Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-09-22 | Page 44 | U. S. Destroyer Makes Record

II. S. DESHI IHKKJEGORD Rescuing Ship Saves 144 Sailors of British Hospital Hos-pital Vessel. Ey FRAZEER HUNT. (New York Times-Chicago Tribune Cable, Copyright. lfUS.) AT A FRENCH PORT, Sept. CI. A brajid new American destroyer, on Us maiden voyage, covered itself with glory tbe otficr day vhen it came into port with 14-i rescued survivors of a torpedoed torpe-doed British ship. It is dangerous work to stop a.nd either up lifeboats, for it is a trick of the German Ger-man subs to hover about and torpedo a rescuing ship. But this made do difference dif-ference to the American destroyer. Hurrying Hur-rying to the spot it swung down the ladder and took on board five boatloads. All vere wet and cold and many were almost exhausted. The torpedoed ship was hit at i o'clock in the afternoon while the ninety-six passengers were having tea in the salon. All were thrown from their chairs by the explosion. The torpedo hit forward of No. 1 hatch, almost directly under the bridge. The man at the wheel, Paddy Parrel of Boston, was killed instantly. The American had been torpedoed six limes previouslj. but this seventh time proved fatal. The officer on watch was badly hurt and the captain so stunned that three minutes later, when the thip sunk, he went down with it. A second after the explosion the passengers rushed on dock and the officers and men in the boiler and engine rooms hurried above. Lifeboats that swung out from the davits were lowered instantly. The ship settled rapidly in the heavy seas. Fortunately the torpedo struck the fuel oil tanks and thousands of gallons of oil came to the surface to settle the waters. Men jumping from the ship and swimming to the boats had their eyes burned -and hair plastered by the -heavy j oil. but it saved. many lives. Three minutes after the torpedoing the ship stood on its nose and then sunk like ; dead weight. Ten of the crew, including j the skipper, first and second officers, and ; Bthree passengers, either went down with it or were drowned. Ninety-three -passengers and forty-eight members of the crew , were- saved. - - j No one saw the submarine then, bat an hour and a half afterwards It- came to the surface, opened tbe conning tower, and an officer stuck out his head and took a pood look around. The survivors expected to be shelled, but in a few minutes min-utes the submarine closed the conning tower and disappeared. The men in the boats who had not been wet when they left the ship were soon drenched by the heavy ses. It took an hour before all , were safe aboard tbe destroyer, lmroe- i diately the wbolo ship was placed at the disposal of the survivors. They were taken below, given warm drinks, alcohol rub3 and clothing and then put in warm beds by the officers- and crew. When it came in at 9 o'clock this morning morn-ing the survivors made almost pathetic attempts to thank the destroyer men. "Mi' own family couldn't Have " done more for me than those fine American boys," odc elderly civilian said. "I was completely exhausted and suffering terrible ter-rible chills.. The boys rushed me to a warm bed and rubbed me with alcohol, then gave me a good warm drink. I slept Like a. baby. When I awoke they had dried my clothes and treated me like a prince. I thall. never forget how kind they were." Among the survivors were two American Amer-ican T. M. C. A. men. Besides the sailor sai-lor killed by. the explosion they were the only Americans aboard. For a brand new destroyer, making Its initial bow into the danger zone, it was an unusual introduction. But it did the job splendidly. Simply another case of the efficiency and training of the American Amer-ican navy.