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[Note: This letter appeared in The Moody Church News, July 1941, Vol. 26, No. 7, page 3. Four of the missionaries on board the Zamzam were members of Moody Church in Chicago, Illinois, USA: Robert Muir, Walter John and Clara Guilding, and Jessie Blanchard]
Zam Zam Refugees
Hotel Netto
Sintra
Portugal
Dear Brother Hall:
When thou passest through the waters (of the Atlantic) I will
be with thee and through the rivers, (of Africa) they shall not overflow thee.
For I am the Lord, thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.” (Isa.
43:2,3).
Praise God for His word that is established forever in heaven? We are all
safe an(l sound here in Lisbon, Portugal. Mrs. Muir and myself are hoping
to be able to proceed to Angola, Portuguese, West Africa from here. Of course,
you have long heard of the disaster that overtook the Steamship Zam Zam-and
the fact that we were rescued. The simple facts are as follows: The German
Raider overtook us in the early hours of the morning of April 7th. They followed
us, unknown to our own officers, till daylight. Even when seen, our officers
did not suspect that it was a raider and only after it opened fire, was it
realized. About fifteen shots were fired, damaging the Zam Zam.
One shot hit below the water line which made the ship to list. This was what
led to the apprehension that the Zam Zam was going to sink quickly and there
was an increased effort to get every one off immediately. However, it soon
righted itself and would have stayed afloat another day. As it was, the raider
took us all on board, and sent the crew to salvage as much clothing, bedding
and food as possible. At about three o’clock the same afternoon, they
dynamited the Zam Am and it went over on its side and sank. We were all on
the deck of the raider and witnessed its sinking.
Immediately we turned west and that night about midnight, contacted the "Mother"
ship to the raider. We were transhipped the i8th of April to the Dresden (the
Mother ship). We stayed in the South Atlantic another week while the raiders
sought fruitlessly for other victims, and then were sent off to Europe. There
•were two Americans and one British passenger badly wounded and had to
be left on the raider in charge of the doctor. The last we heard from them
(which was just before we sailed for Europe) was that they were doing well
and the German doctor had worked hard to bring them through. They had ugly
compound fractures of limbs and one had a skull fracture. All the missionaries
escaped without a scratch and there were only minor wounds to the Egyptian
crew.
The German Captain of the Dresden was very kind and did everything he could
to make it easy for us, especially for the women and children. They were given
the cabins and the men and the Egyptian crew were given spacious hatches,
below deck, of course, but we were above deck all day long and could see the
women and children two hours every day as well as conduct religious services
on Sundays.
The worst of all was the constant suspense of running the British blockade
the last four days when going into Spanish waters. But it is all over now
and we praise God we are free to either return to America or, I hope, go on
to Africa. This is yet very uncertain but we will advise you as soon as we
know definitely. Praise God for all His marvelous goodness to men. We thank
Him when we realize that we have you there praying for us. Continue-instant
in prayer-with thanksgiving.
-Bob and Martha Muir.