The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-10-14
ONLY ONE SUBMARINE IN RAID
|SINKING OF SIX VESSELS SAID TO
BE WORK OF U.53.
Reports State That There Was no Loss
& OF Life, Although Crew of Kingston
Has Not Been LOcated-Praise for

Newport, r. l., Oct. 9.-The whole
sale raid on foreign shipping south of
Nantucket lightship Sunday was the
work of one submarine, according to
reports of American naval officers.
Rear Admiral Albert Gleaves, COM
manding the torpedo boat destroyer
fotilla which did such remarkably
speedy rescue work yesterday, said
tonight that reports of all his officers
agreed that to the best of their obsery-
alton one raider only was concerned.
This boat presumani.J was the German
submarine U-5S, which called at New
port Saturday.
Admiral Gleaves said he co2ld caciIy
understand the positive statements of
the captain Of the Nantucket lightship
and of sailors Of the torpedoed ves-
sells that more than one submarine
was concerned. The U-boat, he said,
was very fast and appeared to have
been handled cleverly. 1t was easy, he
pointed out, for her to disappear on
one side of ship and then show up
unexpectedly at another spot. Doubt
less, he believed, she had submerged
and reappeared often enough to mis-
lead any but Keen professional OBJ
server and to create the impression
that more than one sea terror was
operating.
This opinion would seem to be borne
out by the statements of many of the
refugees that the submarine had more
business on hand than she could take
care of at once and was obliged to
request one steamer to "ait her turn
while another was being put out Of
commission. Lieut.. Commander Mil
Ter of the destroyer Ericsson. who wit
messed the destruction of the Steph-
ano, said he was positive that only
one submarine was in the vicinity at
the time. Today the raiding had
ceased, at least for the moment.
The known list Of the victims of the
U-boat's Sunday exploits remains at
six, Notwithstanding reports from the
Nantucket lightship that three other
ships, the identity Of which could not
be learned, were sent to the bottom.
There also was q rumor. without veri-
II ation. that q British cruiser. one of
E z1 aat$s pat - g Aanf Id tlaa siab.
1narine zone. had been attacked.
Ten more refugees were landed here
tonight by the Melville. tender Of the
destroyer Flotilla. which picked up 10
Chinese members of the crew of the
steamer Strathdene. They were sent
to the training station to be held until
immigration inspectors can pass upon
their cases.
Destroyers swept the waters of a
wide area today in a vain search for
the crew Of the steamer Kingstonian,
| who were seen by members Of the
steamer Strathdene to take to their
boats before their vessel was sunk.
Rear Admiral Knight, commander of
the Narrangansett Bay naval defense
district, did not appear to be alarmed
at the lack. of success in finding the
missing men, and saw no reason to
change the previous reports that the
raid SO destructive to property was
accomplished without loss of life. 1t
was the commanders opinion that the
Kingstonian's crew had been picked
up by an eastbound steamer Which did
not care to divulge her position to
lurking submarines by reporting the
fact by wireless.
Notwithstanding the lull in subma-
rine activities today shipping men
were by no means treasured. If only
one raider were concerned she might
be waiting only to replenish her sup
plies, they believed. This gave rise
to renewal of reports that elaborate
methods Of supplying foreign subma-
rines from American bases had been
perfected.
In order to dispose as far as DOS
sible of claims Of this sort as applied
to the Narragansett Bay district,
William H. Walcott; deputy collector
of customs, made careful investiga-
ton today to learn If any merchant
boat or yacht had cleared from New
port Saturday or Sunday which might
have carried supplies. The inyestiga-
ton, 1t is understood, was made on
orders from Washington. Mr.. Wal
colt found no indication that any
such supply boat had cleared.
Another report persistent in ship
ping circles was that the call Of Capt.
Hans Rose Of the U-53 upon Ameri-