The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1916-10-13
U.BOAT SINKS SIX
SHIPS OFF COAST
West Point. Strathdene, Ste-
piano, Kingston, BIoomers-
dix, c. KnudsOn Torpedoed
AMERICAN VESSEL HELD UF
Four 8rtch, One Dutch and One Nor
wegian Vessels Are Attacked-OnIy
Ship TO Escape Of Those Sighted
by the Boat Was the Kansas

Boston.-The German war subma-
rine U-53, which departed from New
port, X. l., alter a mysterious three
hour visit, brought the war within 80
miles off the New England Coast
when she torpedoed six steamship at
different times on the same day in
transatlantic lane off Nantucket
Shoals Lightship. There was no loss
OF life The crews were rescued from
their boats by United States revenue
cutters and torpedo boats and taken
TO the lightship, 80 miles southeast
Of the island of Nantucket.
Admiral Knight, commander of the
naval station at Newport, X. l., an
nounced that the Nantucket Lightship
reported a second German submarine
nearby. Naval officers say they ex-
pect a feet of German submarines
will blockade every Atlantic harbor
from which munitions ships leave.
The radius of the attacks was
about fifty miles and covered a period
OF eight hours. If the U-53 worked
alone she had TO double on her tracks
many times and travel at a speed
which allowed nothing for waits while
she was aiming her torpedoes and
warning the ships she had marked
for destruction.
These ships were sunk in the first
day of German submarine activity in
American waters
The Red Cross liner, Stephano. st.
Johns, N. F. to New York, passen-
gers and freight.
The West Point, freighter from Liv-
erpool to Newport News.
The Strathdene, New York to Brest,
France, laden with munition.
Kingston, former Canadian lake YES
sell
Bloomersdijk, Holland-America line
merchantmen.
Christian Knudsen, Norwegian tan
ker.
The crews of all the vessels were
given time to take to boats and then
the vessels were torpedoed. All Of
them sent wireless calls as soon as
the submarine halted them.
The first sign Of the U-35 after il
left Newport was $50 in the morning
off the lightship when it signalled the
American steamer Kansan, bound
from New York to Boston to stop.
The Kansan did so in response to sig
nails, sent a boat with an officer and
the ships papers. A boarding crew
from the submarine sent back to the
Kansan and satisfied with their in
spection, permitted the steamship to
proceed.
The Kansas was about forty miles
away from where she received a wire
less call from the British steamship
West Point, saying that she was sink
ing. The Kansas put about and the
revenue cutters Androscoggin, from
Boston, Acushmet, from Woods Hole,
and the torpedo destroyers Jarvis and
Jenkins from Newport also answered
the call. Before she had reached the
scene there came a succession Of wire
less calls in the course Of several
hours from other boats which had fal.
len victims to the submarine.
The distress signals, which came
first from the West Point were picked
up by the government rad o station
at Newport, r. l., and Immediately
Rear Admiral Albert Gleaves, COM
mander of the destroyer lotilla of the
American Atlantic feet, ordered virtu-
ally all OF his ships to the rescue.
The West Point gave her position as
fifty miles southeast of Nantucket, but
the navy officials questioned the ac-
curacy OF this and said later reports
indicated the vessel was not more
than ten miles off shore
The booming of the submarines
guns. apparently fred in warning, was
distinctly heard at Nantucket. But
where the submersible was at the mo-
ment these reports was heard was
pure speculation.