DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

212 SUBMARINE WARFARE.
From the time we left the Downs we kept a lookout
night and day, which was according to instructions from
America.
The explosion occurred about 10.58, February 22, 1915.
The ship was going full speed at the time, so far as I
know. The weather was somewhat thick, but only for
a few minutes at a time. There was a light fog. The
wind was SW. It was ebb current. The current ran
about from 2 to 4 knots. When we struck the mine we
were about 10 miles north by west of Norderney
Lighthouse.
When the explosion came I was in my cabin. It
seemed to be right amidships. At first I thought something
had gone wrong in the engine room. There is no
doubt in my mind that we struck a mine. I could not
say just how the ship was damaged, as the explosion came
from the port side and I was on the starboard side.
In 20 or 25 minutes we were in the boats which were
swinging in the davits. Practically all of us remained
several minutes on board and the engineers and others
tried to get into the engine and fire rooms to look for the
Third Assistant Engineer and fireman and coal passer,
but it was impossible to get down to them on account of
the rush of sea water and live steam. The three men
were probably killed instantly. After we got clear of the
ship we hung around for 30 or 40 minutes to see if any
trace of the men could be found, but the ship's quarter
deck was already under water then. I do not think the
ship could have staid afloat very long.
I was in charge of boat No. 2.
We were in the boats about one or 1J hours, and were
picked up about 12.45 by the German scout boat Annie
Busse and kept there 48 hours on account of the fog,,
when we were taken to Wilhelmshaven. The German
officers and crew treated us most courteously and even
gave up their beds for us. We reached Wilhelmshaven
at noon of the 24th and arrived in Bremerhaven at 10
o'clock that night.
G. H. GlBTORD,
First Officer S. S. Carib.
AMERICAN CONSULAR AGENCY,
City of Bremerhaven, Empire of Germany, ss:
Subscribed and sworn to before me by the abovenamed
First Officer Gifford on the 28th of February, 1915.
J. F. BUCK,
Consular Agent of the United States of America.
[Seal of American Consular Agency.]
[Inclosure 3.]
Sworn Statement of Third Officer ofS. S. " Carib."
My name is Charles H. Winnett.
I was born in Philadelphia, June 28, 1876.
I was third officer on the S. S. Carib and joined that
vessel at Charleston January 26th, 1915.
I never made the trip to Germany before.