[Sidenote:  The President Lincoln is torpedoed.]

On May 31, 1918, the President Lincoln was returning to America from a voyage to France, and was in line formation with the U.S.S. Susquehanna, the U.S.S. Antigone, and the U.S.S. Ryndam, the latter being on the left flank of the formation and about 800 yards from the President Lincoln.  The weather was pleasant, the sun shining brightly, with a choppy sea.  The ships were about 500 miles from the coast of France and had passed through what was considered to be the most dangerous part of the war zone.  At about 9 a.m. a terrific explosion occurred on the port side of the ship about 120 feet from the bow and immediately afterwards another explosion occurred on the port side about 120 feet from the stern of the ship, these explosions being immediately identified as coming from torpedoes fired by a German submarine.

It was found that the ship was struck by three torpedoes, which had been fired as one salvo from the submarine, two of the torpedoes striking practically together near the bow of the ship and the third striking near the stern.  The wake of the torpedoes had been sighted by the officers and lookouts on watch, but the torpedoes were so close to the ship as to make it impossible to avoid them; and it was also found that the submarine at the time of firing was only about 800 yards from the President Lincoln.

There were at the time 715 persons on board, including about 30 officers and men of the Army.  Some of these were sick and two soldiers were totally paralyzed.

The alarm was immediately sounded and everyone went to his proper station which had been designated at previous drills.  There was not the slightest confusion and the crew and passengers waited for and acted on orders from the commanding officer with a coolness which was truly inspiring.

[Sidenote:  No confusion in leaving ship.]

Inspections were made below decks and it was found that the ship was rapidly filling with water, both forward and aft, and that there was little likelihood that she would remain afloat.  The boats were lowered and the life rafts were placed in the water and about 15 minutes after the ship was struck all hands except the guns’ crews were ordered to abandon the ship.

[Sidenote:  Saving the sick and wounded.]

It had been previously planned that in order to avoid the losses which have occurred in such instances by filling the boats at the davits before lowering them, that only one officer and five men would get into the boats before lowering and that everyone else would get into the water and get on the life rafts and then be picked up by the boats, this being entirely feasible, as everyone was provided with an efficient life-saving jacket.  One exception was made to this plan, however, in that one boat was filled with the sick before being lowered and it was in this boat that the paralyzed soldiers were saved without difficulty.