The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-02
RUSSIA GOT OUR SUBMARINE.
THE FORTUNA, WHICH TOOK 1T
TO THE BALTIC, BACK AGAIN,
And II Was Submarine Torpedo Boat She
Carried on Deck, She Admits-IIadn't
II When She Entered Uleaborg, Fin.
land-n Probably Was Sunk Later.


land-H Probably Was Sunk Later.
The little 800 ton Norwegian steam
ship Fortuna, which slipped away from
Perth Amboy early in the morning OF Sun
day, June S, 'for Cork for orders, freighted
with 1000 tons of coal and what the few
who caught glimpses Of her thought was a
submarine torpedo boat dashed to her
decks, is back in the port of New York
again. 1t was submarine torpedo boat
she carried, and the submarine was turned
over to the Russian Government some
where In the Baltic.
Just where the Russian authorities took
the submarine from the charterers OF the
Fortuna cannot be told now, because the
Fortuna did not make any official entry
Of a port before she transferred the SUBJ
marine. 1t remains a secret who char
tered the Fortuna and at what point the
vessel passed back into the control Of
Daniel Bacon, her agent here. Mr.. Bacon
is on a vacation, and nobody else who may
have the knowledge was willing to talk
yesterday in his absence.
But the Fortuna never went to Cork
for orders" and never intended to go there
any more than she intended to 60 to Cuban
ports" as was given out when she left Nor
folk. Va, on May 30 with the coal aboard
and came up here and shipped the sub
marine. Capt Royan knew his destination
as soon as his journey began and he got
his orders from Cork" long way this side
Of Ireland.
The first port the Fortuna officially en-
tered after leaving New York was Uleaborg
in Finland, on the Gulf OF Bothnia, away up
the Baltic. But before she reached that
point she had got rid Of her war craft.
She reached Uleaborg on July 10 and took
on a cargo Of pit wood for snoring up mines
in Canada. This cargo she brought across
the Atlantic to Port Talbot, Ont. She
was at Port Talbot on Aug. II. After she
had discharged her cargo she sailed, under
orders once more for Sydney, Cape Breton,
but outside that port was ordered by signal
from the lighthouse to continue to New
York, which she reached on Thursday
evening, in ballast.
The Fortuna, besides the freight men,
toned when she left this port with her
submarine, carried, as was suspected at
the time of her sailing three passengers
connected with the submarine. 1t came
out yesterday that they were captain
an engineer and marine electrician. They
left the Fortuna with the submarine to
instruct the Russian purchasers concerning
its manipulation.
This is all that can be gathered at present
from those who know Of the exact doings
Of the Fortuna: that she went direct from
Perth Amboy on June 5 to the Baltic and
there transferred to the Russian authorities
the submarine torpedo boat she carried
away from this port; that three instructors
expert in handling submarines left her
when the torpedo boat did, and the Fortuna
then proceeded about her private business.
She completed her eventful trip by bump
ing into the 5,O00-ton French tramp steamer
Caravellos and bending three Of her bow
plates above the water line as she was
coming up the harbor at 10 o'clock on
Wednesday night. Yesterday morning she
locked at Pier 80, Atlantic Basin, Brook
Ign, where she took on yesterday afternoon
lot OF dunnage lumber to be used in stor-
ing a cargo of case oil. 1t is announced
that her next trip will be to Taku, China
with the oil. Her owners give it out that
no submarines will be concealed in the oil
They say they have had enough worry
and bother over letting out their ship to
pclsotls Niobc iteiitipg tiity Husp htcI
secret for such business.
Last evening the Fortuna was taken to
Robinss dock. Erie Basin. where her dam
aged plates will be repaired by Monday,
Then, il IL announced, she will spend ten
days or two weeks taking on her case oil
cargo and PREF airing for her Chinese voyage.
Concerning the subsequent actions OF the
submarine, the crew of the Fortuna are
ignorant They suspect, however, that
she was the vessel that was sunk at st.
Petersburg about the end of July while
she was making experimental dives for the
instruction Of the Russian crew On the
submarine that sank, while the hatch was
being closed as the vessel was diving,
the arm Of one Of the crew was caught
between the cover and the side Of the hatch.
When it was ra sed to release the mans
arm, ten of the thirty-four men aboard
her rushed out The other twenty-four
went down with the vessel. The men on
the Fortuna say the descr Upton fitted the
submarine they carried across. The YES
sci was afterward raised.
The submarine Protector, owned and
built by the Lake Torpedo Boat Company
has been mi ssing from these waters since
June S.