Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-01-04
Remarkable Record
of Liner Olympic
Correspondence Associated Press.

Correspondence Associated Press
London. Dec. 5.-Dodging German
submarines in the Mediterranean, try
ing to save sinking warships in the
moth Atlantic. and fighting off vicious
U-poat attac'-, while carrying Ameri-
lcan troops are some Of the achieve
ments credited to the White Star liner
Olympic during her adventurous career
of the wartime. These were only in
cidcnts of her experience, because, on
account Of her great passenger capa :
city. she was steadily and faithfully
keeping to the task Of transporting
men and material for the armies in
Europe. First it was Chinese coolies
for road building. then farmer boys
from Canada to replace the losses OF
Nimy Ridge, and finally many thou
sands of Americans to face the German
on the western battle front
Her work during the Gallipoli cam
paign.'' writes member of the crew
to the Daily News. when she carried
about 5000 t.,oops-at that time the
greatest number ever carried by any
ship--foIlowing upon her gallant at
tempt off the north of ireland to tow
the erlogged dreadnaught. Au-
t;acious, was sufficient to put her in the
first rank of transports. but her sub
scqucnt work in bringing Canadian
troops and Chinese Tabor battalions.
and then her wonderful career since
Christmas, 1917, when she arrived in
New York for her first load Of Amer
lean troops must put her in a class by
herself as trooper"
She has carried well over 100000
people while on war service.
1T. would not be correct to say that
Captain Hayes has brought her thru
without a scratch, but her scars are
marks of honor. She bent and fractur-
ed some of her plates when in the dark
ness early one morning she 'strfted
one of Germany's finest U-boats.
The Olympic had most Of her ad-
ventures while she was carrying Am
erican troops. During March, April
and May 1913. the German submarine
commanders made at least seven at
Itacks on her. Not once did the enemy
have time to launch a torpedo for in
every case he was greeted by 6-inch
shell-or one of the destroyers was on
mis- track with her depth charges. Per
hans some of Ger1nanys missing sub
marines are now lying below the track
of the Olympic.
THE most thrilling experience which
tho Olympic had took place in the
darkness Of early morning of May.
ialS. near the entrance to the English
channel. 1t was just about o'clock
when the lookout man picked out OF
the almost total darkness the outline
of lukins submarine which was lying
on the surface. Immediately after his
warning shout one of our forward guns
hlazcd out and the ship. with her helm
hard over, spun around like a great
racing yacht and crashed into the
enemy.
"The blow was, of course, not clean
one or there would have been few sur
vivors from the submarine. Judging
from the damage on the bows of the
ship when dry locked few days later
the blow cut off one end of the sub
marine. The rest drifted past the
stern of the Olympic, and one Of the
gun crews on the poop planted a 6-inct
shell squarely into it, One of the de-
stroyers in the escort dropped behind
and by the light of star shells picked
up 81 survivors three of whom died or
the way to port. The total crew Of the
submarine was over co...