Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-10-17

Dor and submerged just inside the
three-mile limit at 7:05 O'Clock Satur-
day night.
At daylight Sunday she turned up
southeast of Nantucket and got in the
way of the American steamer Kansan
of the American-Hawaii company,
bound from New York for Genoa by
way of Boston with freight
The Kansan was flying the Ameri-
can flag. She was stopped by the sub
marine at $50 O'Clock. Assured that
/ the Kansan was an American owned
vessel, the submarine later allowed her
to proceed.
Satisfied Craft Is U-53.
Captain Smith of the Kansan report
ed that he had been stopped in wire
less message to the captain of the
Nantucket shoals lightship. He said
the submarine showed no colors, but
from his meager description of the
| craft naval men were satisfied that it
| was the U-53.
A half hour later the submarine en-
countered the Strathdene, command
ed by Captain Wilson and under char
ter by the French line. A subsequent
message from the Nantucket lightship
stated that the Strathdene had been
sunk at six o'clock and that the crew
of 100 men" were on the lightship.
The steamer carried crew of "a,
so there was some doubt as to whether
the lightship had picked them all up
or had correctly reported. The
Strathdene sailed from New York for
Bordeaux Saturday afternoon. She
was of 1921 tons and 375 feet. in
length. She was built in Greenwich in
1909 and was owned in Glasgow.
Pursuing her hostile course, the sub
marine next came up with the West
Point bound from London for Newport
News.
The fate of the British freighter was
told in the following wireless dispatvm
from her commander, Captain Harden,
TO the naval radio station:
British steamer West Point, stopped
by submarine and fired upon; getting
boat ready. Position, 40 % north go
west. Get cutter"
Later messages gave further details.
One stated that the steamer was be-
ing Shelled by the submarine when the
message was sent at II 10 a. m. A
third message said that the vessel was
attacked at 1916, ten miles south of
Nantucket. This message caused a
confusion regarding the exact position
of the freighter.
The steamer KanSan picked up the
distress signals of the West Point and
proceeded to her assistance The Bos-
ton navy yard at 80 o'clock received
message from the Kansan stating
that the West Point was sinking and
that the Kansan was going to her aid.
The disabled vessel was then 50 miles
distant and the Kansan was making u
knots.
Later private dispatch added the
information that the submarine, after
stopping the West Point, ordered the
crew into their small boats. The |
crew abandoned the ship. which was
then tOrpedoed. 1t was in a sinking
condition when last reported.
Meantime the American line steam
ship Philadelphia, which left New York
for Liverpool, had gotten within the
war zone and on S. o. S. wireless mes
sage was received by her commander.
He held his course for the east.
Other Liners in Danger.
Within the immediate zone of pos
sible further operations by the U-53 |
are several transatlantic steamships
under registry of nations with which
Germany is at war. Also the Ameri-
can line steamer Philadelphia, with
passengers and freight from New York !
for Liverpool, is in the waters from
which reports of a German submarine
have come, and the Scandinavian
American liner Frederik VIII is ap-
preaching that part of the coast bound
to New York from Copenhagen.
Better known among the vessels |
subject, because of their registry and
their present positions, to the subma-
rine menace, are the French liner Es-
payne, from Bordeaux for New York
the Anchor liner Cameronia, bound to
New York from Glasgow and Liver
pool, and the Cunarder Alaunia, only
few hours out from New York for Fal-
mouth and London. Other vessels Of |
lesser size were reported approximate
ly in the same waters.
Most of these steamships have re-
ceived by wireless word sent broadcast |
by radio stations to all vessels of the |
presence of the German submarine off |
the New England coast
This message, as sent to steamships |
of Great Britain's merchant marine. |
was regarded as constituting orders to |
change courses. The result was indi- |
Gated in messages that this vessel or |
that was swinging inshore to be re-
moved from possible contact with the |
submarine and to be within easy speed |
ing distance of the three-mile zone of |
protection.