The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-08-20
SURVIVORS CLAIM
|. PENISTONE SUNK
WITHOUT WARNING
Engineer and Four Fire
men Killed, Captain is
Prisoner; American
Schooner Doroth Y
Barrett Shelled.

| NANTUCKET, Mass.-The Brit
ish steamer Penistone, victim of
submarine attack 100 miles east O
Nantucket Sunday. was sunk withou
warming, Benjamin Davies, executive
officer of the ship, reported on ar
rival here Thursday with other sur
! vlvors. Twenty-Five survivors wer,
landed Thursday at Boston.
A torpedo fired at close range hi
the vessel amidships, killing tn,
fourth engineer and inpuring foul
firemen. The captain of the Peni
stone, who returned to his ship JUS
before she went down, in the hope.
of obtaining his papers, was captured
by the u-boat and kept aboard, &
prisoner of war.
Captain Held on U-Boat
The commander of the Penistone
was Capt. David Evans and the engi.
neer killed by the explosion was Ca.
vivor Howells. The fact was defin-
itely established by naval authorit-
les, it was stated, that Captain Evans
still is aboard the U-boat. The Penl-
stone left New York Friday with
forty men, comprising officers and
crew. Twenty-Five of these were
landed Thursday at Provincetown,
nine were brought here, and with
Howells dead the only man not &C.
counted for was the commander.
Davies and the eight others
brought here were picked up by a
tug early Thursday morning so ut
terly exhausted that they could not
speak clearly or intelligently. They
had drifted in all sorts of weather
since Sunday with only the limited
stock of provisions kept aboard a
life boat for such emergencies. All
the time they had been out the ex-
ecutive officer had sat at the tiler,
never getting up to permit a ship
mate to steer, and when he attempted
to stand he collapsed. Hardy fisher
men, who have met many ship
wrecked crews off this island, said
they never had seen men in a worse
condition.
Davies Describes Attack
After being removed to a naval
hospital Davies revived somewhat
and was able to describe the attack
on the Penistone. The torpedo, he
said, was let loose at close range.
1t tore a great hole in the vessel
amidships, wrecked the engine and
scattered burning oil over the fire
room crew. Howells was killed in
stantly.
Thru the hole IN the ships side
water poured rapidly, filling the
holds Capt. Evans ordered his men
into the small boats and they stood
by watching the work of the U-boat.
Captain Evans and eleven volunteers
started aboard to save the ships
papers and the personal effects of
The men. All realized that they were
,aking desperate chances, for the
Penistone was slowly settling.
Captain is Captured
This did not deter the volunteers,
however, nor were they frightened
~ the U-boat, short distance away.
But the whole outfit were captured.
rhe men were ordered back to their
BOAT and Capt. Evans was taken
Hoard the submarine, while it's Ger
nan crew expressed its delight in
heering. Then the U-boat COM
nander had four bombs placed on
he Penistone and she went down
Exactly an hour and half after be-
ng struck by the torpedo.
Davies was positive that the sub
marine had number, but he could |
lot remember it. Captains of fish
ng vessels sent down have stated
hat the submarine they encountered !
1as without number, which led to
he belief here that there might be
ubmarines of several types in Amer
ian waters.