water
I was on the third deck from the
water and about 25 to 80 feet from the
water. Just at this time the lights
were again turned on by our auxiliary
lighting plant. 1 was going over the
side of the boat sliding down a rope
to lower myself into the boat anC
when I got down to deck B marked
E, I saw it was already deserted anc
IooI-;oo doxr, or +bo Iifo hOat 7 saw