The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-07-08
MEN on SINKING
SHIP KEEP HEADS
Goodness Under Tremendous Stress
Enables Nearly All Those on
Board Lincoln to Escape.
HIT nv THREE ToRPEDoEs
Undersea Craft Accounts for Only
rs Out of IT'S Persons Carried by
Returning american Transport.
Universal Service

y
1t is replete with heroic deeds of
! the T15 men on board, who faced,
without flinching, what appeared TO
/ be certain death. The big liner, once
German merchant vessel was well
out TO sea--homeward bound from a
| French poTt--When she was struc X
| by three torpedoes from an enemy
! submarine. The U-boat was not
| sighted. hut lookout spied it's mes
sengers of destruction when they were
| 400 yards distant off the port side,
| and an attempt was made to turn the
vessel. Two torpedoes, though, struck
| in almost the same place. about 100
! feet from the bow; the third hurled
| itself against the ship a like distance
| from the stern.
But with all of it's dirty wa~k. "
the undersea craft accounted only for
three officers--one taken captive
and twenty-three enlisted men. All
others on board were saved chiefly
| because they acted quietly and
prom tly. and instinctively obeyed
orders. The sound OF the officers
voices was lost in the roar of steam
! in the boiler safety valves
In the rescued were two psralyzed
| soldiers and a number of sick Their
comrades saw TO II that they were
cared for first
As soon as the torpedoes struck.
however. the call to battle stations
was sounded Immediately prepare
tions were made to launch the life
boats. and the guns were ordered
manned. An inspection below showed
the bulkheads were holding the
water in the forward hold, but that
the engine room bulkhead was rup-
tured and water was pouring into the
room. The inspection also showed
| seven lifeless bodies In the forward
hod--meu killed either by the ex-
plosion or the inrush OF water.
Fifteen minutes after the ship was
struck, it appeared quite evident that
she would sink" says Commander
Foote In his report TO Secretary DAN
lels, and at whose suggestion the re-
port was made public.
The boats and RATS were placed
in the water and the order was given
for all hands to abandon ship. This
order did not include the guns crew,
however, who remained at their guns
awaiting further orders"
Commander Foote'S account does
not say what the further orders were,
but it does say that within a few min
utes the bow gun opened fire and
Kept peppering away in the general
direction in which it was thought the
submarine might be. This was done
to ward off another possible attack
Meantime the vessel was slowly set
Ting in the water
Perhaps the most dramatic feature
OF the scene was the manner in which
the men took to the boats and RATS
or rather took to the water, and then
to the boats and RATS only five men
and an officer had been assigned to
lower the boats because of the fear
that they might capsize II loaded and
lowered quickly. Only one boat was
loaded--she carried the paralyzed
soldiers and the sick,
When all boats and RATS were over
board the old Atlantic saw strange
sight More than 700 men made 700
splashes, and an instant later 700
heads hobbed up and 700 bodies be-
gan clam bering on RATS and into the
lifeboats.
Commander Foote and the chief
master at arms were among the last
to leave the ship. The latter had re-
ported all hands out OF the vessel
then three quarters under water
and the two men jumped Just be-
fore the gun crews, after rafting off
a few farewells to the hidden enemy,
also jumped
Then came the work of collecting
the boats and RATS, the former carry
ing 500 the latter bearing 200. Mean
time. the big transport, within sight
of all and with what seemed to be
visible shudder, went down TO her last
resting place Huddled together on
the surface of the vast expanse of
water was the little flotilla OF RATS
and boats, and off to one side, and
hardly noticeable, was a slight agita
ton on the surface OF the water. An
instant later the tT-boat showed its
stark and dripping sides.
The submarine" says Foote'S &C
count, first took one of the sailors
Seaman Anderson~--on board, and
then a little later took one of the Of
ficers. Lieutenant Isaacs, after which
il returned the seaman to the boat.
Anderson stated that the submarine
commander treated him kindly and
gave him coffee and cognac. Lieu
tenant Isaacs has been reported
prisoner of war in Germany by the
Red Cross
THE submarine remained in the
vicinity of the boats for about an
hour and a half It returned in the
afternoon about 2 o'clock, remained
near at hand for an hour and a half
and then left the vicinity and did not
reappear.
The work of collecting the boats
and RATS together was continued. and
by dark we had the RATS tied together
ana the Doals secured 10 the raItS,
and coston flare lights were turned
on at frequent intervals. Watches
were set. and those not on watch were
told to go to sleep.
Water and rations were in the
boats. but were not used. as 1t was
considered advisable to save them I'M
til they were absolutely required, this
being in preparation OF possible
stay of several days in the boats"
Night came on and enshrouded the
sea in darkness, safe for the sputter-
ing lanterns that hung to the oars
OF the Lincoln's lifeboats. And at
II o'clock, when il was quite dark.
some one sighted a blinking white
light far off. short time latter an
American destroyer hove through the
blackness and a mighty shout of well
come was given by the survivors.
An hour later another destroyer
raacbaI tho Srene and hv oclocL n