Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1918-09-06

ITO Dluct 10 20
Then swan hard and caught up to
the Limeys who had Jumped first. They
were asking each other II they were
downhcarted and answering "Not a
bit of It, me lads" and trying to sing,
"Pack up your troubles In your old kit
bag" only they could not do much
singing on account OF the waves that
slipped into their mouths every time
they opened them. That was just like
Limeys, though.
Some of the boys were just climbing
up the Jacobs ladder on the Mocwc
when the old George let out an awful
roar and up went the deck and The
matches high In the mir In spllnters.
One fellow let go his hold on the lad
der and went down and he never came
up. The Germans were making for the
Moewe In the lifeboat and we reached
It just before they did. Up the ladder
we went and over the side and the
first thing we caught sight Of was the
German revolvers in our faces drilling
us all into line.
The lifeboat brought back the ships
papers from the George and we had
roll call. They kept us up on deck in
our wet underwear and IL was very
cold indeed. Then the first mate and
the old man and one OF the German
officers called Off the names and we
found we had fifty missing.
The Boche commander had gall
enough to say that he was not there
to kill men but to sink all ships that
were supplying the allies! He said
England was trying to starve Germany.
but that they would never succeed and
that Germany would starve the allies
very soon.
After roll call some Of us asked the
Germans for clothes, or at least n
place to dry ourselves In, but Fritz
could not see us for the dust on the
ocean and we just had to stand there
and SILVER till we shook the deck, al
most. Then I went and sat down on
the pipes that feed the deck winches.
They had quite head of steam In
them and was beginning to feel more
comfortable when / got good clout
alongside Of the head for sitting there
and trying to keep warm. It was n
German garby and he started calling
me oil the various kinds Of schwein-
hunde he could think Of and he could
think of lot.
Finally they mustered us all on
another part Of the deck, then drilled
us down into the forecastle and read
the martial law of Germany to us.
At least 1 guess that Is what 1t was
1t might have been the Help Wanted
Dog Catchers" column from the Der
lin Lokal Taggabble for all most of us
knew or cared. 1t shows what cards
the Germans are-readlng all those
four-to-the-pound words to us SILVER,
ing garbies, who did not give a dime
a dozen whether we heard them or not
Fritz is like some other hot sketches
he Is funniest when he does not mean
to be. Every German is vaudeville
skit when he acts natural.
| There were hammocks there and we
| jumped into them to get warm. but III,
Germans came down with their re-
volvers and bayonets and took the
| hammocks away and poured water on
the decks and told us to sleep there
They could not have done worse
trick than that.
Then they put locks on the portfolios
and told us that anyone caught fiddling
| with the locks would be shot at once
| This was because we might sight a
British or French man-of-war at any
time and as the Moewe was sailing I'M
der the British flag and trying to keep
out of trouble they did not want us
at the ports signaling our own war
ships for help. If they had buckCd
any of the allied ships and had fight
we would have died down there like
rats.
The Moewe had already captured
the Voltaire, Mount Temple, Cambrlnr
Range ana the King George and hut
the crews of these vessels between
decks with us. These men told "
how the Germans were treating then
and II looked to me as though the eve
ming would be spent In playing games
and pleasant time would be had by
all-not.
The crew OF the Mount Temple were
on deck working when the raider sud
denly opened fire on them. Two OF
three men jumped into the water nnt
the Germans turned a gun on then
while they We're swimming and killet
them. That was just n sample Of wha
had happened to them.
The men now began running up unt
down In line to keep warm. but
took little run on my own hook nnC
treated myself to as much of u once
over of the ship as l could. / do no
believe the Moewe had more than 1
three-fourths-lnch armor plate, but be
hind that she had three rows of pil
iron, which made about a foot In thick
ness. There was nothing but cable
strung along the deck and when | saw
that l would have given anything e
have had a crack at her with a 14-incl
naval. And sure wished hard enough
that one Of our ships would slip up OF
us, whether we were caught between
decks or not. / went aft as far as tn,
sentry would let me and / saw tina
she had three spare six-inch guns un