Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-11-27
SINKING OF THE AUDAcIoUS
Fatal Work Was Done by a Submarine
Instead of q Mine.
4 Wa ShingtOn

A Washington dispatch to the New
York Sun, says:
Almost a month after the British
superdreadnought Audacious. was
sunk mysteriously off the North Irish
coast, the authentic story Of her des-
truction has become known-that
she was sunk by torpedo from a
German submarine, and not by mine,
as formerly supposed.
Despite all of the mystery which the
British admiralty sought to throw
around this disaster to one of her
newest and greatest ships, the real
facts are now known.
The news was received from an au-
lucrative source in Berlin, and the de-
tails are closely in harmony with the
report that came from eyewitnesses
who saw the disaster from the steam
ship Olympic.
The Audacious was hit twice, and
the second blow caused her maga-
zines to explode. This entirely re-
flutes the suggestion that the big bat
tleship was blown up by her own
crew ito prevent her becoming q
menace to navigation" as was stated
by some after the disaster.
The Audacious cost $16.O00,OOO and
she was put out of commission by a
little boat that cost at the outside
100000. The German submarine was
of a high number class, probably II
or IS. The boats of that class are about
10 feet long and they have displace-
ment at the surface of from 600 to 70I
tons, and a cruising radius of about
1000 miles. They are driven when run
ming on the surface by fuel oil en-
gines OF the Diesel type, and fuel oil
gives a much longer cruising radius
than any other type of motor.
1t seems strange TO many that there
are no British or German battleships
or first class cruisers anywhere on
the North Sea. These huge fighting
machines are kept away from the
scenes of active fighting because OF
the constant menace of the submarine
and the mine, but they are in close
touch with operations and are con-
stantly on the alert, ready to battle
at any moment the enemy should
leave port. The German vessels are
kept at Wilhelmshaven, CuXhayen, and
in the Kiel canal, and the entrances to
those harbors are closely guarded and
thoroughly mined.
There has been much mystery
about the base of the British fleet, but
last month the Germans, through their
system of espionage, learned that the
British battleship fleet was making It's
base at LOugh Swilly, a harbOr on the
northwest coast of Ireland, where the
water is deep and there is fine protec-
ton in all weather.
When this information was learned
by the German authorities. small
squadron of submarines was sent out
10 try to catch one or more of the
big British battleShipS, and at the
same time to show how alert the Ger
mans We're in haying discovered the
British base.
The submarines, conveyed by a
mother ship" left Wilhelmshaven
and, carefully lodging the mines
worked their way north and then
skirted the coast Of Scotland. on Oc-
tober 26, they discovered the base of
Lough Swilly.
Early on the morning Of October %
gale was blowing and big sea was
running In measure this was favor
able TO the submarine, because in the
high tumbling sea il would be very
difficult to see the small periscope
when the submarine came To the sur
face to take q sight. At the same time
it made things more difficult for those
on the submarine.
1t is possible To picture the sight
which the eyes of the daring German
commander saw as he gazed thrOug:l
his periscope. He saw the British home
fleet, on which Britain's greatness de-
pcnds, cruising in single line in what
Sir John JellicOe thought perfectly
safe waters. He was able to choose
his victim from among the latest and
best ships of the British navy.
The submarine took one look and
then submerged. \ little later she
came To the surface again, and was
only Il short distance from the Au-
dacious and within striking distance.
The submarine divad under water al
| once. Her commander knew that il
| she T, manned near the surface she
would be in great danger AT once
there was activity in the fleet. The big
vessel acting on orders from the Brit
| iSh commander, scattered, each look
| ing out for herself The deStrOyers
and scout cruisers darted hither anG
| thither. trying To find the enemy. \
| wireless was sent to the Olymric warn
| ing Capt. HadduCk of the presence OF
| the enemy'S submarines and asking
| for help.
The AudaciOus for time headed il
toward the harbOr of Lough Swilly
| but before she had gone far she was
| dead in the water and settling very
much at the stern. The Olympic cam,