Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1916-10-11
U-53 SINKS SIX
SHIPS OFF j. s.;
AMERICANS SAVED
S. 0. S. Calls Bring U. S. Destroy
erS to Rescue of Hundreds.
ONE STEAMER IS SHELLED
German Submarine Which Called at
Newport Saturday Torpedoes Brit
ish Vessels Off Rhode Island
Warned by Wireless.


Nantucket light, where every liner
bound to and from New York must get
It's bearings, the German submarine u
53, aided probably by one or two other
war sUbmersibles, torpedoed and sunk
six ships. :.
-Four of them were British, one
passenger carrier. The other two were
neutrals-One Dutch and the other
Norwegian. An American steamship
was held up, but was allowed to pro-
coed.
Admiral Knight, commander of the
naval station here, says the Nantucket
Iightship reports a second German sub
marine nearby. Naval officers say they
expect a fleet of German submarines
will blockade every Atlantic harbor
from which munitions ships leave.
The neutral vessels sunk were:
BloOmersdijk, Dutch freighter, 3,201
tons; bound from New York to Rotter-
dam; crew of 80.
Christian Knudsen, Norwegian tank
err, 1888 tons, bound from Tuxpam to
London via Perth Amboy; crew of 30.
Boston, Oct. "a German sub
marine, supposedly the U-53 which
called at Newport on Saturday, on
Sunday tOrpedoed and sank the fol-
lowing vessels off the Nantucket light
ship directly in the line of trans
Atlantic shipping:
British passenger steamer Stephano.
British steamer Strathdena.
British steamer West Point
The StephanO had a passenger list
estimated from as low as 80 to as high
as 400.
British steamer Kingston.
All of the Americans on the Ste
piano who were rescued by the de-
StrOyer Balch were transferred to the
destroyer Kenkins. The number of
Americans aboard was not stated in
the radio message received here.
Hundred Tourists Aboard.
Mr.. BOWring said that the vessel
probably had on board more than 100
tourists bound for New York.
Most of the passengers were tour
lists from New York returning home.
The StephanO belonged to the Red
Cross line fleet of the New York. New
foundland and Halifax Steamship
company, limited, and was commanded
by Captain Smith. She was built in
Glasgow in 1911.
U. S. Destroyers Save Crews.
The crews of the Kingston and West
Point were saved by American torpedo
boat destrOyers.
The Stephano is a vessel of 2,144
gross tonnage and is of British regis
try. 1t was last reported in maritime
circles as having arrived at st. Johns,
N. f., on October 2.
Hold Up American Ship.
The submarine also held up the
American freight steamer Kansan, but
later allowed her to proceed.
The crew Of the Strathdene. nearly
all of them Lascars, were taken
aboard the Nantucket light ship The
officers and men of the West Point took
to their small boats after summOning
assistance from shore.
The distress signals of the West
Point were picked up by the govern
ment radio station at Newport, r. l.,
and Immediately Rear Admiral Albert
Gleaves, commander of the destroyer
f1Otilla of the American Atlantic fleet.
ordered virtually all of his ships to the
rescue.
The West Point gave her position as
90 miles southeast of Nantucket, but
the navy officials questioned the ac-
curacy Of this, and said that later re-
ports indicated that the vessel was not
more than ten miles off shore. The
weather was thick and it was expected
that the crew would not be brought in
to Newport before midnight.
The booming of the submarines
guns, apparently fired in warning, was
distinctly heard at Nantucket. But
where the Submersible was at the mo-
ment these reports were heard was
pure speculation. 1t was plain, how
ever, that she had placed herself in
the lane of passenger and freight traf-
tic and terrOrized shipping along the
coast.
In flash after the first distress sig
hdAo VI TIE w CSI 1OlnC were sent
broadcast, wireless messages were sent
up and down the coast and far out to
sea warning everything afoat that a
German ship was operating in the
steamer lane.
Vessels Shift Course.
Every vessel equipped with wireless
was warned to make for the three
mile zone and the commanders of mer-
chant vessels of the entente allies lost
no time in shifting their course.
American Held Up.
The U-53, which anchored for three
hours in Newport harbor while Com
mander Hans Rose sent ashore CORE
spondence from Germany for the Ger
man ambassador, Count Won Bernstorff,
and exchanged official calls with Rear
Admiral Gleaves and Rear Admiral
Knight, cOmmandant of the Narragan-