French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1916-11-02
BELIEVES THAT THE GERMANS
HAVE SUBMARINE BASES IN e. S.

A lawyer and politician Of Machias,
who does not wish his name to be men
toned in the matter, has declared re-
Gently that it is not only possible but
highly probable that there are one or
more supply stations for German sub
marines o. the Eastern Maine coast,
and gave his reasons for believing the
recent rumors to that effect. Said he:
ct is reported that United States
destroyers are active along the Maine
coast in search of a German subma-
rine station or base. It has also been
rumored, and the story will not down,
that a wireless station devoted to the
interests of the central powers exists
somewhere near Mount Desert.
while many persons smile and
shrug their shoulders at these reports.
it seems reasonable that Washington
must have something more than street
talk to imDel it to assign half a dozen
naval vessels to the duty of p~atrolin2
our coast.
at must be now pretty we'll under
stood" this man said, that the visit of
the Deutchland was merely an expert
ment to ascertain>if the transatlantic
voyage were possible for undersea
craft, and that there is no privately
owned line established in Germany TO
maintain merchant submarine service,
to this country, and no Bremen, n
no America.
I'm connection with the departure OF
the Deutschland, the repeated asse"-
tons that the Bremen was approach
ing our coast and the sudden hunt for
submarine stations along these shores,
it seems to me that the story of Coast
Guardsman Dunn of Cross Island Sta
ton early in September should be con-
sidered.
"As l remember it. a day or two al
ter the Deutschland left Baltimore
Coast Guardsman Dunn reported that
he had seen one or more submarines
five miles off Cross Island. While the
story was given considerable publicity
and excited much newspaper comment,
it does not seem to have been cOnSid-
cred that the vessel seen by Dunn nay
have been a supply ship intending to
land war materials upon the Washing
ton county coast.
"To anybody who knows the coast Of
Eastern Maine" this nan said, such a
feat does not seem impossible Or very
improbable. Hundreds of islands and
great lodges line the coast. from half a
mile to six miles off shore. High cliffs
and precipitous rocks rise from deep
water everywhere. These islands are
entirely uninhabited, used only as
sheep pastures, and are seldom visited.
even in summer. save when some tour
ist or fishing party chances to land
upon them. In stormy OF fOggy weather
they are almost inaccessible. Their
gorges and caverns offer ideal places
of concealment and protection of such
stores or supplies as the German U
boats would require, which could be
discovered only by minute and fire.
quent search of each island.
MAY not Mr.. Mr.. Dunn have been
correct in his claim" the Machies man
asked. And if so, who knows how
many islands from Mount Desert Rock
to Quoddy Head bear a German cache
Of curse the story of the explosion al
East Machias, where a fishing platform
was destroyed, is too silly to be men,
toned, but it is not unreasonable tt
think that a real danger to our neu
trality may exist somewhere among thu
islands of this vicinity"