Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-08-20
CARRIES 10000 SOLDIERS
Eye Witness etves Thrilling Account
Of Trip Across AtlantIe-Hleh
Praise for Work Of American
Navy-Men on Transport
Behave epfendidIy In
Time Of Danger.

Durand. Mich.-An eyewitness nc
count of an attack by three submarines
ON the United States transport lie
yiathan and the destruction OF two Of
the U-boats by United States destroy
ers, Is contained In o letter from Capt.
Charles A. Harmon Of this city TO his
son, Eergt. Carl A. Harmon. at Camp
Custer. The Leviathan, formerly the
German vateriaRd, Is the largest vessel
afioat 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
II a member Of the ambulance COM
pany.
The Lsviafhan carried 10000 soldiers
on that particular trip and every pre-
caution Of camoufiage and zigzag nav
igation was employed TO project II
from the submarines. since the Gar
man government Is said to have offered
q fortune and great honors to the com
mander and crew OF the U5boat that
succeeds In sinking Il.
: 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 a man
disobeyed orders. Twenty hours from
our destination, at daybreak, we picked
up the ~destroyers In q bowling gale.
They came swooping nt US out OF a
rain squall like flying f1sh. Boyi They
looked good. They are little. long. IN
crepid devils al engine ana wicked
ess. We were tearing along at high
speed. trusting to luck not to hit any.
thing. but those little devils curved
and circied and zigzagged around us az
II 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 Owed
through. actually disappearing at times,
And when. In their circles. they fell
into the trough. they took a list that
] H011Q AnAAE LOWL IZMAL 040RA
They carry two spars about 90 feet
high. On top OF each Is q crows nest,
with a man in ench watching for peri.
scopes. The gunnsrs are dashed 70
their guns. They must be amphibious'
The ride those crow's-nest birds took
that day would curl your hair.
rakIng No Chances.
"An day long It howled and rained
and blew. and most of the following
night. too. II was too rough for u
boats. but we were pitching W the
bones OF the Lusitanin and hundreds OF
other good ships ana the destroyerz
were taking no chances
"Any time the United States navy Il
mentioned you just get onto your legs
and salute-Just on general principles
When you cross you viii understand
why. They are there. those lads.
II went on duty IN q troop section
below the water line that evening al
i've and was ON duty for I2 hours sta
toned On a stairway where ! could
pick or the frEt bird that batted Al
eye About midnight the G went
down. Then we did expect troubie-any
minute. II was a tough. long night
We knew that n a torpedo eve hit "a
that section we hadn't . chance IN tht
world. At Ave In the morning / was re
lisyed and went I'D topstde. TO the for
ward upper deck. 1t was just break
ing daylight clear. no wind. e n
smooth as glass. SIX more desfroyers
had joined Us some time during thu
night and they were courslng hks
panfherS near and far. IN great
swooping curves an around us
Finally They Cams.
we were roaring along in sharI
ngzags. the ship trembling IKE 4
nervous dog. with the best speed II
her. I thought 10 myself. as I took a
al In.
"'wen. this Is the time ana ths
place. Now where IN - are thosI
dogeoned Hmsr
ASH In answer 20 my Question the
neaFest destroyer turned OF her Ia
and shot straight az u cutwater as 4
to head roEncfhtng on. az the Sans
time nrng rapidly At something IA.
other side Of her and rnse ~. IN
sfnntF fhe .ers pointed A. teRNr.
~ Rne eamp osrfinx u IKE dixial