McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1916-07-21

ilSn cnannel, anu tnree or TOUR IN the
open water.
"Yes," laughing heartily, Eyes, each
time there was n reason.
"The longest we actually stayed I'M
der was that ten hours in the English !
channel but we could stay four days.
At the end of that time our batteries
would be exhausted, and we would
have to rise and recharge them. Dur
ing the entire trip we Travelled total
of ninety miles under water.
"As far as the physical effect on the
ships company is concerned, we could
remain forever. We can submerge fifty |
fathoms-three hundred feet-but as a |
matter of fact we never went nearly |
that deep, and probably never SHALL"
Liked the Submerging.
Those on the Deutschland besides
himself were First Mate Krapuhl, Sec
ond Mate Gyring, Chief Engineer Kleis
and crew of 25 men. Kleis. he said,
over and over again, was "the most i'm
portant of ALL" Then he told how the
crew spent the time.
"On board they busted themselves
with the machinery, for practically all
Of them are mechanics. They played
cards, and they had their singing and
their sleeping and their sitting about,
and the time passed.
"Best of ALL they--all Of us, In fact
liked the submerging. Unpleasant?
Indeed 1t was not. 1t was just like
sinking into sort Of blue nest. We
open the portfolios, and then through
the glass we could see the fish and the
formations Of the sea, and always we
listened, listened, listened.
"How do we listen? There are
aboard two microphOnes, and with
them we were able to hear the whis-
Ting Of buoy six miles of when we
were under water. And just before we
came up about thirty miles from the
Virginia capes, we were able to hear
the ringing of bell buoy six miles
from us.
'"The screw of ship we could hear
quite plainly while 1t was yet safe
distance from us. More than hearing
it, we could tell whether 1t was
cruiser or a destroyer. 1t was quite
fascinating to listen so.
Details Of the Trip.
Captain Koenig did not take the
Deutschland around Scotland, as has
been conjectured. He came straight
through the Channel, he said.
"We left Bremerhaven at noon on
June IA. We proceeded quietly to Hell
goland; there we stayed four days.
There were three reasons Tor that: No
ship proceeds all the way after start
ing. 1t is too easy to calculate when
she may be expected at some given
place. So we lay in wait a while.
Then, too, we wanted to train the men.
During those four days we drilled and
taught them hard. and when once more
we proceeded we had capable sub
marine crew.
again, we had to trim the cargo.
That must always be done after
start is made. We must shift things
about and stow them away. And every
thing needs to be tested. All worked
nicely.
1--WE carried 1870 tons Of fuel OIL. OF
that we have 95 tons left-more than
enough to take us back-and we shall
not ship any more here. Then we car
ried many tons Of oxygen and twenty
tons of fresh water, Of which we had
| ten left.
"The last time we submerged was
as we were nearing the Virginia capes
and we saw an American boat APP
preaching. We thought 1t was fruit
boat so we just dipped under for the
last time. The men were always glad
when we did that-lt made such
smooth travelling The Deutschland
scarcely rolls at all under water.
"And that about completes the story
of the voyage. We travelled, We saw
ships and submerged, we Travelled
again on the surface and at last we
arrived"
The Deutschland, built by the Krupp
Germania works, cost $4,000. This
voyage will pay for her, he said.
Boat a Mass Of Machinery.
As described by DIR. John G. Travers,
assistant U. s. health officer, who was
taken through the boat by Captain
Koenig, the Deutschland's interior ap-
pears to be mainly a mass of machin-
cry. She has but one deck below and
seventeen-foot depth Of hold for her
cargo. DIR. Travers descended through
the forward hatch, where he found
the crews quarters, hunks on either
| side of a 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.
1t is furnished all In metal, with
| the exception Of small oak desk.
Directly beneath the officers quarters
Is the dynamo, Nhich stores electrical
energy to drive the vessel when sub
merged.
Next DR.. Travers was taken Into
the officers messroom, scarcely larger
than the staterooms, with galley
built with all the economy of space
of Pullman dining-car kitchen. Aft
the messroom, about one-third the
ships length from her stern, Is the
submerglng machinery and two peris-
copes.
| Calls II Amazing Sight.
Il never saw such mass Of ma
chlnery In my llfe," said DR.. Travers.
ut was an amazing sight and doubt
If 1t would mean much except to the
engineer who designed 1t. There
seemed to be 5000 different pieces,