The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1918-07-12
uermans Fail in Raid on Great.
est United States
Transport.
CARRIES 10000 SOLDIERS
eye witness Gives Thrilling Aecoun.
% Trip Across AtIantie-Hioh
Praise for Work of American
Navy-Men on Transport
Behave spiendidly in
Time Of Danger.


on the United States transport Lee
viatnan and the destruction OF two of |
the U-boats by United States DESTROY. |
ers, Is contained in letter from Cant
Charles A. Harmon Of this CITY to his
son. Sergt. Carl A. Harmon. at Camn
Custer. The Leviathan. formerly the
German vaterland. is the largest vessel
anoat and was seized by the United
states when this country entered the
war.
Captain Harmon is In the motor me.
chanics division Of the aviation corps.
now safely in France. while his son
Is a member of the ambulance com.
pany.
The Leviathan carried 10000 soldiers
on that particular trip and every pre-
caution of camoufiage and zigzap nav.
igation was employed to protect it
from the submarines, since the Ger
man government is said to have offered
a fortune and great honors to the COM
mander and crew of the U-boat that
succeeds in sinking it.
All Obey Orders.
Most of the men aboard were raw
recruits" says Captain Harmon, "but
when the emergency came the constant
drill and training told and not man
disobeyed orders. Twenty hours from
our destination, at daybreak, we picked
up the destroyers in a bowling gale.
They came swooping at us out of a
rain sQuall like flying fish, Boy! They
looked good. They are little. long, in
trepid devils all engine and wicked
ness. We were tearing along at high
speed, trusting to luck not to hit any,
thing, but those little devils curved
and circled and zigzagged around US as
If we were at anchor.
Even with our thousand feet of
length we could hardly keep our feet
on deck. but they, with their 200 feet
or less. were simply doing the impos.
sible. Seas too high to ride they dived
through, actually disappearing at times
And when, in their circles, they fell
into the trough. they took list that
would make your heart stop.
''They carry two spars about so feet
high. On top of each is crows nest
with man in each watching for peri
scopes. The gunners are lashed to
their guns. They must be amphibious
The ride those crow's-nest birds took
that day would curl your hair.
Taking No Chances.
40 cd II
and blew. and most of the following
night, too. 1t was too rough for u
boats, but we were pitching over the
| bones of the Lusitania and hundreds OF
other good ships and the destroyers
| were taking no chances.
ANY time the United States navy Ii
mentioned you just get onto your legs
and salute-just on general principles
When you cross you will understand
why. They are there, those lads.
II went on duty in troop section
below the water line that evening a
FIVE and was on duty for u hours sta
toned on a stairway where l coult
pick off the first bird that batted al
| eye. About midnight the sea wen
down. Then we did expect trouble an.
minute. 1t was tough, long night
We knew that if torpedo ever hit IL
that section we hadn't chance in thu
| world. AT five in the morning was re
lieved and went up topside, to the for
ward upper deck. 1t was just break
| ing daylight, clear. no wind. sea a
smooth as glass. Six more destroyer
had Joined us some time during tn
night and they We're coursing lik
panthers, near and far. in great
swooping curves all around US.
Finally They Came.
1--WE were roaring along in sharl
zigzags. the ship trembling ike
nervous dog, with the best speed j
her. | thought TO myself, as l took
all in:
".Wen. this is the time and IN
Mace. Now where in Il are thos
doggoned Huns?'
"As if in answer to my question VI
nearest DESTROYER turned on her Ia
and shot straight at our cutwater as
RI head something off. at the sam
time firing rapidly at something VI
other side of her and close oy' II
stantly the others pointed IN Town
us and came darling in Ike oivin
sharks.
..The nearest destroyer was NOT hioi
than 80 yards distant. Next II S"uil
around in a smother Of white "a'e'
and in an instant saw the olach s'ei
of n submarine as it upended IN
dive So close to the destroyer that 'he
actually bumped. Then the aes'rg ~,
SAT- back of the sub only few le'
under the surface.
U-Boat Blown to Atoms.
"There was terrific explosion
shoot our ship as if it had been struci
That sub just was naturally blown
atoms. 1t almost cut the destroyer
swn naarlv blew the stern of her OF