The Delta independent., 1918-06-14

to his old Lexington friends yester
day careful not to divulge exact ports
where the ship stopped to take on
coal, or anything else which, because
the ships sinking is so recent. might
be violation of the censorship rules.
1T was midnight on May 1. Just as
the moon came up across the far sea,
the general alarm sounded. A gun
ner's mate rushed past my room,
screaming as he ran, that warning we
had been fearfully waiting. "Torpe-
dces," he cried.
Il got up and jerked on my light
jacket and ran to the gun. The gun
crew was there half dressed. l had
only one sock on. Some had practi-
cally no clothes on at all.
The torpedo struck the bow. a
glancing blow and did not explode
After that / kept the gun crew at
the station until half past l o'clock
nothing more happened and one by
one we went back to bed.
1T was at 2;3O o'clock in the morn
ing when the next alarm sounded.
The forward gun crew was shouting
out the torpedo warning. The first
torpedoe missed the bow of our boat
and struck British steamer, Franklin
which was near to us. 1t began sink
ing and finally went to rest beneath
the waves.
Five minutes later my gun crew
saw the fatal torpedo coming. They
screamed to tell the others and at
the same time the cry rang out. the
speeding shell struck its mark The
gunners mate who gave the first
warning never knew what hit him.
I'VE were carrying ballast on the
ship. 1000 tons of it. When the tor
pedo struck the ship. balast-rocks
and concrete flew higher than the
mast Most of 1t fell on the gun plat
forms. Two of the men were struck
dead by falling stone.
Thirty seconds after this the sec
ond torpedo hit. The torpedo crashed
clear inside the engine roome before it
exploded. killing the men inside AS
soon as the wreckage stopped falling
those men left manned the guns and
kept them loaded all the time We
could not see the submarine. but fired
shot at the end of the torpedoes
weight in the water.
The water rushed over the deck
The gunners platform was raised. and
the water did not cover it, but stood
knee deep on the deck as the ship
was sinking. We were still at our
gun. We tried to load again. but flying
missiles struck the gun.
Orders were given to run for our
lives. 1t was every man for himself.
None could get to the oats to which
they were detailed.
THE officer in charge, a big Swede.
shouted 'Yump.
HE didn't have to say 1t a second
time. We 'yumped' into the sea. know
ing we were many miles from shore.
but hopeful of rescuers.
y. Sampson. one OF the men. ran
to the flagstaff and hoisted the colors
as the water closed over his head. He
gave his life in the act. zut the Tyler
went down with colors flying.
Swimming through the waves.
those of us who had stuck to the gun
looked about us. The captains boat
was crowded with 25 men. but an
other boat was near and only one
man was in 1t. He was an old fellow
65 years or more. He had seen dan
ger before and was the calmest OF
the crew.
Come on oys. I'll take you in"
he shouted. And then as we splashed
toward him he yelled again:
This is the lfe!'
Some OF us caught on the life
RATS and flOated until we were picked
up by the life boat. We picked up one
man of my gun crew unconscious In
the water and gave him first aid on
the life boat, saving him from death.
"A British yacht and trawler we're
on the sea and they we're our hope Of
rescue. In the excitement the yacht
trawler just missing the life boat and
then struck through the swimming
men who were screaming and shouting |
to the captain to turn to the side.
"1f live thousand years the crys
OF these men will still be ringing in
my ears. the captain said aftarward. !
Shortly after we were safe in the |
life-saving vessels. the British war
ship which was first struck. but which |
took long time in sinking. sank en-
tirely beneath the surface OF the wat. |
ers. As the boiler reached the water !
It blew up, throwing the splinters OF
the ship in every direction. Forr hours
afterward the surface OF the water w:s |
searched in the hunt for the bodies.
"On the yacht which picked US up
there was nothing to eat but old NJ d.
tack. II was full OF worms. and