Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-03-19
LETTER FROM
RAY ]. REISER
Mr.. Reiser Witnessed the Tuscania
Disaster and Gives Vivid Des-
criptiOn of the Hl-Fated Ship in
the Following Letter.

I Ihe many TRENDS OF Ray j. RelSeT
will be glad to know that he has re-
Gently returned from another success
full trip across the Atlantic, but one
filled with many exciting experiences
! "U. S. S. Kanawha.
Office of the Executive Officer.
March s, 1918.
Enroute Halifax Nova Scotia to
Port Arthur, Texas.
Passing Miami, Florida.
AS the ship that l am serving on
has just returned from another round
trip to the other side with out any
mishap l will take the liberty of writ
ing you a few lines today as I
promised to do while visiting my
grandparents in Wausau.
| / said that we returned without
any mishap but must state that it
certainly is a miracle that l am able
to write you at this time. The course
we took was perilous one and were
forced to pass through some very
dangerous places as you will see later.
We sailed from New York, Janu-
ary %, for Halifax to await convoy
or escort there. We sailed from
that port on January 9th in
company, with several British and two
Russian ships, there were twelve
ships all told. We were the only ones
flying the American flag. We were
conveyed by British cruiser, which
acted as flag ship for our fleet. Among
the ships that sailed from Halifax
were the ill-fated "Tuscania," Baltic
two ammunition ships, two Russian
troop ships and five other supply
ships. Our trip was uneventful out
side of great deal of rough weather
and heavy seas until the night of
February 5th, we had reached the
northern coast of Ireland and were
passing through the channel.
The Tuscania, a large twin screw
and turbine propelled steamer carry
ing American troops was just ahead
of us zig-zagging back and forth.
About GAS we felt rumble and jar
and at GAS we received a S. Q. S.
from the Tuscania and a message
stating that she had been hit with a
| torpedo. | was down below at the
time but as soon as we received the
message general quarters was sound
ed and we all rushed to our stations
that we are supposed TO take when
in battle. When l arrived UP on the
poop deck the Tuscania was along
side Of us about a hundred yards off
and she had her decks all agloW
with lights. We could see men jump
ing overheard and see others lowering
the life boats and sliding down the
ropes into them. We were making full
speed ahead and could not stop as
we were liable to be struck by another
| ~ nil
| began to send red rockets into the
air which meant a submarine on her
port side, and short time later she
sent up four white rockets which
meant to send assistance that they
were sinking fast. The day before
we were met by seven British torpedo
| boats, who were with us at the time
and they Immediately went to rescue
the survivors. 1t was a shock to
our crew as we knew that she car
ried our own troops as we could plainly
see them through glasses and the
| ship was just ahead of us and close
| by all through the trip. Forty min
utes after we had received the first
message we received another stating
that nearly all had been taken off and
| that she was then about to submerge.
| We kept our course and about Is min
utes after we received this last mes
sage a dark object came spinning
through the water and looked to us as
| if it were a coming tower of sub.
We had orders to fire at any object
that did not show a light so we let
| her have it twice. 1t was only about
two hundred yards astern of us. Both
| shots found their mark as we could
see the shells explode when they hit.
The following morning a submarine
was found on the beach short dis
tance from the place, where we fired
at, with two shell holes in her coming
| tower; the crew had beached it and
deserted it, but were captured later
on the mainland. If they remained
on top of the water they would have
been captured and as they could not
submerge on account of the coming
tower torn open they beached her
and left The Kanawha has been Civ
en- the credit for disabling her which
makes two to this ships credit. She
has been christened "The Fighting
Kanawha" by the crew. This channel
was a regular nest for submarines
and a very good place for them to
operate The channel is narrow and
light houses. with bright lights that
are almost like a large flash light,
are in great numbers along this coast
and when they send out ray of light
over the water it shows ship up very
plain five miles off. A sub can lay
off 1000 yards with only her periscope
out and when ship passes if she is
lying in the ray it will cut off the light
and when this happens they are able
to fire a torpedo and make hit
nearly every time. We could see a
light about five miles off in the dis
tance from where the Tuscania was
torpedoed and as the sea was calm
we knew they would not have much
trouble in launching their boats.
There was no sleep for the crew that
night and we remained at our sta
tions all night with a life belt around
US in case of an emergency and we were
ready to make for the boats. At two
a. M, the other ships in the convoy
left us and we proceeded on our
course alone. We were bound for
Lamlash Scotland, which lies on the
Island of Arran a short distance from
GLASGOW, while the other ships made
for that port. We arrived at our des-
tination at s a. m, and entered the
harbor.
Lamlash is very pretty spot and
| is situated at the foot of some noun
tains. 1t seemed to be a queer little
iplace with its many huts built closely
. together and two churches with its
spires towering out over the huts.
These huts are built of a material
like stucco and of many different
colorS. Up on the mountain sides
there are many small cottages and
large fields which were under culti-
vation at this time. AS one admires
the beautiful scenery it brings to his
memory the many descriptions that
he has read in the works of Scott
, especially in his Lady of the Lake
We soon learned that we had been