Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-05
BRITISH SUBMARINES
BURROW UNDER MINE
FIELDS OF MARMORA
Reign of Terror Created
From Dardanelles to
Gates of Constantinople
by Daring Raids of I'm
dersea Craft.
BY HENRY WOOD

BRUzA, Asiatic Turkey July "a (ny
courier to Dedeagatoh, Bulgaria, and
thence by cable).
Daring Bnglsh submarine commanders
by burrowing beneath the thickly minea
waters Of the Dardanelles and eluding the
Turkish feet, have created reign OF ter
ror from the western entrance to the sea
of Marmora to the very gates OF Con-
stantinople.
Exactly how many Turkish ships have
been sent to the bottom by British sub
mersbles probably is known only to the
Turkish Ministry of Marine. The under
sea craft have been particularly success
full in striking at Turkish transports.
En- route here from Constantinople
learned that aboard one of these sunk
recently were 500 wounded Turks. who
had just been discharged from Constan-
tinople hospitals and were returning to
the Gallipoli front. Only $50 were saved.
The news was suppressed by the Turk
ish Government, but the disaster occurred
in full view of another transport laden
with wounded soldiers who made thI
fact known.
READY TO MOVE CAPITAL.
Bruza is the Asia Minor city to which
1t was proposed to move the Turkish cap
ital in case Constantinople was threat
ened. 1 came here first on the Friday
boat of the three-times-a-week service
from Constantinople, across the Sea OF
Marnora. A few days previous the boat
from Bruza to Constantinople had actu-
ally been stopped and boarded by officers
from British submarine within few
miles OF Islam's capital.
The British officers were looking for
Turkish soldiers. They found none, but
took off what food supplies there were
aboard, paying for them In English gold
and saluting courteously as they left the
ship.
Because of the fear inspired by this
visit our boat left the Bosporus with the
lifeboats swung out and with hundreds
of life preservers hanging over the rail
ready for instant use. Instead OF heading
directly across the Sea of Mnrmora. the
usual course. we crept along the coast
for the entire distance, never getting
more than 200 or 300 yards from shore.
On the following Monday, no more sub
marines having been sighted. the captain
took courage and we headed directly
across the little sea on the return to
Peasants and provincial officials aboard
the boat did not share the captains OBJ
timism and we had scarcely left the last
point of land when a shout
rang out from the bridge The signal
BELLS changed, the boat turned tail and
led for shore, and there was a Wild
scurry for life belts.
The excitement lasted only a moment
There were countermanding orders from
he bridge and we resumed our course
Two miles off to the left a porpolse had
eaped from the water. The imagination
If an officer who thought he saw a sub |
marine periscope did the rest. found |
he same feeling of uneasiness on my |
second trip here.
MANY PRECAUTIONS TAKEN.
Farther south In the Sea of Marmora. |
where transports are steaming to and |
rom Gallipoli peninsula, the greatest
are taken against the Eng |
ish submarines. Armed soldiers line the
ails with orders to shoot at everything
appearing on the surface. This is the
easOn for the porpoiBes to show their
'reatest activity, and the porpoise NOR
ality, consequently. is without precedent
n the history of the sea.
To safeguard them against submarine
ttack the hospital transports are all
sA'htSu NAhtc Win stTlpes OF red running |
ne full length, The Red Crescent Is the
hieial symbol Of the Turkish Red Cres-
ent Society, which corresponds to the
Ted Cross. But the Turks have more |
aith in the Red Cross than In the Red
'rescent and fly the Red Cross flag as
Don as they are out of sight OF Con-
lantinople. Returning to the capital, the
ohpital ships hoist the Red Crescent as
ley approach the Bosphorus.
The police are confident that the Brit-
IN subs have base somewhere In the
ca OF Marmora and that come one Of
he few hundred English remaining IN
onsiantinople Is supplying this base with
etrol, Hardly a day passes that some
ngishman Is not seized and hauled or
undergo third degree"