DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

SUBMARINE WARFARE. 213
We finished loading on the night of the 26th and sailed
for Bremen the 27th of January.
We had 4,600 bales of cotton and pig iron as ballast.
I understand that the iron was distributed in all four
hatches.
We cleared from Charleston.
I do not know whether the captain had any special
sailing instructions before leaving.
The captain was Edgar L. Cole.
Shortly after leaving Charleston the captain told me
that he had orders to go via the English Channel and then
to the Hook of Holland, where the agents were to furnish
us a pilot for Germany.
I know that the captain never had any difficulties with
his officers or crew.
We broke the steering gear twice, the first time February
1st, about 600 miles south of Halifax and about 900
miles east of New York, and the second time 90 miles
west of the Scilly Islands, Feb. 13th.
When the gear broke the first time, it carried away the
hand gear as well, and we had nothing to go by except the
steam gear.
After the steam gear had been repaired it was as good
as ever.
The gear was repaired immediately after it broke.
The ship had proper charts to bring her across the
Atlantic and through the Channel, but the chart of the
North Sea was not a good one as it was too small. We
got a new North Sea chart at the Hook of Holland which
was a large scale chart and a good one.
We had the January and February Hydrographic
charts from the United States Government on board.
I believe the master and pilot consulted these charts.
The master expected to be able to get proper instructions
and a qualified pilot at the Hook of Holland.
We took our English pilot at Nab Lightship. He
took us via the Downs to Sunk Lightship.
The British boarding officer came on board at the
Downs after we had laid there about 44 hours. We
anchored at Downs the night of the 17th and the boarding
officer came the morning of the 19th.
His visit was delayed on account of a heavy southwest
gale and a rough sea. The delay was due to weather
conditions.
He detained us about 12 hours before giving us permission
to proceed.
The captain discussed the voyage with the English
pilot.
The pilot advised the master as to what he considered
the best route to the Maas Lightship, and the pilot laid
down the course on the chart, via Galloper Lightship.
We reached the Hook of Holland Feb. 20th, at 3 p. m.
about.
The captain went ashore to see about securing a German
pilot, or pilot for Germany, and the Dutch sea pilot
remained on board until he returned.
The captain applied to his agents at Kotterdam for a
pilot.