Mountain advocate. (Barbourville, Ky.) 1904-1935, 1914-12-25

rush TO the bows. and there was n rat
tie OF rife fire. Two bullets were nut.
tened upon our four inch armor You
might as well try to stop a charging
bull with paper pellets ns the lota with
ride fire. bad learned my lesson
from the Adela. and tubs time had
the torpedo discharged at safer d..
tance-250 yards. We caught her nmn
ships, and the explosion was troW"7
dous. but we were well outside is
area. She sank almost iustynti.-
ously,
am sorry for her people, OF WLrT
/ bear that more than 200, includiH-
seventy lascars and forty passengers.
were drowned. Yes, | am sorry tuI
them But when ! think ~ the huge
floating granary that went to the bot
tom rejoice as man does who has
carried out that which he plans.
1t was q bad afternoon for the =
and o. company. The second sim,
which we destroyed was, as we hav"
since learned, the Moldavia of i5.Oup
tons, one or their finest vessels. Bur
about half past 3 we blew up the Cu-
co, Of 5000 tons, Of the same line als'
from eastern ports and laden wits
corn. Why she came on in face 60
the wireless messages. which mus
have warned her Of danger, ] caunu.
imagine. The other two steamr.
which we blew up that day, the Ma
Of Athens RobsOn inel and the Coz.
morant, were neither Of them prOyI
ed with apparatus and came blind
to their destruction. Both were su..
boats of from 5000 to 1000 tons. iu
the case of the second | had to ri-.
to the surface and fire six tweivn-
pound shells under her water line De-
fore she would sink. In each case the
crew took to the boats, and, so far rs
know, no casualties occurred.
After that no more steamers came
along nor did ] expect them. Warn
ings must by this time have been
flying In all directions. But we had
no reason to be dissatisfied with our
first day. Between the Maplln sands
and the More We had sunk five ships
of a total tonnage Of about 10000 tons
Already the London markets would
begin to feel the pinch. And Lloyds
poor old Lloyd's-what a demeuted
state it would be in! could imagine
the London evening papers anu the
bowling in Fleet street. We saw the
result of our actions, for it was quite
laughable to see the torpedo boats
buzzing ike angry wasps out Of
Sheerness in the evening. They were
darttng in every direction across the
estuary, and the aeroplanes and hydro
planes We're like flights Of crows, back
dots against the red western sky.
They quartered the whole river mouth
until they discovered us at last. Some
sharp sighted fellow with a telescope
on board Of destroyer got a sight Of
our periscope and came for Us full
speed. No doubt he would very glad
IL have rammed us, even II II lad
meant his own destruction, hut mat
was not part of our program at all. |
sank her and ran her east-sOutheaSt.
with an occasional rise. Finally we
brought her TO- not very far from the
Kentish coast, and the searchlightS or
pursuers were far on the western sky
e line. There we lay quietly all night.
for a submarine at night is nothing
e more than a very third rate surface
O torpedo boat Besides, we were all
+ weary and needed rest. Do not for
get, you captains of men, when you
grease and trim your pumps and COM
d. pressors and rotators, that the human
le machine needs some tending also.
= had put up the wireless mast above
the coming tower and had no difficulty
! In calling up Captain Stephan. he was
lying, he said, off Nentnor ana had
"a been unable to reach his station on ac
count of engine trouble, which he hli
o. now set right Next morning be pro-
~ posed to block the Southampton ap'
u proach. He had destroyed one large
rs Indian boat on his way down cham
mel We exchanged good wishes. Like
1e myself, he needed rest | was up al
II 4 In the morning, however aud called
III all hands to overhaul the boat she
u was somewhat up by the head, OWING
% to the forward torpedoes having beer
eh used, 80 we trimmed her by opening
Ill the forward compensating tank, admit
cA ting as much water as the torpedoes
" had weighed. We also ovcrG2Gled th'
~ starboard air compressor and one OF
y the periscope motors, which had beer
We Jared by the shock OF the first expo
d sion. We had hardly got ourselves
.iy shipshape when the morning dawned'
Ill i have no doubt that good man!
ny ships which had taken refuge IN tn
h' French ports M the fret alarm had ruI
III across and got safely up the river In tn
!" night. or course / could have attacS
u' ed them, but do not care to tax
We risks, and there are always risks 10
a submarine at night. But one hat
I'll miscalculated his time, and there sh
Ia was Just abreast Of Warden poin
I'M when the daylight disclosed her to US
~ In an instant we were after her.