Perth Amboy evening news., 1915-05-07
ENGLAND is A SOL EMN PLACE
DURING WAR, AND SHOWS IT;
TENSNEESS, BUT NO ALARM
BY EDWARD q. CLARK.

London.--The American ship nila
de;phia made Liverpool-safe, for all
the pre-sailing scare. st. Georges
channel and the Irish sea may have as
| many submarines In them as they have
flsh, which is exceedingly doubtful
but they are pleasant places with a
sufficient half-moon shining down
upon their waters.
| Was there danger as the American
liner. made its way through these
salt seas toward Liverpool Perhaps,
but, If so, no passenger on board gave
expression to it in word or face.
There was tenseness among the
| men And women ON the ship. but ii
was an inward thing. No one with
sense believed for moment that a
submarine would sink an American
passenger ship. Thought dwelt on
the possibility, but 1t seemed to be
one which could come only as the
| offspring of an awful mistake.
Other American ships unquestion'
| ably will continue to go through the
channel and the lesser sea unmen'
aced. There was the spice OF sense
of danger to make the trip exhilarat-
ing or depressing as spice affects the
human frame and mind. No one spoke
OF danger save rarely, and then the
speakers were men. The women said
nothing. In times that seem to be
those Of emergency, even II they are
| not. women always are stronger than
men, but few men there be willing to
admit the patent fact.
Show Up Vessels Name.
AS soon the lights of the South OF
Ireland were sighted, and the Phila-
J delphia entered what In truth is a war
zone, the sailors rigged two great
| electric lamps and hung them over the
| sides of the vessel, where their con-
| centrated beams fell on great white
letters announcing the name of the
| ship and the fact that she WAS AN
American The name could be read
over q long distance, for 1t was high
| enough above the tumbling waters to
stand In the line of vision, clear and
beacon-nke. ....
!
/ lying Ireland was reached no flag was
shown by the Philadelphia. When the
waters Of so-called danger were ap-
preached the Stars and Stripes were
! broken out at the proper station. Or
dtnarily the British flag would have
| been displayed forward as the ensign
| of the port of destination, but the
American captain was taking no
chances with the British flag, either
forward, aft or amidships.
| There were five natives of England
to one native of America on the Phila'
| deIphia, and for once at least on the
| high seas the S..aTs and Stripes looked
| good to English eyes. At sunset the
flag came down and the bright cleo
| trio lights were turned on to the name
and nation of the ship, where within
certain sea limits all men might read
them.
Msn-of-War Asks for Information.
Some forty miles beyond Daunt's
| rock the lights Of man-of-war ap.
| peared. The vessel was lying In the
| sea shadows, not more than three.
quarters Of a mile away. Nothing but
the lights were visible, but their dis
| tribution showed even the Impractical
eye that the vessel displaying them
was warship of a greater type. Sud
| denly from the starboard side of the
dreadnaught, predreadnaught or cruis'
| re, whatever she was, came sharp
fash of light, which was followed by
| successive twinkles. The Britisher
was signaling the Yankee, and the
Yankee instantly paid heed.
"What ship Ia thatfs
| An answer was twinkled back from
| the bridge.
| Where bound?"
| Back went the answer.
II the response had not been given
| quickly and readily shot would have
| come across the Philadelphia's bows.
The British guardships where st.
| Georges channel meets the ocean are
| taking no chances, and this notwith-
standing the fact that German mer-
chant and German war ships virtually
have disappeared from the waters.
No Fear Felt by Americans.
There may have been no submarines
| In the Irish sea when the Philadel.
phia made It's way toward Liverpool.
II there were, let 1t be said again that
no American of seasoned sense on
| board thought for an instant that the
| ship was in danger of a torpedo from
| any German craft unless the missile
were fired as the result Of gross error.
J Some Americans In America may
think differently about the matter. II
| would 80 seem to one who had to take
leave of some friends more or less
fearful One American on board said
I to another when midway between
Queenstown and Liverpool, the place
| OF reputed greatest danger, that there
II 4f1i