DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

SUBMARINE •WARFARE. 249
[Inclosure.]
Deposition of AUe Dorsey.
AMERICAN CONSULATE,
Cardiff, Wales.
I, Alle Dorsey, do solemnly swear that I am an
American citizen. I was born at 22 Water Street, Norfolk,
Virginia, in September, 1890. My father, Ben
Dorsey, lives now at 26 Water Street, Norfolk, Va. I
was a fireman on the British S. S. Barbara of West
Hartlepool, England; H. Mayne, master. I left Barry
Dock, Wales, in the Barbara on June 12th, 1916, and
went to Genoa and Gibraltar and then to Santiago,
Cuba, and to Philadelphia, Pa.
I left Philadelphia with the vessel at the end of
August last. The vessel was bound for West Hartlepool
with a cargo of sugar. There were no guns on the vessel.
There were two other American seamen on the Barbara,
one was named George West, but I do not know the name
of the other. The vessel called at Dover for orders on
its way to West Hartlepool and about twenty-four hours
after leaving Dover, on the twentieth day of October at
four o'clock in the afternoon I was coming up to the
forecastle when the watch told me there was a submarine
in sight. I saw the submarine which was about half a
mile from our vessel on the port bow. It was flying the
German flag, but I could not see if there was a number
on it. The captain said it was not a submarine. I returned
to the forecastle and then I heard the report of a
gun. The captain ordered the engines to be stopped and
all the crew to stand by the boats. I ran out on deck and
went to the port side boat, then I went back to the forecastle
to try and save my clothes but I heard another shot
and returned to the boat. The captain was then in the
starboard side boat, and both boats were lowered. All
the crew were in the two boats and no one was injured.
No flag was hoisted on our vessel after the shots were
fired by the submarine, and no one from the submarine
came aboard our vessel. I do not know how far our vessel
was from the coast.
The Spanish S. S. Victor Trava was about 200 yards
away from our vessel and took all our crew on board.
About twenty minutes after leaving the Barbara we
saw that vessel sink. Several shots were fired at it after
the crew were in the boats. The submarine followed the
Spanish ship for about three hours, it was then too dark
to see what became of the submarine. We were on the
Spanish ship when we saw our vessel sink.
We were on board the Spanish ship for four days and
were landed at Bilbao on October 24th, 1916. About
twelve of the crew were shipped in different vessels to
England. I was sent to Middlesbrough and thence by
train to Barry Dock, Wales.( I have not yet received the
wages due to me from the Barbara, and have no money
and only the clothes I stand up in. I am at present staying
at 23 Travis Street, Barry Dock, Wales.
His
AXLE X DORSET.
Mark.