The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-07-18
DARING VOYAGE OF SUBMARINE
ACROSS THE ATLANTIC DE.
ScRIBED BY COMMANDER.
D0DGED FOE BY SUBMERGING
Ondersea Craft Dropped to Bottom Of
Ocean at Times to Avoid Possible
Oangers-Threaded Maze Of Hostile
Warships.

ocS"uSc 'he Tool was crowded with
noscy destroyers, and we drank good
French champagne while we sang
We've rings on our fingers and bells
on our toes and presently the destroy
erS gave us room on the roof and we
came up and went on to America. 1t
was all just us simple as that, I tell
you"
Thus simply did Capt. Paul Koenig,
commander OF the German submarine
Deutschland, describe the daring voy-
age OF his undcrsca craft through the
North sea. which was dotted with enc
my vessels. and across the Atlantic
ocean to the port OF Baltimore.
What Is there about my voyage to
cause all this commotion?" asked the
captain OF n group OF reporters who
were eagerly questioning him regard
Ing the great game OF hide and seek
which he played with the British navy
on his 4,OOO-mile dash across the wa
ters. 81 have done nothing remarkable.
Anybody who has sense enough to
navigate bOat and who builds boat
like the Deutschland can do equally
well-better. I believe"
Captain koenig will have II no other
way than that the British grip on Ger
man commerce is shortly to be broken
1--WE have proved It," he said. his
eyes afire with enthusiasm 1--WE nre
building n 2.OOO-ton submarine that
will be able tn voyage 1900 miles
without replenishing oil tanks. And
the British can't catch us. We laugh
at thcm-look now at that flag"
He pointed to the house flag OF the
Deutsche Ocean Rhcderci. the cor
poration OF Bremen which devised the
undersea trading plan.
The Heut schinn,i went from Bremen
haven out to sea In the light Of day on
June II. went in the early morning as
matter or factly as Scow OF bricks
or lumber from any New York pier
slips out into the harbOr and down to
the lower bay. Neither Bremen up the
river, nor Bremerhaven. gate to the
North sea. sent bands to blare farewell
or crowds to cheer.
Koenig laid a course straight to
Germany's north sea Gibraltar, Helgo-
land.
'why did you do that" he was
asked.
Knew Foe Was Near.
1--WE knew that British warshlps
were somewhere about" he said. "And
we wanted to lay up at Helgoland
for some days TO fool them. There Is
always chance that spies may reveal
the comings and goings OF our ships.
and II was wise to mark time for n
little while. In this case only one
alien, 80 far as knew. had our secret.
He was the American consul at Bre-
men, WIN. Thomas Fee, whose duty It
was to approve our manifect. He was
to be trusted. naturally, but we could
take no chances.
eve loafed pleasantly of Hclgoland
under the shade Of the big guns until
the morning OF June 23. The time was
passed usefully In improving the train
Ing Of the men.
"Good Follows, Ny Boys"
about these men. now-say a word
for them II you must hold us up to the
worlds eyes. They are good fellows,
my boys, strong fellows. Most OF them
are quite young, though most are mar
ried and are raising rosy checked ba-
bies to grow up for Germany's glory.
of-whnt do you say-pep. that is IT,
'On the morning Of June % We
turned westward In the North sea and
headed straight for the British chan
mel. Somebody has said that we went
all the way around Scotland. Non
sense, why should we? 1t was easy
enough to fool the British and going
through the Channel was child's play"
What were your best aids to navi-
CATION. captain? How did you figure
out your safe progress under sea?''
Microphone Aided Cruise.
'.The microphone and our device for
taking soundings while submerged did
the trick. Everybody understands
these days what the microphone is
an undersea telephone, so delicate that
II catches and records the vibrations
OF any bulk moving upon or under the
waves.
I've have two micrOphones on the
Deutschland. one on the port. one on
the starboard side. One of us. an OFF,
Ger II possible. kept an ear always to
the transmitter. When we heard dis.
turbing murmhrs through our little
ehNehuTopper we stopped ueau Still.
maybe. or went ahead slowly. Some
times we dropped to the sea floor and
kept as still as n mouse until we could
figure out what the menace was. Some
times we merely dropped fifty feet or
so beneath the surface and anchored
in that position. suspended between
the surface and the bottom. The micro
phones warned us Of cruisers and de-
stroyers and sometimes Of buoyed
mines"
How He Oodood Mlnea