New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-07-10
Merchantmen Submarines
Siren Tells of Wonder
full Crafts Arrival.
ESCAPES WARSHIPS
CLOSE TO COAST
Took No Chances and Sub.
merged When Smoke Was
Seen, Says Captain.

aggregating $50 tons and bearing a
sealed message from Emperor William
Of Germany to President Wilson. the
erman merchantmen submarine
Deutschland, after running the gantlet
Of innumerable dangers from mines, sea
sweepers and enemy warships in her
voyage across the Atlantic, quietly
slipped into the Chesapeake at l:45 this
morning.
Three hours later. conveyed by the
tug Thomas 7. Timmns, the little craft
with a record Of thirteen days OF mys-
terious vigil off the Virginia capes. the
Deutschland started up the Chesapeake
for Baltimore. She was piloted by Cap
tain Fred Cooke, Of the Virginia Pilots
Association.
Several hours later ,and, 1t is be-
lieved. acting under definite instruc-
tions from Washington. the coast guard
cutter Onondaga, Captain Chlswell IN
command. steamed out Of Norfolk har-
Dor, and with all the speed OF her
powerful engines began a stern chase
of the Deutschland and her convoy.
Aboard the Onondaga were Port Col
lector Norman Hamilton, several OF
his deputies and n number OF news
paper men. Ii was believed that cap
tain Chiswell, in the event OF overtak,
ing the German submersible, would
merely keep the strange craft under
surveillance as neutrality precau-
ton. However, il is accepted as TACT
that the Deutschland viii be detained
pending a decision as to her status by
the State Department.
Slipped Past Warships.
Commanded by Captain Kairig and
manned by crew Of twenty-nine men
the Deutschland arrived of the Capes
Inst night. and during the darkness or
tho early morning successfully slipped
by the waiting Allied cruisers. bafeiy
four miles from the breakers and hard
" a mile inside the enemy warships
she came 10 the surface.
The run was quickly made 10 the
pilot beat station of the Cape Henry
Light, where the submarine stopped
and began signalling, evidently expect
ing 10 find the tug Timmins IN waiting
But the little Baltimore craft had re-
Taxed her vigilance for d brief spell
and was nowhere 10 be seen. After an
hours wait and fearing the approach
Of dawn before well inside the Capes'
CAPTAIN Kairic boldly approached the
Virginia pilot boat Relief and asked for
"a pilot. He made no effort 10 conceal
The identity Of his craft or the fact that
he had sought the Timmins IN vain.
To Captain Cooke, who was promptly
placed aboard the submerslble by the
pilot boat, Captain Kairig talked free
". He said that he left his German
home port June %. He declined TO
give the name of the port IN question.
lie said he circled around the British
Isles and came straight across the AT
lantic, avoiding the usual lanes OF
travel and submerging whenever any
ship was sighted. He said favorable
weather was experienced throughout
the long voyage and that 1t was with
out special incident worthy Of mention.
DyestuGs in Cargo.
Questioned as 10 the undersea boats
cargo, Captain kairig frankly stated
that he had on board $50 tons OF cargo,
including a quantity of dyestuifs lie
said he also brought over special
messenger with a communication from
Emperor William Of Germany TO Presi-
dent Wilson. He expects TO land the
messenger tomorrow for the rail trip
10 Washington.
Captain Kairig said he repeatedly
sighted merchantmen. principally Brit
ish. and one British cruiser on the trip
across the Atlantic. He avoided detec-
ton by promptly submergng He said
the Deutschland, when on the surface
and in motion, could submerge in less
than two minutes, and that he took no
chances, going under the water the
moment smoke was sighted on the hori-
zon.
He said that some time before mid
night. while creeping along in the dark
ness. he sighted two cruisers about nine
miles off the Capes. He submerged and
easily passed them, declaring that one
time he was within five hundred yards
OF the French cruiser.
CAPTAIN Cooke was kindly shown over
the submersible and her points of merit
indicated. She is fully three hundred
feet long and thirty feet wide. She
drew seventeen feet of water when she
passed in the Capes. She is powered
with two Diesel engines, and is said TO
be capable OF a speed OF three knots an
hour greater than that Of the average
merchant steamer.
Merchant Flag Hoisted.
Captain Cooke said the Deutschland
flew no flag when he went aboard, but
that after entering the bay and meeting
the tug Timmins the German merchant
mans flag was hoisted. All Of the sail !
ors wore German merchantmen's uni |
forms.
Owes are not our chief need now.
Our chief need is for salvarsan, asperin |
and phenacetin. Those drugs are far
less bulky than the dye cargo would be,