The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-10-09
SIX SHIPS. -FOUR BRITISH, one DUTCH
AND ONE NORWEGIAN IORPFOOEO
OFF NANTUCKET COAST
,enger Ship with Americans on Board in List
of Destroyed Vessels Warning Given in
Each Instance and No Lives Lost

boston, OCl. - ne SuulAtl lLc al III
OF the imperial German navy ravaged
shipping off the eastern coast OF the
United States yesterday. Four Brit
ish, one Dutch and one Norwegian
steamers were sent to the bottom or
left crippled derelicts off Nantucket
shoals.
Last night under the light Of the
Hunters moon the destroyer hotilla
of the United States Atlantic fleet was
picking up passengers and crews OF
the destroyed vessels and brlning
them into Newport, X. !. SO far as
known there was no loss OF life,
though at a late hour the crew OF the
British steamer Kingston had not
been accounted for.
A submarine help up the American
steamer Kansan bound from New
York for Genoa with steel for the
Italian government but later on es-
tablishing her identity, allowed the
American to proceed. The Kansan
camo into Boston harbOr late last
night for her usual cell there.
The hostile submarine is believed to
be the U-53 which paid "a call to New
port Saturday and disappeared at sun
set. Some naval men, however, de.
clared that least two submarines are
operating close to the American
shore, though outside the three-mile
limit.
The steamship BlOomersdyk carried
crew Of so men and a cargo OF grain
valued at 100000, consigned to the
government of The Netherlands. ac-
cording to w Van Doom, an official
at New York Of the Holiand-Aerica
line He intimated that international
complications might arise Mr.. Van
Doom declared there was no contra
band on board the Bloo1nerAiyk. He
said the ship itself was worth Sl,500.-
coo and that the freight she carried
was about 5000 tons
The record Of submarine warning,
as brought to land by wireless dis
patches follows:
The Strathdene, British freighter,
torpedoed and sunk off Nantucket.
Crew taken aboard Nantucket Shoals
lightship and later removed to New
port by torpedo boat destroyers. The
vessel left New York Saturday for
Bordeaux, and was attacked at a.
IL.
The West Point, British frelghter,
torpedoed and sunk Off Nantucket.
Crew abandoned the ship in small
boats after a warning shot from the
submarines gun. officers and men
we're taken aboard a destroyer The
vessel was attacked at l045 a. m. She
was bound from London for Newport
News.
Stephano, British passenger liner
plying regularly between New York
Halifax and St. Johns, n. F. Torpo-
decd southeast of Nantucket, while
bound for New Yark, Reported still
anoat late last night Passengers and
crew, numbering about 140 were
picked up by destroyer DraytOn and
brought to Newport The attack was
at 4.30 D. m.
Kingston, British freighter. torpe-
doed and sunk southeast of Nan
tucket Crew missing and destroyer
searching for them. This vessel is not
accounted for in maritime registers,
and may be the Kingstonian. The at
tack was at p m.
Bloomersdjk, Dutch freighter, tor
pedoed and sunk south Of Nantucket
Crew taken aboard a destroyer. The
steamer was bound from New York
for Rotterdam. having sailed Saturday
night
Christian Knudsen, Norwegian
freighter, torpedoed and sunk near
where the Bloomersdiik went down.
Crew picked up by destroyers. The
vessel sailed from New York Satur-
day for London
The sensation created Saturday
when the U-53 quietly slipped into
Newport harbor and as quietly slipped
away three hours later was ess than
the shock in shipping circles when
wireless reports Of submarine attacks
began to come into the naval radio
stations lust before noon yesterday.
With few minutes the air was lit
orally charged with electricity as
wireless messages of warning shot up
and down the coast. The submarine
or submarines had taken a position
directly in the steamer lanes where
they could hardly miss anything
bound in for New York, or bound east
| from that port.
Vessels of the allied nations and
neutral bottoms carrying contraband
of war scurried to get within the
three-mile limit Of the American
shore. Several which were following
the outside course shifted and made
for the inside lane. The Stephano of
the Red Cross line, however, was
caught outside the neutral zone The
destruction OF this vessel was per
haps the biggest prize of the day
The craft had been sold to the Rus
sian government and would have been
used as an ice-breaker after her pres
ent trip.
The passengers and crews of de-