Captain C. M. Gilmore of the Edna said that when he was stopped by
the U-boat an officer came aboard and told him he had ten minutes to
abandon ship. During the week he was on board the submarine, Captain
Gilmore said the Americans were treated with such extreme courtesy
by the Germans that it was evident that the whole matter was being
done under orders with the hope of having an effect on American public
opinion. Captain Gilmore added:
The officers of the submarine included a spare Captain who was
apparently on hand to take charge of any prize that might be
worth while turning into a raider, the commander of the U-boat
itself, and two others. These gave up their berths to me and the
master of the Hattie Dunn, and the Germans of the crew gave up
their bunks to the sailors and slept in hammocks themselves. The
officers gave us wines, cordials, and fine cigars, and in general
treated us with such marked hospitality that it seemed apparent
that they were carrying out a course that had been laid upon them.
The commander said that he had fuel and supplies for a month in
American waters and intended to stay here for that time before
going back.
The Carolina, a 5,000-ton passenger steamship belonging to the New
York and Porto Rico Steamship Line, which was sunk at 6 P. M. on June
2, had on board the largest number of persons of any of the ships
destroyed. Passengers and crew numbered 331. All escaped except seven
out of the twenty-six who were put on board on a motor launch. The
launch encountered a heavy storm and overturned. Christian Nelson,
Chief Engineer of the Carolina, who was in charge of the launch, after
a great effort managed to right it, but in the meanwhile seven persons
had disappeared in the sea. With the aid principally of a young Porto
Rican girl, who did not understand English, but who behaved very
intelligently and bravely, Nelson kept the launch afloat, although it
was waterlogged and the engine would not work. The launch was finally
picked up by a British freighter, which took the survivors into Lewes,
Del. The rest of the passengers and crew of the Carolina were picked
up by other vessels and safely landed. Some of the survivors were more
than twenty hours at sea in open boats.