ficers whom they desired to take prisoners. The submarine commander
was able to identify only one officer, Lieutenant E.V.M. Isaacs, whom he
took on board and carried away. The submarine remained in the vicinity
of the boats for about two hours and returned again in the afternoon,
hoping apparently for an opportunity of attacking some of the other
ships which had been in company with the _President Lincoln_ but which
had, in accordance with standard instructions, steamed as rapidly as
possible from the scene of attack.

[Sidenote: After dark signal lights.]

By dark the boats and rafts had been collected and secured together,
there being about 500 men in the boats and about 200 on the rafts.
Lighted lanterns were hoisted in the boats and flare-up lights and
Coston signal lights were burned every few minutes, the necessary detail
of men being made to carry out this work during the night.

[Sidenote: Water and food limited.]

The boats had been provided with water and food, but none was used
during the day, as the quantity was necessarily limited and it might be
a period of several days before a rescue could be effected.

The ship's wireless plant had been put out of commission by the force of
the explosion, and although the ship's operator had sent the radio
distress signals, yet it was known that the nearest destroyers were 250
miles away, protecting another convoy and it was possible that military
necessity might prevent their being detached to come to our rescue.

[Sidenote: Destroyers _Warrington_ and _Smith_ arrive.]

At about 11 p.m. a white light flashing in the blackness of the
night--it was very dark--was sighted, and very shortly it was found that
the destroyer _Warrington_ had arrived for our rescue and about an hour
afterwards the destroyer _Smith_ also arrived. The transfer of the men
from the boats and rafts to the destroyers was effected as quickly as
possible and the destroyers remained in the vicinity until after
daylight the following morning, when a further search was made for
survivors who might have drifted in a boat or on a raft, but none were
found, and at about 6 a.m. the return trip to France was begun.

The performance of Lieutenant Commander Kenyon, commanding the U.S.
destroyer _Warrington_, and Lieutenant Commander Klein, of the U.S.
destroyer _Smith_ deserves great commendation, as they located our
position in the middle of the night, after having run a distance of
about 250 miles, d