Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-04-13


have been subjected to careful inves-
tigation by the admiral staff Of the
navy, which has led to the following
results:
First, the English steamer Ber-
windvale. A steamer which was pos
sibly the Berwindvale, was encount-
cred on the evening of March Is in
sight off Bull Rock light on the Irish
coast by a German submarine. The
steamer as soon as she noticed the
submarine, which was running unsub-
merged, turned and steamed away. She
was ordered to halt, by warning shot.
She paid no attention, however, to this
warning, but extinguished all lights
and attempted to escape. The vessel
was then fired upon until halted, and.
without further orders lowered several
boats. After the crew entered the boats
and received enough time to row away,
the ship was sunk.
'The name Of this steamer was not
established: 1t cannot be stated with as
surance even with the help of the de-
tails which were furnished by the Amer
lean embassy that the above described
incident concerns the steamer Berwind-
vale. Since. however. the steamer sunk
was tank steamer like the Berwind-
vale, the identity of the ships may be
assumed. In this case, however, the
statement mad that the Berwindvale was
torpedoed without warning would conflict
with the facts.
''Second-The British steamer English
men. This steamer on March "a was
called upon to halt by a German sub
marine through two warning shots about
20 sea miles west of Islay (Hebrides)
The vessel proceeded, however, without
needing the warning and was therefore
forced by the submarine by artillery fire
to half after an extended chase, where.
upon she lowered boats without further
orders.
"After the German commander had
convinced himself that the crew had
taken to the boats and rowed from the
ship, he sank the steamer.
"Third-The British steamer Manches-
ter Engineer. 1t is impossible to estab.
lish through the investigation up to the
present whether the attack on this steam
er which, according to the given descrip-
ton, occurred on March q in the lati.
tude of Waterford, Is attributable to g
German submarine. The statement re-
garding the time and place of the Incl
dent gives no sufficient basis for inves.
tigation. 1t would therefore be desirabl.
to have more exact statements Of the
place. time and attendant circumstance
of the attack reported by the American
government in order that the investiga.
i~hf he Q
conclusion.
"Fourth-The British steamer Eagls
Point This steamer in the forenoon Of
March Is was called upon to halt by q
German submarine through signal ant
shot about 100-not 13o-sea miles from
the southwest coast of Ireland, but pro
ceeded. She was thereupon fired upor
until halted, and, without further orders
lowered two boats, in which the crew
took their places. After the command
ant convinced himself that the boats
which had hoisted sails, had gotten cleal
Of the steamer. he sank the steamer.
.''At the time of the sinking a north
northwest wind Of the strength of two
not a storm wind and light swell, no
"a heavy sea- as stated in the given de
scription, prevailed. The boats therefore
had every prospect of being picked VI
very quickly because the place of tn.
sinking lay on a much-used steamer path
IF the crew Of the steamer used only
two small boats for saving themselves
the responsibility falls upon themselves
since there were still upon the steamer
as the submarine could establish at leas
four big collapsible boats.
"Fifth-The French steamer Sussex, As
certainment Of the fact whether the chan
mel steamer Sussex was damaged by 9
German submarine was rendered ex
tremely difficult because no exact detail.
Of time, place and attendant circum
stances of the sinking were known and
also because it was impossible to obtair
picture of the ship before April g. Con
sequentiy the investigation had to be ex
tended to all actions undertaken under
the direct question-March 24-in the
channel in the general region between
Folkestone and Dieppe.
In that region on March "a a Ions
black ecraft without flag. having a gra,
funnel, small gray forward works and
two high masts, was encountered about
the middle of the English channel by .
German submarine. The German com.
mander reached the definite conclusion
that 1t was war vessel and, indeed, a
mine layer Of the recently built English
Arabs class. He was led to that con.
victfon by the following facts:
First by the plain unbroken deck OF
the ship; second. the form Of the stern
sloptng downward and backward like q
war vessel; third. she was painted like a
war vessel; fourth. the high speed devel.
oped. about u knots: NTH. the circum-
stances that the vessel did not keep q
coorss northward Of the light, buoys. be-
tween Dungeness and Beachy Head,
which. according to the frequent and nm
HnHx4ng o1rofYnf50n0 ol German a,sasna.