The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1918-08-01

the Hun : murderous under sea
craft is at last given TO the public
in the following letter from Cap
tain Chas. A. Harmon. L. :. A., to
his son, and published in recent
issue OF the Seattle Star:
I'VE are now permitted 70 tell
home folks of our trip across. We
left am Atlantic port March 3, on
the Leviathan. the largest ship III
the world. taken from the Ger
mans. as you probably know
There were Just over 10000 souls
on hoard, all told. the largest body
of men ever carried ON one trans.
port We crossed alone, depend
ling upon speed aud certain pre-.
cautions for safety. We were met
at the edge of the sub zone by
lSix L. ). deStroyerS. which took US
thru.
THE ship was camouflaged SO
that at distance il looked like
almost anything other than the
Leviathan. Ali ports and open
ImgS We're tightly sealed and all
glass was covered with thick tar
paint. All lights were ont at 80
in the afternoon. and kept off un-
it'll daylight Everyone throwing
even a match overheard was
Iput into irons in the brig. Except
for an hour in the afternoon and
and hour in the forenoon, every
one stayed in his own section Of
the ship. close TO his hunk ready
If0r an emergency.
THE ship never ran more than
la few minutes on straight
course. zigzagging constantly Ia
minimize the chances of being
struck by a torpedo nom an I'M
seen sub lurking in mid ocean
for us, Every time we sighted am
other ship we turned and ran on
an entirely different course for
several hours before again max
ing east. We were eight days in
erossing and ran all over the At
lantie like billy-be-damned. The
ship IS surprisingly heavily arm.
ed aud gunners were on their toes
every second of the day and night.
Those birds could shoot squirrels
with those big guns and not spoil
the meat. IL must be seen 10 be
believed.
In changing the ship To
transport everything was torn out
Of the spaces between the lower
nine decks except the water-tieht
bulkheads. and bunk tiers were
put in. These tiers reach 10 the
ceiling. one above the other. and
are spaced as closely e. il possible
aud still allow edgewise passage
between them. The upper decks
still have their gorgeous state
rooms Captain Calvert and I /
had one which sold Ia me Old davs /
for 5000 Tor q single passage |
The ship is very narrow for ~
length. She Is ] 900 feet long and /
only 100 feet wide amidship Her
II decks make her Tremendously /
high The boat decks are the up /
per three. She is very topheaYy /
and the eargOes being now nsOsi
entirely IT troops. Il II neeeasary
- ALLOW only one fourth ~ the
troops ~ 20 on ~ one time. and 4
they must b. eaaaiiy divided b.
tween the tso tides If the ship
Tho sfafHsys arc fea aud crook
81
The German government has
= standing offer ~ q great Tor
tame and the highest ~ military 4
h0nors - the sub captain sho 4
siuks her Ne therefor were 90
against lhe Necessity ~ fhf kesn
~ Team work aud fi.s strietssf
discipline ~ oar boat fof flfe and
abaildon ship drills After fhfl
lfsi dap 0uf every mau knees ~ 4.
ieilg aAeff hlf lfebeai sns aud
n shat aeai ~ belonged and
haf uo unilff SHAT Aappmfd. b. i
sas Az aiand. iuiiy equipped, Bi
~ uHnf anii ~ Nas ofdfffa AZ
De- solhsihiug eisf 1lif oflleen
taff aflnfd aud 0fdefed fo alo0i
4 f's flfsf sian ~ az silgliasf
lispiifdleuef ~ faslinf Efeft
nf snes fiiaf ~ alle 500 90 haff
iaf 0f ~ nsuio iias ~ ~ 1esi
VA fat bui fllai faf issss Ell 80
.elIa ~ terribly iHefHsea 81 eaU
s0I $3.50 losi
Mta n a. MfD 81 laafa