The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1916-10-12
GERMAN SUBMARINES SINK
nine SHIPS, TWO NEUTRAL,
OFF NEW ENGLAND COAST
Shock Follows Sensation.

| Dor and as quietly Sl1pped away tnTo0
hours later, was less than the shock
in shipping circles when wireless re-
| ports of submarine attacks began to
come into the naval radio stations.
! Within few minutes the air was lit
| orally charged with electricity as
wireless messages Of warnings were
| broadcasted along the coast. The
| submarine or submarines had taken
| a position directly in the steamer
lanes, where they could hardly miss
| anything bound in for New York or
bound east from that port.
| Vessels of the Entente Allied Ma
| tons and neutral bottoms carrying
contraband of war scurried to get
within the three-mile limit of the
American shore. Several that were
| following the outside course shifted
and made for the inside lane. The
| Stephano, of the Red Cross line, how
ever, was caught outside the neutral
| zone. The destruction of this vessel
! was perhaps the biggest prize of the
day The craft had been sold to the
Russian Government and would have
been used as an icebreaker after her
present trip.
Throughout the day and up to late
at night, none of the patrolling feet
maintained by the British and French
to protect their own shipping and
American ships carrying munitions
of war had been sighted. Frantic
appeals we're sent to Halifax.
Stirs Up Halifax.
Cali steps possible in the circum-
stances are being taken to deal with
the situation"
This message was received by the
Associated Press from the commander
in-chief of the British North Atlantic
squadron at Halifax, N. S. 1t was in
reply to a request for a statement by
him. The work of the patrol1ing
fleets was directed from Halifax and
ever since the war began cruisers and
auxiliary vessels of the British and
French navies have moved up and
down the coast. The passengers and
crews Of destroyed vessels who were
being brought into Newport were not
expected to reach there until after
midnight.
Preparations to care for them had
been made by Rear Admiral Knight,
commandant of the Narrangansett Bay
naval station, and Rear Admiral
Gleaves, commander of the destroyer
1otilla now at Newport.
Later reports gave further details
of the attacks. The Stephano met a
submarine six miles southeast of
Nantucket hghtship and was attacked
by gunfre and a torpedo. She re-
NAMED afioat until 1905 o'clock.
The West Point went down 10 miles
south of the Nantucket nghtship. The
Strathdene was attacked loft light
ship" the reports stated and the
Bloomersjidk was sunk three miles
south of the lightship. She remained
afioat some time going down at sos.
The American steamer Kansan was
held up three meils east of Nantucket
lightship.
West Point Gave Warning.
The first wireless warning of the
presence OF hostile submarine in the
steamship lane was given in the dis
tress signals of the West Point which
reported that she had been torpedoed
30 miles southeast of Nantucket light. |
This message apparently was picked |
up by every vessel having a wireless
equipment within range for within a
very short time press dispatches from |
st. Johns, N. F., and Halifax, N. S., |
indicated that the patro1ling warships
had received the alarm. The British |
80
disclosure of the movements of the |
patrolling vessels. /
Booming of Guns Heard.
The booming of the submarines |
guns, apparently fired in warning. |
was distinctly heart at Nantucket. It |
was plain that the submarine had |
placed herself in the lane of passen-
ger and freight traffic and terrorized
shipping along the coast
In a fash after the first distress
signals of the West Point were sent, |
wireless messages of warning were
sent broadcast
Every vessel was warned to make
for the three-mile zone and the COM
manders Of merchant vessels of the
Allies lost no time in shift
ing their course
Those that were following what is
known as the outside course turned
to the inside course that would bring
them closer to American land.
The passenger steamer Stephano.
which plies regularly between New
York and st. Johns, n F., was bound
west and was due off Nantucket Mon
day morning. When her British COM
mander received his warning, he was
said to have shifted his course to
bring his vessel within the inside
lane.