Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-06-03

slowly going down. The ballast tanks
have been opened, water is pressed in
and produces our downward move
| ment. Our instrument shows q depth
| of forty-fve feet when we come to a
| stop. All machinery is investigated.
/ some members OF the crew stay on
watch, the others are ready for a
warm meal and a rest. All this is at
I the bottom Of the ocean. the only safe
place for the submarine.
The food that is served consists Of
| canned goods. Pork and beans, pork
chops with gravy, heated on an cleo
| trio stove, and peas are serving as a
main food and also tea with lemon to
| quench thirst
After six hours of rest, now orders
come, everybody takes his place, and
soon We notice on our instrument that
we are moving upward. The same
noise and the same smell of oil and
! gasoline and the same vibration. By
pressing the water out of the ballast
tanks our slow upward movement has
| been accomplished. We are speeding
ahead just below the surface The
gas engines have been stopped since
we began our first diving movement.
Destruction of the Destroyer.
After running at this depth at very
low speed for six miles we begin to
| realize that the time is near for en-
countering one of the enemy's battle
ships Carefully We are moving up
to get a glimpse through the peri
scope. At a distance of five miles we
spy three torpedo boat destroyers of
the enemy. The moment has come
when our captain has to show his skill
as master of the submarine. He is
calculating the distance, the speed and
the course of the enemy's boats. His
plans are made We are going down
thirty feet; within the next twenty
minutes it will be shown whether his
figures are correct. Everybody is
ready for action, every nerve, every
muscle is strained for that which is
coming. 1t may be a successful full
fllment of our orders or it may be
death for all of US. No sign of emo
ton is to be seen in the earnest faces
of the fellows Every one is at his
place Orders are repeated so that
all may understand them. Levers are
pulled and pushed; suddenly we are
moving upwards, the periscope is
reaching the surface and one look
conyinces the captain that his calcu-
lations were correct.
We are within 800 yards of the near
est destroyer. Our boat swings
around under water to certain angle
a signal goes through the boat and
the torpedo is fired. After thirty sec
onds terrible thunder sounds across
the ocean, roaring and dying out at
the horizon. We turn the periscOpe
and observe thick black smoke where
the destroyer has disappeared, some
wreckage being blown within fifty
yards of u.s.. The vessel had been hit
at it's center and destroyed almost in
stantly At the same moment shells
strike the water IN our immediate
neighborhood. We have been seen by
the two other destroyers. One shell
well aimed would make us pay with
our lives for what we have just &C
complished. Almost too long we tried
to watch the results.
The Return to Friendly Waters.
Within a few seconds our periscope
has disappeared and we are below the
surface in depth of thirty feet We
have fulfilled our instructions and are
turning back. Once more we have to
avoid mines and also the torpedo
boats which may try to pursue US on
our return. We are heading accord
ing to orders for the naval base at
W to report the results of our trip.
Arriving in safe waters we speed
ahead above the water level. The
colIapsible masts of our wireless appa-
ratus are set up and a message is
flashed that we are safe and return
ing with good results. Once more the
crew has escaped the iron grip of
death, and the candidates for heav-
en-" the nickname given them in naval
circles, will spend restful night in
the harbOr after very little sleep for
the last ffty-two hours.
We enter the harbor with smiling
salutes to our comrades passing by.
| A cheerful "Hurrah!" is given to us
| by an outgoing submarine. We are
! glad we are turning in, even if it is
| only for a short time. Tomorrow we
expect new orders and we shall be
| ready again for our hazardous game.