Crittenden record-press., 1918-07-11
@gpans Fail in Raid on Great.
I est United States
Transport.
CARRIES 10000 SOLDIERS
Eye Witness Gives Thrilling Account
Of Trip Across Atlantie--Hish
Praise for Work Of American
Navy-Men on Transport
Behave splendidiy in
Time 81 Danger.


on the United States transport Le-
yIn.hnn aud tho destruction OF two Of
the | boats by United States destroy.
ers. Is contained IN letter from Cant.
Charles A. Harmon OF this city 10 his
son. Scrgt. Carl A. Harmon. nt Camp
Custer The Lcyiathnn. formerly the
German Vuterland. Is the largest vessel
nnont aud was seized by the United
States when this country entered ,he
war.
Captain Harmon Is In the motor me.
chanics division OF the aviation corps,
now safely In France. while his son
j. member OF the ambulance com.
pans.
The Leylathan carried 10000 soldiers
on that particular trip aud every pre-.
caution Of camouilage and zlgEng nav.
ieation was employed TO protect II
from ,hc submarines. since the Ger.
man government Is said TO have offered
a fortune and great honors to the com.
mat.!cr and crew OF the u.boat that
succeeds In sinking II.
Al Obey Orders.
Most II the men aboard were raw
recruits" says Captain Harmon. but
when the emergency came the constant
drill and training told and not n man
disohcycd orders Twenty hours from
our destination. at dnybrcnk, we picked
up The dcstroycrs In n bowling gale.
They came ssooping at us out of n
rain squall like nyins Ash Boy They
looked good. They nre little. long. In.
trcpli devils all engine aud wicked
ness We were tearing along nt high
speed. trusting 10 luck not Ia hit any.
thing. hut those little devils curved
aud c.rclcd aud EigEnggcd around IN a.
n We were n, 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.
shIc Seas too high 10 ride they dlyed
through. actually disappearing at times
And when. In their circles. they fell
into the trough. they took n lis, that
would make your heart stop.
They carry two spars about 20 feet
high. TN top OF each IL crows nest
with man In each watching for peri.
scopes. The gunncrs nrc lnshcd to
W. guns. They must be amphiblous
in ride those crow'sncSt birds took
that day would curl your hnlr,
Taking No Chances
"An day long (, howlcd and raIned
and blow. and most OF the following
night. too. II was too rough for L.
boats. but We were pitching over the
bones OF the Lusltanin and hundreds OF
other good ships and the destroyers
were taking no chances.
ANY time the United State, navy Is
mentioned you Just get onto your legs
and snlu,c-juN on general principles
When you cross you will understand
why. They are there. those lads.
Il went on duty Ia n troop section
below the water line that evening nj
FIVE and sas on duty Tor II hours sta
toned on stairway where ! could
plcL on the hrs, bird that batted al
cyc. About midnight the sea went
down Then We did expect trouble nuy
minute. II was a tough. long night
We knew that n n torpedo ever hit IN
that section We hadn't chance In III,
world. Al nyc In the morning was re-
licycd and went up topslde. to the for
wnrd upper deck. II was just brcnk
ing daylight. clear. no wind. sen a'
smooth nS glass. Six more destroyer
had Joined uS some time during III,
night and thcs were courslng like
panthers. near aud far. In great
swooplng curves all around ".
Finally They Came.
I'VE We're roaring along In shnrI
zIgLags. the ship trembling like
nervous dog. wlth'the best speed u
her thought To myself, N | took Il
all m:
well. this Is the time aud th'
place. Now where In h arr thos'
doggoncd lIunsr
AS II In answer to my question th'
nearest destroyer turned ON her tai
and shot straight nt our cutwaicr ns i
10 head something on, ut the SAM
time firing rapidly NJ something tn
other side of her aud close by. In
StRn,ly the others pointed In iowat'
~ and came dnrting In Ike dlNlnl
sharks.
The nearest destroyer was not NOR,
than 20 yards distant. Next II swunl
around In n smother OF white water
and In nn instant saw the black Stcr'
of submarine as u upcndcd IN
dive NJ close 10 the destroyer that the.
actually bumped. Then the dcstroye
snt hacs of the sub only n few Zee
under thu surface.
u.Boat Blown 10 Atoms
There was terrific explosion; !
shook our ship M II II Ind been struck
That sub Just was naturally blown Z
atoms. II almost cut the destroyer Y
two. nearly blew the stern OF her on
Hut that IL Just u part Of the Job 70
those boys. Their business IL TO ge
'uibs.' What happens to them Is %
other matter entirely.