The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-02-08
SUBMARINE THAT
SANK TRANSPORT
GOES TO BOTTOM
American Officer Aboard Tuscania Says Destroyer
Gave Chase Immediately to German U-Boat
and Dropped Depth Charges.

Londonderry, ireland, Feb. S-The
submarine that torpedoed the Tusca-
mia was attacked subsequently by a
destroyer and an American officer gave
an intimation that the submarine was
destroyed.
This officer, who was one of the last
to leave the Tuscania, gave the Asso-
ciated Press a vivid account Of the
disaster.
The second torpedo fired by the
submarine missed it's mark, he said.
Thereupon a destroyer which was
near the sinking liner dashed toward
the submarine, using a bomb-drop-
ping device. 1t is asserted that the
submarine was done in" by the
bombs thus exploded.
The American officer told this
story:
Everything went well with US
during the voyage. Many of our
men had never been to sea before, and
1 must say that they stood it like
soldiers
I'VE were one OF g. powerful con-
wy ulOSI AOL lSll you Jul pOSA-
ton in the convoy or how the various
ships were formed, but you may take
it that all the other boats have got
through as far as know.
LAS for ourselves, we'll, the Huns
succeeded in getting only a fraction
of our fine fellows, in addition to our
boat, but if they have they have put
the iron into our souls, and we will
be ready to repay them when the
chance offers.
Monday was wild night. Had
the disaster occurred during a gale, I
don't like to think of what would
have happened. Bat Tuesday even
ing was calm.
''The first intimation we had of pos
sible danger was an order for all men
to go on deck with lifebelts. It was
about 1870 o'clock At the same
time we sharply altered our course.
Nobody Saw PeriscOpe.
'At 6 o'clock, just as the darkness
was setting we'll in, we got the blow.
Nobody saw the periscope, nor could
one have been seen we'll. Some
soldiers described having heard a
kissing sound Immediately before the
torpedo struck US in the engine room
I'VE were instantly disabled. AL
the lights went out. An order rang
out, sending the troops to their boat
stations and ordering the hfeboats
out.
The shock was not severe. 1t was
more of a crunching-in feeling thai
went through the ship than a direc1
blow.
There naturally was a good dea
of confusion. You cannot lower {
score Of lifeboats from the height o.
an upper deck in the darkness without
some confusion, but at no time wa:
there a panic.
There was great excitement, how
ever, but it lasted only a few min
utes. Then all the men pulled them
selves toSether. Megaphone CALI
were given all over the ship, sayin:
vessel would not sink before all wer'
taken off. In the meantime S
signals were sent out.
Even before some of us hat
grasped the situation British destroy
ers were dashing up alongside. SucH
soldiers as had been lowered in life
boats were put on board destroyers
A few men who had jumped over
board in the first excitement were
picked up. I believe that one or TIVE
]ifeboats were smashed in launch
ing.
''The destroyers took off our mel
in splendid style, with perfect order
"All this time the Tuscania wa
slowly sinking. For minute I dit
not know whether to go into a life
boat or to stick by the ship. One o
the members of the crew urged tina
We STAY on board and trust John Bull
destroyers He yelled this in my ea1
took his advice and waited for m
turn to come to go on board a des
troyer.
mo sooner had we cast off wit
500 men on board, than a torped
was fred at US. 1t missed. Anothe
destroyer dashed off, operating
bomb-dropping device. and the clair
was afterward made that the sub
marine had been done in
Proof of the order that prevaiie
on the Tuscania is given by tn
handing OF TWO IypHOlu anu |"
pneuminia cases without bad effect.
Forty of the survivors of the Tu!
cania were taken to hospitals, the Elf
jority suffering from injuries as a re
suit of accidents in the lowering
lifeboats or to consequences of slit
ing down ropes.
The survivors are proud Of the b'
havior of the only two women on II
Tuscania. They went down rope