Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1918-02-08

graph OF the disaster. the niehl Doat
train 10 Ireland. where q majority OF
the survivors landed. was crowded to /
overnowing. Ofncers. prominent Ameri- /
cans. Red Cross workers, Y. NJ. G.. Al
representatives and others packed the
train until all the seats were crowded
and the aisles resembled one OF the
rush hour subway trains TO which the
Americans were accustomed at home,
Torpedoed Tuesday Afternoon.
And they got as they went the first
accurate and exact statement OF what
happened to the big ship. The MARIA
tives OF the survivors began coming.
Prominent among them were Sergeant
NJ C. Dubuque and Sergeant Muller
both OF Brooklyn. They had been
picked up from a raft by a coasting
/ schooner.
From the Brooklyn men came the
story that they were on board at o.45
o'clock Tuesday afternoon when the
smash came. They said that two tor
nedoes had been fired but, differing
from the naval version, the scrgeants
thought the first one missed.
The naval authorities inclined 20 the
belief that the first struck and the sec
ond went astern. But however mat
NAV be. one Of the two struck near
boiler No. 4. and the ship began 20
list. She fingered for nearly two hours
before she went down. and the life
boats on the stsrboard side, toward
whtch the list was made. were either
thrown into the air or rendered use
less.
All hands were ordered on decks with
lifebelts and standing az attention In
the most approved fashion known 70
the tactics Of their army, the men be
gan singing MY Country, It's OF Thee,
and star Spangled Banner
on the side Of the deck opposite them
the British crew took the cue and semi
answering back the strains OF GOO
save the King
, Naval Officers story.
That the narrative may have It's due
connection. one must here abandon th'
Brooklyn lads for q moment, and heal
? the story OF an American naval ohice
! who was on board at the time and wh'
, brought the news Of the sinking Of tn
! German submarine that sunk the Ius
cania The story came 10 the Associated
. Press from Londonderry. Ireland. AM
r the officer was one Of the last 10 leav
the sinking ship.
n His story OF the attack differs from
a the other versions IN that he said ina
A IL was the FIRST torpedo that was fire.
J. which hit the transport aad the secon
g went wild In an instant a destroye
: that was near the big ship went ava
r with greyhound speed and began drop
!. ping bombs with a device that Ia
q proved very effective In the past. tn
Y undersea fighter. ne says. was caugh
6 by these bombs.
s "Everything went well with us durln
Q the voyage" he said. MANY Of our me
8 never had been 10 sea before. and mus
saw that they stood Il Ike soldiers. W
were one Of a powerful convoy. ] mus
d not tell you our position In the convo,
n or how our ships were formed, bu
u YOU may take Il that all Of the othe
l. boats have got through so far as ] know
As for ourselves, well, the Germans sue
e ceeded IN getting only fraction OF on
4 flpe fellows IN addition 20 the boat; bu
h IL they have. they have put the iron int
n orr souls. and we VIII be ready TO repa
,r them when the chance offers.
IS Blow Came With Darkness.
q Monday was a wild nisht. Had IN
n disaster occurred during a gale / don
in like 10 think Of what would have mar
pened But Tuesday evening was cain
s The first intimalion we had OF posslbl
l. danger was an order for all men to 2
m on deck with life belts. II was obot
M $50 O'Clock At the same time W
Ie sharpley altered our course.
y AT 6 o'clock. Just as the dsrkne'
a was setting In, we got the blow.
:. Nobody saw the periscope, nor ooul
q one have seen well. Some soldiers ID
r. scribed having heard Kissing SCUM