Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 220, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1918 — CAPTIVE FOR FIFTEEN DAYS ON U-BOAT [ARTICLE]

CAPTIVE FOR FIFTEEN DAYS ON U-BOAT

Skipper of Merchant Vessel Describes Life on Diver and in Hun Camps. FOOD IS POOR AND SCARCE

Shifted From Prison Camp to Camp and Everywhere Conditions Are Same—ls Made to Suffer Many Indignities. S ' r London. —Among those who recently have been released from German prison camps and who have reached this country via Switzerland is a captain of a merchant vessel who was taken prisoner by the commander Of a submarine after his vessel had been torpedoed, and who spent 15 days in the U-boat. This was the second ship In which the British captain had been torpedoed. The story follows: “My ship was torpedoed without warning. The force of the explosion was- so great that the bridge was wrecked, and when I recovered from the shock I found the ship was sinking. None of the crew was injured, and we were all able to get away in the boats.

“As we were in British waters and it was broad daylight, I did not fear that we would not soon reach land, but hardly had we pulled clear of the sinking ship than the U-boat emerged. The commander summoned us to his vessel and ordered me to go on board. “I had arrived just in time for the midday meal, stew with stringy meat, which was probably horse flesh, small portions of sausage and black bread. “While I wts on board s|x steamers were torpedoed, and one sailing vessel sunk by gunfire, 39 shells being necessary to do this. The U-boat also attacked by gunfire several other steamers during the voyage; but had to submerge owing to intervention of British war vessels.

Depth Bombs Fearpd. "On the third day I gathered that the U-boat was about to carry out an attack on a convoy which had been sighted. The boat approached under water for some distance, and torpedoed a Ikrge steamer. Our whereabouts were evidently detected, for we dived rapidly to a great depth. Hardly had the boat got on an even keel when we heard a tremendous explosion caused the submarine to vibrate frouf stem to stern. It was a depth charge. The effect on the crew -was evident. All stood trembling, with faces blanched with fear, inot attempting to speak a word. No further explosions,, however, took place, and after lying some eighteen fathoms deep for a long period we continued on our voyage.

“The submarine was equipped with •powerful wireless apparatus, and every day, about 9 a. m. remained on the surface in wireless communication with the base. One of the officers kept a record of these messages. One :night the news arrived of the American declaration of w-ar. It was eagertly discussed by the crew, some of whom expressed the hope that they would be allowed to go on submarine service in the Gulf of Mexico in order to escape the severity of the North sea.

“Eventually the submarine arrived at Helgoland and I was taken ashore and handed over to a military guard. My only food was a crust of bread, a .piece of cheese and some very weak soup. After remaining there a day iandahalf I was taken to Wllhelmshavjen where again there seemed to be a •shortage of food, and afterward to ; Brandenburg, a workingmen’s camp,

in which I remained until October 3. It was at this camp that I got the news of the murder of prisoners who w?re forced to remain in a hut which had caught fire. When I arrived at Brandenburg I was put in a large hut quite alone. Here I came in contact with 300 victims of the Moewe, and subsequently was transferred to a special part of the camp set apart for captains of the mercantile marine, of whom there were about forty. The food was of the coarsest possible character. From Brandenburg I went to Holzminden, an officers’ camp for all British, where the food was much better, but we were obliged to pay considerable sums toward' our maintenance.

Suffers Many Indignities. “Later I was transfered to Strohcn. where, instead of current coin of the realm, they issued stamps as camp money. From Strohen I went to Heidelberg.. “I was transferred to Switzerland, and eventually was released and enabled to reach England June 19. “At Brandenbur'g we were made to suffer various indignities, and were made to harness ourselves to carts

which we had to draw through the streets to the station or post office, to fetch our parcels and any commodities to camp. It was at this camp alsc that I saw 300 Russian soldiers working in the last stages of consumption. The poor fellows could not get enough to eat. and they would eagerly scrape discarded tins in the hope of finding particles of food. I have even seen German soldiers do the same thing. We were glad to search the cinder paths in the hope of finding coke or coal with which to cook our food.”