Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-06-05
Narrowing Tale of Sea Told by
Steamers Survivors; Girl
CIinging to Two Drowned
Men Rescued.
SEA CALM AS BOAT SINKS
Lashed to Fury by Gale and
Occupants Of Motor Boat
Often Thrown Out.
(By Associated Press.)

Lewes, Del, June 4,-Nlneteen sur
vivors, passengers and crew of the
steamship Carolina, were landed here
today and brought narrowing tale
of the sea, the loss of l6 of their num-
ber and remarkable rescue of girl
while they drifted lfelplessly by on the
ocean during a severe thunderstorm
Sunday night ?.
Ten boats left the Carolina before
it was sunk by the German submarine
U-37. The 10 persons landed here were
brought in by British vessel that
picked them up more than Is miles
off the Delaware capes.
Submarine Identified as U-37.
According to the survivors, the
Carolina was warned late Sunday aft
ernoon by wireless to look out for
submarines. The steamer was advised
that a three-masted schooner had just
been sunk and was cautioned not to
show lights. At 6 o'clock Sunday eve
ming a submarine appeared above the
surface close to the Carolina. 1t was
about $50 feet long, survivors said,
and was identified as the U-37.
"a German officer, with an armed
guard came alongside and gave orders
to our captain to lower all boats and
leave the ship in 20 minutes" said
one of the survivors.
Ten Boats Lowered.
"Ten boats were lowered and every
body got in. There was little or no
confusion. All the time the submarine
lay as close as possible, its crew
standing on deck, watching us. After
the lifeboats had swung away from
the Carolina, the German officers
aboard the steamer hailed and ordered
one to return. This frightened many
i'm other lifeboats, but after a time we
found out the reason for the action.
In going through the steamer he
found fireman who had been left
behind and he had ordered the lifeboat
to return for him.
"When his last boat was clear again,
the Germans left the Carolina and in
few minutes the submarine shelled
the ship seven times. Then it burst
into flames.
Boat Capsized in Storm.
"After we had drifted for I do not
know how long, storm came. The
gale kickedsup nasty sea. The boats
pitched and soon became separated,
and we, who were in motor launch,
seemed to be alone in the storm.
Rougher and rougher became the
water and the boat rolled and pitched.
Finally it capsized and all of the IS in
it were thrown into the sea. 1t was
righted and caosized again, while we
clung to it. This occurred several
times. The storm passed and the sea
began to calm. 1t was pitch dark.
Finally we kept the launch righted,
but it was full of water. We clung to
it and bailed out the water with our
hands. Some could not stand the
strain, became exhausted and let go
their hold and sank. 1t was terrible.
We bailed out enough water to let one
of us in. Then we bailed furiously and
enough water was scooped out to per-
nit second to get into the launch.
We kept on bailing until the launch
was able to bear the weight OF a third
and fourth.
I'VE kept this up all night until
finally all those who still clung to the
sides of the motor boat were able to
get in. When the last was helped over
the side we found there were but l9 of
US. Sixteen had gone.
Girl Miraculously Saved.
with the coming of daylight the
sea calmed. All hands came to the
conclusion that all in the other boats
had perished.
After a while an object was seen
in the water. There was no way to
reach it as the launch had lost its gas
oline and oars. The launch, however,
drifted close and the survivors were
startled to discover a girl alive cling
ing to the bodies of two drowned
men. The bodies were incased in life
belts, but the girl wore none. She ap-
peared to be good swimmer and
with her own efforts and clinging to
the two bodies for support, she man.
aged to remain afoat. The launch got
near enough to her to effect her rescue
and she proved to be Elona Donate
Virola of Porto Rico. She is one OF
the two women landed.
She was one of those in the launch
and became separated from it when it
capsized. The identity of the two dead
men is not known. Their bodies were
left and the launch continued to drift
until Monday afternoon, when it was
picked up by the British vessel