Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-08-07
Undersea Craft Is Discov-
cred Coming Down Off
Coast of Maine.
IDENTITY UNCERTAIN
One Who Sees Vessel I'm
able to Confirm Nation
atty in Foggy Air.

captain Small of the
Cross Island coast guard
station reported this morn
ing that his station had
sighted a large submarine
bound west. Its national
ity could not be deter
mined but the captain said
he had no doubt that it
was an undersea craft.
The submarine was coming TO
the surface when it was sighted
and after running awash Is min
uteS again submerged. 1t was
thought that the vessel might be
the German submarine Bremen.
So far as can be learned there are
no United States submarines on
the Main coast.
The look out who sighted the sub
marine later said that he picked the
vessel up in clear weather five miles
to the southeast. AS the vessel came
to the surface the look out said he
heard several blasts from the signal
horn at the lighthouse on Seal island,
British possession.
1t is believed the keeper of the light
house was signalling to the keeper at
Grand Manan light, also British own
ed that a submarine had been sighted.
Immediately after the whistle sound
ed the submarine submerged. A few
moments later a haze set in and it
was impossible to see more than four
miles off Cross Island.
coast. If the vessel is the Bremen,
she was either off her course, or, for
reasons best known to the master Of
the merchantmen had chosen to come
in close to the enemy's country in
order to arrive sooner within the
three mile limit.
To be off Cross Island, the subma-
rine must have skirted the coast OF
Nova Scotia and rounded Sable Island;
thence heading north along the edge
of the Bay of Fundy instead of taking
the most direct route, crossed the
Gulf of Maine to Bar Harbor or Port
land.
In Neutral Zone.
The indicated course would bring
her within the three mile limit soon
after she was sighted and from then
on she would have plenty of water to
zone.
Lowell W. Dunn, the lookout on
Cross Island, later reported that he
had sighted a second submarine con-
siderably smaller than the first one.
A canvass of naval stations and
builders appeared to establish the
fact that no American submarines
were off this coast Those close to
naval affairs express the conviction
that no submarine of the entente al
lies was now in Canadian waters or
near the New England coast.
Says He Saw Two Subs.
Il was standing on the hill looking
out to sea through my glass;" said
Dunn. 1T was perfectly clear at the
time, while the water was smooth.
The first Of the two submarines APP
peared from beneath the surface at
about S:25 this morning and / should
judge that the hull was 10 or IL feet
out of the water. Although she was at
distance of more than five miles off
shore, could plainly make out what
seemed TO be a small tower in the
middle of the vessel.
Il watched her for few minutes,
and then shifting my glasses / saw
another smaller submarine la mile
ahead of her. Both were bound to the
submerged and three or four minutes
after, when l turned to take another
look at the big one, she, too. went be-
low the surface.
THE submarines were travelling at
the rate of 10 or u miles an hour. l
am positive the vessels were submar-
ines, for the towers were plainly Wis
ible."
German Agent Silent
Baltimore, Md. Aag. Henry G..
Hilken, senior member OF the Eastern
Forwarding company, American
agents of the German merchant sub
marines, read the Associated Press
dispatch reporting the sighting OF a
submarine off the Maine coast today
with interest, but refused TO comment
on the possibility OF the craft being the
Bremen or any other German under
water boat
Ofhcials OF the company have said
heretofore that the Bremen was COM
ing to Baltimore or some other Amer
lean port on the Atlantic seaboard.
and while IL has been denied that her
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