The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-10-04

Joined British Naval Forces at Gibral-
tar After Long Journey Under Own
Power - Begun Here, Finished in
Canada.
BOSTON. Oct. A fotilla of Ameri-
.can-built submarines which ventured across
the Atlantic to join the British naval
forces at Gibraltar made the passage safe
ly under its own power and without extra
ordinary discomfort for the crews, accord
ing to letters received here yesterday from
men who shared in the expedition.
Conveyed by larger warships, the little
squadron of four vessels fresh from the
yards at which they were assembled in
Montreal, proceeded down the St. Law
renee river and after stop at st. Johns,
y. F., put to sea for Gibraltar No ex-
tremely rough weather was encountered
and all the boats were able to make the
| long run under their own engines. Pro
vision had been made to tow them if they
got into any trouble. The crews stood
the heavy rolling of the craft very well
and are said to have enjoyed the trip.
| The flotilla formed part of a group of 10
submarines for which the British admiral
| ty had contracted in the United States.
After Washington had decreed that the
construction of the vessels in this country
would be violation of neutrality the
parts were shipped to Canada, where the
boats were completed III the yards of the
! Nickers-Maxim company, an English con-
Germ which two years ago established a
branch in Montreal for the building Of
merchant ships. At the outbreak of the
war the yard was given over to naval con
structon.
BY the middle of July the submarines
were ready for the water and naval Off
GERS who had arrived from England con
Quoted a series of trials in the st. Law
renee river. During one of these trials a
submarine ran down the Canadian govern
ment steamer Montmagny. The subma
rine was somewhat damaged but not dis
abled.
When it was established that the new
vessels were. seaworthy they sailed from
Montreal under convoy Of the gunboat
Canada Off the island of Anticosti in tho
gulf of St Lawrence they were joined by
the cruiser Calgarian. The latter, an Al
Ian liner. had been taken over by Tho
British admiralty at the beginning Of tn,
: war, and fitted out as an auxiliary cruiser
with four-inch guns.
! With the Calgarian and Canada showing
the way the submarines voyaged seawarC
and along the south coast of Newfound
land to St. Johns The only misadventur,
was the loss Of one of them in fog fo1
two days They remained in the harbo1
of St Johns for four days, to have thei
machinery adjusted, while the Calgariar
took on supplies for all the boats. On
hundred men of the Newfoundland nava
I reserve and 200 soldiers of the Newfound
land regiment went abroad the CalgariaI
to join the British sea and land forces
I Thoroughly QUILTED, the Calgarial
turned her PROV eastward, suiting he
: pace to the wallowing stride of her pro
teges. The latter travelled on the surfac
: throughout the voyage, propelled by crud
r oil engines, Each carried a crew of tw
= officers and 16 men. Some of the letter
+ writer's say that they suffered somewha
1 from the cold and that their food was no
. always warm. The cooking in the sub
4 marines was done by electricity the sur
4 ply of which did not always equal the dc
\ mand
The writers say that the English officers
\ who had their first experience with Amer
can submarines, were well pleased wit
I them. They are not nearly SO large a
! some of the British-built boats and are d,
] signed more for off-shore operations tina
4 for deep sea work. Submerged they al
driven by electric motors, but in the yol
4 age to Gibraltar electricity was used onl
for heating the boats and for cooking.