The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-07-18

method for avoiding mine fields, but
this much / can say-we Germans
know n trick to beat the mines danger
and / used 1t in my run through the
Channel
Taking sOundings Is simple. There
Is tube which projects from the
Deutschland's bottom and through this
tube we heave the lead. BY system
or valves we prevent water entering
the hull while the soundngs are being
taken. But this Is dry talk. Let me
tell you about our happiest evening.
The Champagne Party.
Then the tale of the champagne
party came out.
"And we felt that way" said Koenig.
referring to the bells on our fingers"
song. 1--WE were the finger-ringed. bell
toed boys, and we didn't care damn
for ali the British ships OF the Chan
mel patrol"
Rid of the perilous straits finally, the
Deutschland breasted the Atlantic roll
lers and proceeded upon it's business.
Officers and crew had plenty of time
on their hands. The long days and
nights We're divided into four-hour
watches. shifts on duty for four hours.
at leisure for four. on duty again for
four, and so on. necessarily they kept
vigilant watch for enemy craft-any
craft.
Kocnig. who knows New York as
well nS he knows Bremen. says the
North sea and the Channel were as
crowded as Broadway, and at night
about as garishly lighted with those
"deteStable destroyers" playing tag all
over the waters with their searchlights.
lot OF time he pokcd the periscopc
clear and sighted looming perils just
I'm time to dive without being spotted.
But there were dull hours.
Had Photograph Aboard.
"How did you folks amuse your
selvcs?" he was asked
MOSTLY" he said with the phono-
graph. Every submarine carries a
phonograph. 1t is as much OF the sub
marines equipment as n torpedo tube.
We keep II going pretty steadily (at
times. of course. when there was no
special danger in enjoying music), and
the American records were not es-
pecially up to date"
Have any time TO read captain?
Did the ship boast OF library"
You bet 1t did" he replied. I'VE
have fine little library OF German
American. English and Spanish books"
at was remarkable" Koenig said
"all things considered, how seldom the
submarine was forced to dive. In the
entire trip only ninety miles was un-
dersurface going. This ninety miles
was logged as straight progress and
did not include the times the Deutsch-
land simply went below and sat on Its
bunkers. staying there until II felt 1t
was quite Judicious for nice, fat,
quite helpless U-boat to risk sun OF
moonlight. There never was a close
call.
No Warship Saw Them.
mot one time In the whole trip
were we seen by a warship." explained
Captain Koenig. "And l very much
doubt II ns many as half a dozen mer-
chant ships spied us. We, OF course.
saw scores OF craft. The very last one
we sighted was thirty miles Off the
Firginian capes. n big white fruit boat
rolling home from Jamaica. / suppose"
The Deutschland submerged less
than twenty times from Bremerhavcn
sea II reckoned discretion as the bet
ter part. six times In the English chan
mel. and six times in the Atlantic. once
In the Channel IL Clung to the sen floor
for ten hours. 1t can stay down four
days. IL necessary. II can resist the
terrific pressure Of 300 feet of water.
Boat a Mass Of Machinery.
As described by DR. John c. Trnvers,
assistant L. S. health officer. who was
taken through the boat by Captain
koenig. the Deutschland's interior ap-
pears TO be mainly mass OF machin-
cry. She has hut one deck below and
seventren-foot depth OF hold for her
cargo Or. Travers descended through
the forward hatch. where he found
the crews quarters, hunks on either
side Of narrow passageway leading
To compartments occupied by the cap
tain and his two officers. The cap
tain's room Is scarcely six feet square
and barely high enough for man
To stand.
II Is furnished all In metal. with
the exception OF a small oak desk.
Directly beneath the officers quarters
Is the dynamo. which stores electrical
energy to drive the vessel when SUBJ
merged.
Nro tnl. Int n
the officers messroom. scarcely larger
than the stateroOms, with galley
built with all the economy OF space
OF Pullman dining-cnr kitchen. AIT
the messroom. about one-third the
ships length from her stern. is the
summarizing mnchinrry md two neris g