Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1919-03-26
Awarded the Distinguished serv-
ice Medal by President
Wilson.
SAVES 600 YANk SOLDIERS
Goes to Assistance of Transport
Otranto When She Was Sunk in
Collision Off Irish Coast With
American Troops on
Board.
BY e. w. BARRETT.
Editor Birmingham Aae-Herald.

Editor Birmingham Age-Heraio-
If ever man were entitled to the
distinguished service medal, 1t was
that young British lieutenant, Fran
els w. Craven Of the destroyer Noun
sey.
A dispatch from London announced
that President Wilson had awarded
him.this medal and that Maj. Gen. Bid
die, commander of the American
forces in the United Kingdom, had
presented it to him.
The medal was awarded, in the
words of the London cable, "to Lieut..
Francis w. Craven, who commanded
the British destroyer Mounsey, which
saved 600 American soldiers from the
British transport Otranto, when she
was sunk in collision off the Irish
coast on Oct. 8, 1918, with the loss
of 357 American soldiers"
Though the British government con-
ferred no honor upon Lieut.. Craven for
his work, because 1t was not an act
Of valor In war combat, no man In any
navy ever showed more courage nor
demonstrated more perfect seaman
ship than did Lieut.. Craven on this
occasion.
The full story is worth telling, now
that the censorship Is off and no fur
Their obligation rests upon the news
paper man who was In the offing, so
to speak, when this horror of the sea
| occurred.
Flagship Of Convoy.
The Otranto, which went down, was
the flagship of convoy of fourteen
troop laden, influenza infected ships
which sailed from New York on Sept.
% last She was a British-Australian
liner, with something like a thousand
American soldier boys aboard. On her
sister ship, the Orontes, nasty old
plague infected refrigerator freighter
with limited and dirty passenger ac-
commodations, eighteen hundred sol
der boys, the writer and about fifty
! other passengers were crowded to-
gether like cattle.
We were accompanied from New
York by battleship, cruiser and
destroyer. The route was to be around
the north of Ireland and down the
Irish channel to Liverpool. All sorts
of hard luck hit the convoy and par
ticularIy the Otranto. She first ran
into fishing fleet and cut down two
boats but saved the crews. In doing
so she fell behind, but caught up
when we ran into fearful storm and
continued battling against 1t for sew
eral days.
Scattered In Storm.
Before reaching British waters
north of Ireland, the American naval
vessels turned back or were scattered
in the storm. Our old ship was strug-
Cling and our captain was begging In
wireless messages to Capt. Davidson
of the Otranto for more sea room.
He feared going on the rocky shores
of North Ireland. Capt. Davidson
made no answer to repeated calls.
Then our wireless went down, our
boats were crushed the smoking room
doors and ports were smashed in. the
galleys, dining saloon and many state
rooms were flooded. Only cold foods
were obtainable. To make matters
worse, 400 soldier boys were down
|
like cattle in the public rooms and
on mattresses strewn about wherever
there was enclosed room. Medicines
were exhausted, and dead and dying
were all about.
In the meantime every ship put
about to save its own, heading into
the storm. The Otranto and other
ships not needing our captains warn
lngs were almost upon the rocks OF
Ireland. A veritable hurricane was
blowing. Waves broke entirely over
the ships.
The Otranto, in trying to get out of
its predicament turned across the
bow of the Kashmere, another enor-
nous old freighter crowded with
troops. The Kashmere's bow cut
through her sides and deep into her
engine room, stopping her engines and
cutting out her lighting system. She
became a broken log and was dashed
upon the rocky cliffs. No other ship
dared attempt assistance. Each was
struggling to save itself.
Mounsey to the Rescue.
Then came the little destroyer Noun
sey, blowing through the waves like
submarine. She managed to run 10
beside the laundering ship. Lifeboats
had been lowered, but were smashed
in, and the little Mounsey was pound
ing against the hull of the big ship
first damned against the side and then
knocked far off. In the meantime
the soldier boys jumped for their lives
toward the deck of the little destroyer
Many would land and be rushed into
the matches. Others would miss the
distance, jump and drop into the sea
Still others would strike each othersir
the long jump from the high deck Of
he Otranto to the swash deck of the