The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1919-01-31


Cornelius Buddy James, son of
Mrs. Mollie James, of Paris, who re-
Gently visited his mother while en-
joying a short furlough, was on the
U. ). 5. Covington at the time it was
torpedoed and sunk by a German
submarine on July 2, 1918.
1t was on the return trip of the
boat to the United States, being used
as a transport, when it met it's fate.
Young James, who is only 10 years
OF age, Joined the navy shortly after
the United States entered the war,
and few. weeks after enlisting was
assigned to the Covington, on which
he was a member Of one of the gun
crews, acting in the capacity of gun
pointer.
In letter received by his mother
few days ago from the captain of
the gun crew he stated that Bud
die" was the most expert gun pointer
in the entire convoy, and that every
one felt safe when he was at the gun.
Young James gives the follow
ing very interesting story Of the
torpedoing and sinking of the Cow
| ington:
berth at Hoboken, N. j., on June 5,
1918, on what was destined to be her
last trip. She was laden with about
$500 doughboys bound for the port
of Brest, in France. They were a
jolly lot, typical American boys every
one, eager to get into action and with
little regard or care for the dangers
they were entering into.
"This was the sixth trip of the
Covington, and why it was 1 cannot
say, but 1 do not believe there was
single member of the crew that did
not have a feeling that it would be
her last trip. No one could explain
why he felt that way, but everyone
seemed to be of the same mind on
that point. We all felt it to be almost
certainty that she would follow the
fate of the President Lincoln, which
was torpedoed and sunk just one
month and a day before we were.
| "The trip across was uneventful,
iexcept for a little target practice at
what we thought might be sub
marine, but which turned out to be
only some wreckage from some other
Inflated vessel. On the return trip
we left the harbor of Brest at nine
o'clock On the morning of July /,
bound for New York, carrying moth
ing but ballast, not a single paSsen-
ger. AS on the trip over everyone
still had that peculiar feeling men
ltioned above, premonition that
something was going to happen.
Everything went we'll until we had
been out about five hours, when at 2
fhn Oft 10 n
sounded the alarm for something
about one thousand yards off our
starboard quarter, which kept pop
ping up out of the water, remaining
in sight for few moments and then
disappearing again. 1t was reported
to the control officer, but before he
could locate it it had disappeared
lat 4 o'clock it was sighted again, but
still we were not positive, but right
then and there. every man in oul
gun crew made up his mind to keeI
lookout like he had never kept be-
fore Nothing more was seen Of the
object from that time until we were
hit by the torpedo.
cit is my opinion that the Sub
followed us from that afternoon at
o'clock until nightfall, so that h
could take pot-shot at us and ger
away with it, which he did, / an
sorry to say.
"My watch was relieved at eigh
o clock. There was going to be .
picture show that night, and I haA
, started down to see it when my gui
,, captain said: L don't advise every
body to go to the movies, becaus
4 ljust as sure as you go something
gazing to happen / said, all right
: Will turn in which did. 1t seem
. ed as though I had Just gotten aslee
liwhen 'blooey' a torpedo struck us o
. Jour port side, amidship. Our oil
ship gave mighty tremor and seem
ed to us to be grooming in agony.
"I came tumbling out of my bun
: with the rest of my mates, and how
j managed it do not know, but ha
my clothes on when / hit the decl
and I sure was going some at tina
}. l ran to my station at the gun, but i
the blackness of the night there wa
= nothing to be seen.
There was no Semblance of
II panic. Everybody was as cool as tn
III proverbial cucumber and perfect dis
III cipline reigned The order was give
to abandon ship, but the gun crew
had to remain at their posts unit
everyone else had left the ship. TIL
II pointer on the port gun saw some
thing which he thought was sui
marine emerging, and took thre
| shots at it, but without success, 6
far as we could see. He was the
| ordered to cease firing, as it place
the lives of the men in the lifeboa
in jeopardy. All hands then aba.
doned ship and took to the sma
boats. ! tell you 1t was a peculis
sensation, floating around in the mil
die of the ocean, so dark you cou
n not see the end of the boat, and n
knowing when relief was coming.
"The boat I was in was final
III picked up by the destroyer Smit
II and want to say that the small 10
II of life is due mostly to her comman
II ing officers. I do not mean that e
I'LL loss of life was due to him, but tn
Hit was due to him that no more th'
II six were lost. He had the courage
II stop his engines and pick up eve
III tuurutvor This of course euda,ng6