ILL-FATED MARINERS

Taranaki Daily News, 9 February 1916, Page 2

ILL-FATED MARINERS

TRAGIC SEA STORY. SINKING OP THE ORTERIC. A story of the inhumane and unscrupulous depredations ef enemy submarines is related by the third officer (James M. Scott) and the third engineer (Reginald Lowes) of the steamer Orteric (0535 t<ms), which belonged to tlie Bank Line, and which was torpedoed 011 December 10 in the Mediterranean while on a passage from Pisagua (West Csast of Soutli America) to Alexandria. The officers arrived in Sydney a few days ago, and were interviewed by a representative of the Daily Telegraph. The ill-fated vessel was carrying a cargo of 10,000 tons of nitrate of soda, and the value of the steamer and cargo combined was something like half a million. There were ten Europeans and fifty Chinese aboard at the time of the disaster. Two Chinese were killed and four wounded.

"It was on December 10, about 4.30 p.m.,'' said Third-Officer -Scott, "when wo sighted a submarine off the port bow. We were then some 200 miles west of Alexandria, and the Orteric was doing about 14 knots. Knowing it would soon be dark, Captain McGill hoped to outmanoeuvre the submarine, and for that purpose brought it right astern. Needless to say, excitement ran high. The submarine commenced to flre almost immediately. The first six shots fell short, and the enemy craft then kept quiet for about five minutes. But our hopes that we would lose her were soon shattered. She was apparently gaining, because the next two or three shells fell ahead of us. It was not lone before she got the range, and a she)] struck the fore-deck. CHINESE HEAD BLOWN OFF. "The next shot landed on the afterdeck, and it was this shot that killed one of the Chinese. It took his head clean off. The remarkable thing was that the unfortunate fellow continued to ri<n for some distance without his head. "By this time our wireless had been shot away, and Captain McGll] decided to surrender. I wen!t down and pulled a sheet off the captain's bunk, and was hauling it up the halyards when another shell struck, the vessel. Still another landed in the stokehold and burst some steam pipes. The submarine commander apparently took no notice of our white flag. He fired more after it was hoisted than before. The shells were about 4in in diameter. Fortunately the sea was fairly calm. We were launching four of the boats when a shell struck one, nnd, knocking the bottom out of it, killed another Chinese and wounded four.

. "The other three boats got. 6afely away, but the Chinese became greatly excited, and in the rush Captain McGill, the second engineer, the wireless operator and I were left aboard. However, we got away in one of the small emergency boats, and in this wo tied ,up under the stern of the Orteric. thinking we would be safer there. But the shells form the enemy vessel became too numerous, and we pulled clear. Then the submarine came to within about two hundred feet of the Orteric, and put a torpedo into her. She sank in five minutes, after a terrific explosion, caused in part, no doubt, by the bursting of her boilers. A DASTARDLY ENEMY. ,; But our acquaintance with the dastardly enemy," continued the third officer, "was to become more intimate. The submarine moved up quite close to where we were in the small boat, and the commander said in perfect English: 'la the master aboard? Come alongside at once!' Captain McGill stepped aboard the submarine, and was immediately covered with a revolver by the commander. Captain McGill turned to him and said. Tin not hero to shoot: I'm here to talk.' "The submarine commander then took Captain McGill to the conningtower, where he forced him to sign a book. Captain 'McGill did not i;now what it was he signed, as the matter was written in German. He asked the commander, but was refused an answer. I had my hand on the side of the submarine, steadying our boat. The crew of the submarine were all exceptionally yonng-looking, but filthy dirty, all being dressed in greasy boiler suits. Captain McGill was then told to get aboard our small boat again. He did so. and asked the submarine commander if he would tell the other three boats, which we could clearly see , in the distance, to come and pick us up before it got dark. The commander, however, in a haughty and surprised tone, said: 'I see no boats,' but told us that there were two men in the water among the wreckage of the Orerie. and that we had better go and get them.

SEARCHING THE WRECKAGE. ''The enemy craft then left us. She was painted a uniform grey, and had absolutely no distinguishing marks or numbers on her. We went over to the wreckage, but could find nobody. We picked up some additional oars and rowlocks, and with the help these afforded joined the other three boats, just as it was getting dark. We kept together and some time later sighted the lights of a steamship. It turned out to lie the hospital ship . She was dubious at first about answering our distress signals. The captain thought apparently that we were an enemy submarine trying to trap him. Fortunately he decided to stop, and we were taken up. Our treatment aboard the was everything that could he desired, and the engineers and purser were particularly kind. "Ah it turned out, wo were not the only ill-treated mariners that night. About an hour after we had been taken aboard the we picked up the crew of the Bisurus, which -had been torpedoed while on her way from Alexandria to Liverpool. Thev had been in the boats twelve hours. The following morning on the passage to Alexandria we sighted two more submarines. Tliev followed us for some distance, but did not overtake us. Besides being a hospital ship. the was travelling at a speed of twenty-one knots. Tt was more likely her speed than J.he fact of her being a Red Cross vessel that saved her.'' Asked whether the Orteric w.is armed or carried munitions. Third-Officer Scott answered emphatically in the negative. He ami Third-Engineer l.owes both come from the Newcastle district, and -ivere the only Australians on board the Orteric.