The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-06-22
SUNK BY A SUBMARINE.
One Sumter Hov WIN Knows From
Experience What -, ,bmarinc War
fare is Like.

Robert j. Wingate, = sumter boy
only nineteen years old mas passed
through experiences wj'hln the past
year that have put him III the veteran
class.
On June 3rd, 1917. Fc enllsteu toi
service in the navy and was sent 10
Newport, II. l., for tf'ihihs' III u
short time he WAS ana ,ified for active
duty as gun pointer a'io was assish-
ed TO naval gun crew ior service on
Il merchant ship operating between an
Atlantic port and Euro"' On MS sec
ond trip he was on the Ac'eon' "a Iorm-
er German mercbar, ship that had
been taken over by thf Ohlted states
government and put 10 the Trans
Atlantic service.
On the night of N1Veihper @4th'
when the ship was out one nun
dred and sixty miless the coast or
Spain, the ship was peooed with
out warning, no one ooaro the snip
having the slightest "a that SUD-
marine WAS IN tho n3 Unity until the
shock of the exnlod,, torpedo arous-
ed them to their dasqer'
The crew of the sf7P ana the TWO
gun crews made hast1 " aoahooh the
ship and took to Ye poats. AFTER
they had left the shif the submarine
sbo,ved itsa,f h,. Jade no attempt
IN attach Tho Innate pne of the boats
in which there was snip oHicer was
hailed and the name, anu "eS'iiiatioh
of tho shin oskad ,lt the survivors
uere MOI f,rtbor ,Ited.
The boat in whic you"s "ihsa'e
and e,av.n o,h.u, o lie their escape
soon became separdY iiohi INC o'h-
er boats and therea |"s no haVisa
tiOn officer in it anSiHe coiiipass get
TING ort ,f ev ,ho,, had difficulty in
keeping on the corr 'o"iSe' ror
tue,vo dave ,h.v ,attled with the
,yoves stoor;nr oo,lrse as best they
could by the sun by '"' anu '"e Sta's
by night, finally lam" VII ''o oo'''
Of spain about forty hi'ies from
the port of COrunna ""''"e Tie Ter
rih,o tu,a,,,o dovs ruggle to make
land throo of ,ho In in the boat
died and one othel 'uo'u'i'oe" sooH
after the survivo! '"i'"e"' iou"P
,vipgota hoe ,;,,,o . say of his cx-
periences and suffej"e' Willie 'i 'he
open boat. but he 'e' say '''''' '"'S
"a many times, but
rant nm .,,o eo.. reach land, there
he;rc no,h;, o,,o 20 DO. They rig
boat and used the
,oss o,.. ky all being de.
g.. a,, ..u finish to say,
.hanso,vos Mi, ,.rti and strength
held out. Durii'uX '"e'' ""S'
they did not sigf"i - "'''' e''o"e'
20 be signalled 81 "'''
reached land ds'uri -" o' '''' 'o''
md all the ocC' IL - "''
ported lost. ',.c.
After reachin "o '' '"' '''o''
were cared for :" W."
~, a, Corrrro tho when they had
rooovouo, g. hnrdships of the
voyage were ret
sto,as ohor, ,,o CT OF January Soon
after young Wini 4 va i' ''i''
,orr,r, No mo-, fken with append
oitis md so,. .fal weeks in hos
ni,o, uo ho regained his health
and has been at i"ii'"s"
for ,t,o ,;.. ., ,Js visiting his faith
,r, Mr.. j. IL. Viii
Jo w,, ,oovo Or Brooklyn. n. Y,
Friday ora u-;u ,.,kort for duty within
fevv day. ,h.ri@ter. He will soor
no ot can ooo,, member Of q
oun crew On = n,'lchant ship and will
take nm tho b,u.nto Gus duty of guard
ING our chine - g 4nst the German u
hoots HE sr,art in Sumter wish
hin, hettor luolx lho next trip-hOp
ipp that bo ,y,u :et submarine the
arst tin,e no bosa chance to point /
nm NJ ono ne IN wolves of the sea-