Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1919-03-07

CHAPTER xvll-contInued.


is
Also, by this time some OF the men
had lost their heads completely; in
fact, had gone violently crazy. and the
rest Of us were afraid OF them. We
were all thinking of the fight that
might occur any moment between the
Yarrowdale and some other vessel and
we knew we we're in the likellest place
Tor the vessel to be struck. Even
though we were not hit amldships, II
the ship were sinking we did not think
the Germans would give us n chance 10
escape. We figured from what they
a said that we would go down with
the ship. And going down on n ship in
which you are n prisoner is quite diff
ferent from going down with one for
which you have been fighting. You
arrive at the same place, but the feel
Ing is different.
Some Of us thought Of overpowering
the crew and taking the vessel into our
own hands, and we got the rest OF
the same or nearly sane men together
ana tried to get up n scheme for doing
It. l was strong for the plan and so
were several others. but the Limey Of
ncers who we're with us advised
against II. They said the Germans
were taking us to n neutral country,
where we would be informed, which
was just what tho Germans had told
us, but what few Of us believed.
Then some others said that II we
started anything the Germans would
fire the time bombs. We replied that
at least the Germans would go west
with us, but they could not see that
there was any glory In that. For my
self, l thought the Germans would not
fire the bombs until the last minute,
and that We would have n chance ut
he bonts before they got all Of us
anyway. There were only thirteen
German snilors on board. besides their
commander. This last Hun was
named BadGwitz.
So the paclfsts ruled, because we
could not do anything unless we were
all together. and there was no mutlny.
They said We were hotheads, the rest
of us. but | still think we could have
made a dnsh for II and overpowered
u sentrles, and either gone over the
side with the hfeboats, or taken over
the whole ship. II would have been
better for us II we had tried, and II
the paclfsts had known what was
coming to us they would have fred
the time bombs themselves rnther
than go on into that future. How
ever, that Is split milk.
We were not allowed to open the
portfolios while we were I'm the bunk
ers, under penalty of death, and there
In the dark, In that sinking air, II is
NJ wonder many OF. US went crazy.
Among us was n fellow named Hnr-
,rlngton, about BLK feet tall and weigh
Ing 250 pounds. He seemed 70 be all
right mentally, but some OF us
thought afterwards he was crazy.
Anyway, / do nu blame him for whit
he did. Harrington rushed up the
nddley and opened the door. There
was n German sentry there, and Har-
ringtOn made n swing at him and then
grabbed his bayonet. The sentry
yelled and some others came down
frofu the bridge and shot Harrington
through the hand. After they had
beaten Harrington pretty badly. the
bull OF the bunch, Badewitz himself.
came over and hammered Harrington
all around the deck. Then they put
him In irons and took him TO the chnrt
room.
The next day we were sitting In the
hddley getting warm when the door
opened and there was Badewitz. He
yelled "Heraus !" and began firing at
us with q revolver, ~ we beat II back
onto the coal. Pretty soon the door
opened again. But Il was only a Ger
man sentry. lie threw down a note.
II was written In English and read,
~pick out eight men for cooks" SO
we picked out eight men from the va
rious vessels and they went on deck
and rugged up a galley aft.
hut we dld not receive any knives,
forks. spoons OF plates. The lrst
meal we got was nothing but macnro-
nj, piled up on pieces Of cardboard
boxes. Then we appointed four men
20 serve the macaronl, ana they got
four pieces Of wood, the clennest we
could find, which was not very clean
a. that. and they dug around In the
macnronl nnd divided It up aud put
Il In M hands. We had 10 eat Il
after that from our grimy fingers.
Those wFa we're helped FIRST had 10 20