New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-16
u. S. SHIP CLOSE
TO RANIlIING U-53
ONLY Few Feet of Sea
Averted New Crisis,
Officer Writes

btILlmOrc, OCI- 10 nc oihN"e
the Holland America liner Bloomer-
sdjyk and the Red Cross liner Ste
piano, as seen BIZ an officer aboard ore
of the United States torpedo boat de"
stroyers sent from the Newport station
to see fair play, is wildly recorded in
a letter received here to-day oy the
father Of Lieutenant Lee Cummins
Carey, of the destroyer Benhsm.
Lieutenant Carey's letter contains
something more than word picture OF
what happened. In it is information
which the Navy Department has not
seen fit TO make public
For the first time it becomes known
that only a few feet. Of choppy sea
stood for a moment between the United
States and new and graver crisis with
Germany. That WAS when, as Lieu
tenant Carey describes the incident, the
Bantam by just so many feet escaped
collision with the German U-53.
Ship Ready for Action.
II has been surmised before that the
American destroyers were ready to
meet any emergency which might arise
on the open sea when the IS o 81 OF
the Stephano took Their, on their thirty
mile an hour dash out OF Narragansett
Bay. Lieutenant Carey makes 1t GER
tain, for in his letter ne tells how war
heads were put on the Benham's tor
pedoes, how ammunition was put IN all
her guns and how the decks were
cleared for action in the course OF her
100-mile rescue run.
Some Of the American sailors, when
they returned to Newport, said an ON
Ger aboard the submarine had eourte'
ously requested that one Of the de-
stroyers change her position. giving
him room to blow up the BloomersdiJk
or. as another version had it, the Ste
phano. Those who heard the story re-
garded it as a bluejacket whimsy, IN
tended for marine consumption.
But such an incident really occurred.
The Bloomersdijk was the vessel about
to be destroyed, and the Benham. the
destroyer that was in the way. Lieu
tenant Carey, telling of it, quotes the
submarine commander as having called:
please get further away. We're
going TO blow her up"
Vessels In Heavy Sea.
The further point is brought out in
the lieutenant's letter that the mer-
chant vessels were laboring in consider
able of seaway when the U-boat
forced their passengers to take TO the
boats.
Earlier assertions, sanctioned by the
Navy Department, had been that the
sea was smooth and that the passen-
gers and crews were at no time In any
thing like serious danger
The story of the rescue is taken up
az the time the destroyer fotillas re-
ceived sailing orders. The letter con-
tinues:
con the way out We got a signal,
Prepare for action. Render assistance
to all ships attacked by German sub,
marines By this time we already mad
war heads on our torpedoes and am
munition at all guns. and everything
in readiness for action"
Fired Torpedo In Dark
In describing the "submarine's over
hauling of the Holland America liner"
the lieutenant tells Of the Benham tax
ing the officers and crew aboard, ana
writes:
at was dark. The U-53 asked US to
please get further away, IS she was
going to blow the Bloomersdyjk up
This We did. In a few minutes she
fired torpedo, which tore great gap
in the liners side, and she sank. The
attack on the Stephano Immediately
followed"
The lieutenant continues:
Suddenly the submarine put all
lights out and disappeared, and we went
ahead at % knots and approached near
the Stephano, but suddenly directly
ahead the submarine turned on her
lights and we just missed ramming her
Ly few yards. After the Balch had
taken of the Stephsno's crew the sub
marine drew away a couple of hun
dred yards and began firing her guns
at the ship. Round after round she
fred. We counted twenty-seYen, but
they did no material damage other
than opening up a few holes and giving
US some beautiful fireworks.
FINALLY, she seemed rather ashamed
OF her poor work, approached nearer
and let 20 torpedo, which seemed to
break the ship completely in two. for
she cavcd in amidships and settled rap
,dIv