The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1916-06-02
SUBMARINE CAPTRIN
HAS NO EASY time
LIFE UNDER THE WAVES HARD
FOR THE CREW IN TIME
OF WAR.

ing-low" periods an under-sea boat
sleeps the sleep of those who wear
the crown. Peril is her bedfellow,
and mischance is ever ready to creep
in.
X-OO discovered this when she
started for the surface to look
around for an opportunity of doing
business. Soon after they were
Switched on" her motors began to
run badly and series of uncom-
Portable jerks gave the craft a
"jumpy" motion.
something around the propellors,
think, SIR" reported an artificer.
bad luck" exclaimed the COM
manding officer. "We'll try her
again"
And they did. Backward and for
ward surged X-00 in a fruitless en-
deavor to free herself from the OBJ
struction. The trouble grew worse,
not better.
mo help for it. We must go up
and have look" reluctantly decided
the "V. o."
Now, going up in such circum-
stance was like taking blind
plunge into danger. One could not
tell what might come along, and q
submarine awash with her screw
"seized up" counts among the most
helpless things afloat. However, the
risk had to be taken, and X-OO
presently heaved her long gray back
out of the water, like huge crippled
fish, and lay upon the surface inert.
"Fouled a mine, sir" came from
the men who had gone aft to in
vestigate. Ugly news this. 1t
brought shade of anxiety to the
go. O.'s" face. The mine must be
cleared, or it would make an end
to the boat. But the job was tricky
one. There was imminent risk of the
mine exploding while being cut away,
and that meant the funeral of X-OO
and every one in her. Very deftly
and cautiously the bluejackets went
to work, and at last had the relief
of seeing the hawser part and the
mine go harmlessly away. Still,
troubles were not at an end. One
stretch of wire had become so tightly
wound round the propeller that ii
could not be cleared, and the boat
was consequently unable to steam.
What to do in this awkward pre-
dicament was the question. Looking
around him, the &C. o." espied
trawler in the distance, and he
promptly decided his course of &C
ton.
Get out the boat and fetch that
chap and wen make him give us a
tow" said he to his Sub"
In a few minutes the submarines
little Berthon was making for the
trawler. This was taking another
risk because in these days trawlers
are not always the innocent craft
they seem. And this particular one
might be as inoffensive as she APP
peared outwardly or she might not.
All this was in the minds of the
Sub" and his men as they pulled
toward the ship and in the minds of
those left in X-OO as well. But the
chance had to be taken.
However, luck was with those who
ventured, as it so often is. The
trawler proved to be only harmless
fishing craft-and German at that.
So far from being DESTROYS OF
destroying anything her only thought
was for her own safety,and she tried
to insure this by fight. But the
Sub" and his boats crew were too
quick for her and they very soon
had her heading for X-00, to which
a hawser was run and the tow
began.
You are not to suppose all this oc-
Cured as simply as it is narrated.
Just picture the feelings Of a German
skipper Obliged willy-nilly to convert
his ship into a tug and take one OF
the hated English submarines back
to the safety of its own harbors. OF
all salvage jobs this was the last he
would have undertaken Willingly.
Being a wise man, however, he ac-
copied the inevitable and tried no
tricks, while in their tolerent British
fashion X-00's crew agreed that the
trawler's men were mot bad chaps"
and established fairly amicable rela-
lions with them. After the tow
had been in progress some few hours
a British destroyer hove in sight and
flew up to investigate.
"Hullo, old chap, what's up with
your" quoth her Captain to X-OO's
commanding officer, who forthwith
told him the whole story.
well, I'll pick you up now" said