A GRIM STORY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 232, 19 June 1918, Page 7

A GRIM STORY

FATE OF A U-BOAT CREW London, Juno 17. A grim story is told of tho destruction of ono of Germany's most recent- Tlboats, which was one of the last to leave Zeobruggo before the port was bottled up. Out of a. crew of forty only two survived after a terriblo struggle with death for ninety minutes twenty fathoniß bolow tho (surface, whero tho vessel foundered after striking a A number of the crew committed suicide,' believing there was no chance of leaving the submarine alive. The commander was one of the most expert in tho German submarine service. Tho explosion tlirew the dolicn.lo machinery of the vossel out of gear, and a portion of the vessel was plunged in darkness. The engineer succeeded in putting the submarine in a horizontal position, and prevented . her turning turtle. The water poured in aft, and an attempt to blow tho tanks proved unsuccessful. The vessel would not rise to tho surface. The inrush of water increased, and tho only chanco of escaping was to foVco open tho conning tower and tho forward i hatches, and trust to tho compressed air driving each man like a torpedo to the surface. Tlw effort to open ono of tho torpedo hatches was futile, the outside pressure being too great. Tho water mounted higher and higher, creeping up tho men's legs. Tho seawater mixing with tho chemicals in the accumulators created a poisonous, gas, and tho crew was faced with suffocation. Tho conditions became so teirible that some of the men began to loso their reason, and threw themselves headlong into the water to die. Ono tried to shoot himself, but the revolver , missed fire; and he jumped into the wateV in the bottom of the vessel. , After superhuman efforts the forward hatch and the conning t.owor were forced opon, and those still silivo escaped through the batch. As the men reached tho surface the compressed air burst their lungs. Twenty sank with bloodcurdling yells. A British trawler picked up tiio two survivors.—Aus.-ft .Z. Cable Assn. THE ATTACTON AMERICA SURVIVORS 01?. TWENTIETH VICTIM PICKED UP. New York, June 17. A naval vessel picked up tho survivors of the Krinsja. Tho Krinsj'a i 9 tho twentieth ship sunk by U-boats in American waters.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. j