Milford chronicle., 1916-10-13
U. S. DeStrOyeTS Seek Victims
Of German Raid.
THE U-BOAT HAS VANISHED
over Fifty Men Are Adrift in Small
Boats, Without Adequate Food or
Clothing.

The crew of the British freight
steamship Kingstonian, missing since
Sunday when its members abandoned
their ship at the order Of the raiding
German submarine in the waters of
! Nantucket Shoal lightship, has not
been heard from.
Eleven torpedoboat destroyers are in
the vicinity of the lightship to continue
the search.
No further report of the submarine
or submarines which destroyed six
steamships Sunday on the trans-Atlan.
tic line that rounds the lightship,
came to hand There has been no
trace Of the submersible since its last
victim went to the bottom, Sunday
night.
Search for the missing crew, said
to number more than fifty men, was
halted after reports that some Of them
had been found. Later this was Off
cially denied. AS the men had been
ahoat more than thirty-six hours in
open boats, probably without food or
adequate clothing, the anxiety Of the
destroyer feet to find them has be-
come more intense, especially as the
weather was extremely cold.
1t was reported that the sea in the
vicinity Of the lightship was strewn
with the wreckage Of the ships torpe-
doed on Sunday.
Since midnight Sunday nothing has
been heard of the U-53. While the
number Of vessels known to have been
sunk in Sundays foray still stands at
six, the Nantucket lightship sticks to
its belief that at least nine went down.
In spite Of the testimony to the con-
trary, American naval officers believe
the wholesale raid was the work of
one submarine. Rear Admiral Albert |
Gleaves, commanding the torpedo boat
destroyer fotilla, which has done such
remarkable rescue work, said the re-
port Of all his officers agreed that to
the best Of their observation one raid
er only was concerned.
The opinion would seem to be borne
out by statements Of many refugees
that the submarine had more business
on hand than she could take care o.
at once, and was obliged to request
one steamship to wait her turn while
another was being put out Of comm.s-
sion.
Lieutenant Commander Miller, of
the destroyer Ericsson, who saw the
destruction of the Stephano, said he
was positive only one submersible was
In the vicinity at the time.
mandant of the station, agrees w.tl
his. He has up for consideration also
several statements from persons who
saw what they believed to be a Ger.
nan supply ship lying beside the sub
nersible which sank the Stephano
These come from officers, sailors and
That such a mother" ship could
lave escaped from a German port to
accompany a submarine fotilla is
Ioubted in navy circles. But that one {
night have been fitted out in a port on I
he North American or South Amerl.
an coast they admit is possible. OF /
bis possibility Washington has taken l
ognizance. S
Just what steps have been taken by /
he entente allied patrol fleet to check {
lrther ravages on their shipping is i
OF known. The British naval officials
! Canada would not amplify their
revious statement that every neces-
ary means had been taken. 3
For all that the general public knew,
le U-53 might either be on her way
} the eastward to seek once more to h
mine fields and hostile nets. r
} get back to her home port Of Viii G
or might make her ap- h
earance soon off the Chesapeake &c
.pes, where she might find more rich
-iZes