Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-07-18
U-BOAT READY
FOR RETURN TRIP
Cargo About Loaded, but
koenig Won't Give Hour
of Leaving

Baltimore, july IS. That the
German merchant submarine Deutsch-
land would finish loading her cargo
by tonight and be ready TO leave
within a few hours was the belief to-
day OF observers who have been close
" watching the boat ana activities
ABOUT her since she was docksd here
on Monday morning of last week.
II was recalled to-day that Cap
tain Paul koenig had stated to GUS
toms officials when he entered his ar
rlVSl at the customs house that he
thought he would sail on his return
voyage within ten days That period
IS up tomorrow. The captain had not
applied for his clearance papers at
the customs house up to noon to-day.
Captain koenig answered all questions
as 10 the Deutschland departure
with smile, saying that would be
very interesting information I'm sure"
Ofncials Of the Eastern Forwarding
Company were as reticent as Captain
Koenig. We cannot and will not say
when the boat will start back" was
their invariable response.
Stevedores engaged in loading and
slowing the cargo said the crude rub
Der and nickel composing it will be
all stored inside the boat before
nightfalL
Tells Story of Trip
Here's story OF the "Trip OF the
I've been with this green little devil
from the moment she got her nose wet
Tor the first time" he said. I've been
with her on every trial trip - ana
we've had many of them. ! have been
with her even when she was put back
into dock time and again. when ex-
perimentS proved that in this nook or
that corner something was wrong, or
at least could be better. This is the
nrst time I've been of the boat. And,
DO you know, I'm homesicK. No, not
as you think, not for my country and
my family. I'm homesick for my little
bunk down there on the Deutschland
and 10. the whole of her.
BAD air. Oily Oh, we'll. whoever
Is bothered by such things would bet
ter keep of a L boat and get q Job
on the Vaterland.
4 noticed the old man told report
ers our trip was uneventful. Ha, ha,
There's excitement in every minute,
every second. OF course, that doesn't
mean that a warship is lurking over
heao IN every part Of the ocean. Any
way. warships are not our chief con-
Germ. They bother US little. It's the
merchant ships OF all sorts, and sizes
that we worry about And, you know,
the meanest feeling in the whole busi-
ness is when you see one OF them glide
by quite near and you haven't got a
torpedo TO send into her.
ship on our trip here. In that respect
the old man is right; the trip was un-
eNentful. But we had a lot OF fun:
and the old man knows it, TOO. BuI
nc is wise fellow, the captain Is. and
lie knows how 10 talk TO American re-
porters-he's been through 1t many
times.
Stoking Hardest Job .
What is the hardest job on a sub
marine Stoker.
The best? To be on guard in the
coming tower; still. that is in a way
the hardest too. But there isn't that
sitting heat that threatens any minute
10 make you fall dead. In the coming
tower you feel like the guardian OF
the boat. You peer out into the dark
ness - that is, as much and as often
as old man Neptune lets you. Like a
nutshell, the boat jingles and. staggers
anc stamps-up and down, up ana
down-and all the time your face is
span, L and splashed by the salt
water and the storm wind whips your
ears. There's not light around. All
is black, and around you goes a howl
that you dread the first few nights.
but soon get TO love"
And down below ventured the
reporter
"Ah. it's different down there, quite
MISUNDERSTANDING deadening noise
and heat. You see. there's not a single
opening 70 let the neat out. You have
70 stick IL out down there until the
storm is over, and storms in the It
lantic don't blow over in a hurry.
You cannot think, YOU cannot sleep
down there when there's a storm and
the matches are shut. You can do
nothing but mechanically do your
duty. II you're OF duty you wish YOU
were on, for you can't sleep and can't
t1lnki you're continuously al the
verge OF becoming crazy. The only
thing that saves you is the realiza-
ton that you have TO pull through
and keep your reason one look OF
weakness or despair will bring YOU a
look from your comrades that will
male your blood freeze with shame.
Oh. Il happens to all Of US once in a
while.
One Almost CoIlapses
The only spot where there IS an
occasional Whit OF air is in the center.
beneath the coming tower. To stan-
ant job, but II is hot, hot enough TO
make life miserable
one OF the boys almost collapsed A
few days before we approached the
Aneri an coast
Yes, we have beer on board. but
not a drop of il is taken on stormy
DAYS or nights. We all tried at one
time or another TO quench our thirst
With ser in our rest hours, only to
suffer more intensely when we were
back at our posts. II makes one per
spire a hundred times worse than
water"