Norwich bulletin., 1916-10-09

tonight none of the patroIling fleet maintained by the British and French to protect their own sFtiDCing and American ships carrying munitions of war had been sighted. Frantic ap- peals were sent to Halifax, but the commander of the British naval sta tion there refused to divulge what steps were being taken to meet the submarine attack.
 The work of the patroiiing fleets was directed from Halifax and ever | since the war began cruisers and aux l Hilary vessels of the British and French navies have moved up and down the coast line.
 Bringing Passengers to Newport. The passengers and crews of des- | troyed vessels who are being Drought l into Newport were not expected to reach there until after midnight. Pre- l parations to care for them had been made by Rear Admiral Austin M. | Knight, conmandant of the Narra- gansett Bay naval station and rear Admiral Elhert Gleaves, commander of the destroyer flotina now at New port
 Details of the Attacks. 1 Later reports gave further details of the alta acks. The Stephano met a | submarine six miles southeast Of Nantucket Hghtship and was attacked by gunfire and a torpedo. She re- nained afoat until 10:O5 o'clock to- | night.
 miles south of the Nantucket light ship. The Strathdene was attacked | ''off lightship", the report stated and | the BlooD1ersdijk was sunk three miles south of the lightship. She remained affoat some time, going down at S:05 | The American steamer Aansan- was held up three miles east of Nantucket | lightship.
 First Wireless Warning.
 The first wireless warning of the l presence of a hostile submarine in the | steamship line was given in the dis tress signal of the West Point, which reported that she had been torpedoed thirty miles southeast or Nantucket l light. This message apparently was 1 picked up ny every vessel having a wireless equipment within range for within a very short time press des- patches from St. Johns, N. B., and Halifax, N. S.. indicated that patrol ling battleships had received the alarm. The censorship, however, pre- vented the disclosure Of the move ments of the ratrolling fleets.
 Ship Owners Notify Vessels at Sea.
 Meantime ship owners in Boston | were communicating with their yes sels at sea It is supposed that any | activities that reached the battleships came from other vessels rather than from shore though it might have come from Halifax, where the news was received over land lines. At 11:25 o'clock tonight the return ing destroyer nearest home was stil fifty miles from Newport and she was not expected until early morning. A late message said that one destroyer with TWO crews taken from the Man. tucket lightship was bound for New York, but it was thought that this was probably a mistake.
 Naval Men Puzzled.
 One thing that is puzzling naval mer tonight is why the U-5} came into port yesterday and another thing that IS the subject of speculation of many outside the navy why a destroyer f1o- tllla Of seventeen vessels was sent our to rescue the crew of single freight steamer. The destroyers were ordered out at the first report that the Wes1 Point had been torpedoed. The the ory advanced tonight was that Com nander Hans Rose of the U-53 came to Newport to advise Rear Admira Knight that he was about to attacl hostile shipping and contraband. carrying vessels under the rules of in. ternattonal law. Rear Admiral Knigh reiterated this evening that Comman. der Roses call was one of courtesy out 1t was suggested that the Ger. man commander wished to guart against loss of life through the aid 0. American vessels in picking up pas. sengers and crews of ships destroyed