Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1916-10-11


three-mile limit at 1905 o'clock Satur-
day night
At daylight Sunday she turned up
southeast Of Nantucket and got in the
way of the American steamer Kansan
of the American-Hawaii company,
bound from New York for Genoa by
way of Boston with freight.
The Kansan was flying the Ameri-
can flag. She was stopped by the sub
marine at 80 o'clock. Assured that
the Kansan was an American owned
vessel, the submarine later allowed her
to proceed.
Satisfied Craft Is U-53.
Captain Smith Of the Kansan report
ed that he had been stopped in a Wire
less message to the captain of the
Nantucket shoals ightship. He said
t&e submarine showed no cOlOrs, but
from his meager description Of the
craft naval men were satisfied that it
was the U-53
A half hour later the submarine en-
cOuntered the Strathdene command
ed by Captain Wilson and under char
ter by the French line A subsequent
message from the Nantucket lightship
stated that the Strathdene had been
sunk at six O'Clock and that the crew
Of 800 men" were on the lightship.
The steamer carried a crew of 3d.
so there was some doubt as to whether
the lightship had picked them all up
or had correctly reported. The
Strathdene sailed from New York for
Bordeaux Saturday afternoon. She
was of 1921 tons and 375 feet in
length. She was built in Greenwich in
1909 and was owned in Glasgow.
Pursuing her hostile course, the sub
marine next came up with the West
Point bound from London for Newport
News.
The fate of the British freighter was
told in the following wireless dispatvm
from her commander, Captain Harden,
to the naval radio station:
British steamer West Point, stopped
by submarine and fired upon; getting
boat ready. Position, 1912 north, 60
west. Get cutter"
Later messages gave further Details
One stated that the steamer was be-
ing shelled by the submarine when the
message was sent at IL 10 a. m. A
third message said that the vessel was
attacked at 10 40, ten miles south of
Nantucket This message caused
confusion regarding the exact position
of the freighter.
The steamer Kansan picked up the
distress signals of the West Point and
proceeded to her assistance. The Bos-
ton navy yard at | 80 o'clock received
a message from the Kansan stating
that the West Point was sinking and
that the Kansan was going to her aid.
The disabled vessel was then 80 miles
distant and the Kansan was making u
knots
Later private dispatch added the
information that the submarine after
stopping the West Point, ordered the
crew into their small boats. The
crew abandoned the ship, which was
then torpedoed. 1t was in a sinking
condition when last reported.
Meantime the American line steam
ship Philadelphia, which left New York
for Liverpool, had gotten within the
war zone and on S. O. S. wireless mes
sage was received by her commander.
He held his course for the east.
Other Liners in Danger.
Within the immediate zone of pos
sible further operations by the U-53
On troy
under registry of nations with which
Germany is at war Also the Ameri-
can line steamer Philadelphia, with
passengers and freight from New York
for Liverpool, is in the waters from
which reports of a German submarine
have come, and the Scandinavian
American liner Frederik VIII is an
preaching that part of the coast bound
to New York from Copenhagen.
Better known among the vessels
subject, because of their registry and
their present positions, to the Subma-
rine menace, are the French liner Es-
payne, from Bordeaux for New York:
the Anchor liner Cameronia, bound to
New York from Glasgow and Liver
pool, and the Cunarder Alaunia, only
few hours out from New York for Fal-
mouth and London. Other vessels of
lesser size were reported approximate
ly in the same waters.
Most of these steamships have re-
ceived by wireless word sent broadcast
by radio stations to all vessels of the
presence of the German submarine off
the New England coast.
This message, as sent to steamships
of Great Britain's merchant marine.
was regarded as constituting orders to
change courses. The result was indi-
Gated in messages that this vessel or
that was swinging inshore to be re-
moved from possible contact with the
submarine and to be within easy speed
ing distance of the three-mile zone of
protection.
SHELLED BY A SUBMARINE