the left. Before again
taking the water the torpedo hit the ship well aft on the port side
about frame one hundred sixty-three and above the water line. Almost
immediately after the explosion of the torpedo the depth charges,
located on the stern and ready for firing, exploded. There were two
distinct explosions in quick succession after the torpedo hit.

"But one life was lost. Osman K. Ingram, gunner's mate, first class, was
cleaning the muzzle of number 4 gun, target practice being just over
when the attack occurred. With rare presence of mind, realizing that the
torpedo was about to strike the part of the ship where the depth charges
were stored and that the setting off of these explosions might sink the
ship, Ingram, immediately seeing the danger, ran aft to strip these
charges and throw them overboard. He was blown to pieces when the
torpedo struck. Thus, Ingram sacrificed his life in the performance of a
duty which he believed would save his ship and the lives of the officers
and men on board."

TORPEDOING THE PRESIDENT LINCOLN.

One of the most spectacular and thrilling incidents of our naval warfare
in which more than a score of colored men bravely and heroically
participated, was the attack and sinking of the _U.S.S. President
Lincoln_, the commanding officer of which reports as follows:

"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_, _Antigone_, and _Ryndam_, the latter being on the left
flank of the formation and about eight hundred yards from the _President
Lincoln_. The ships were about five hundred 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 one hundred and twenty feet
from the bow and immediately afterwards another explosion occurred on
the port side of the ship about one hundred and twenty feet from the
stern, these explosions being immediately identified as coming from
torpedoes fired by a German submarine.

"It was found that the ship had been struck by three torpedoes, which
were 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 torpedo had been sighted by the
officers and lookouts on watch, but the torpedoes were so clo