Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1916-07-20


boat Deutschland, the first, submarine
to cross the Atlantic ocean, made the
3.S0O-mile trip. lodging hundreds of
hostile warships and thousands OF
floating mines. dropping to the tloor
of the sea when endangered by ap.
proacnlng ships and running under the
surface of the water for miles to es-
cape possible pursuers-all this makes
up story that Is more thrilling than
any that hus appeared in the pages of
fiction. The imagination Of Jules Verne
never conceived any tale more roman
tic than tint told by Capt. Paul koe-
mig, who with his intrepid crew plotted
the undersea craft from Helgoland to
Baltimore.
But the story was told mOdestly by
the sea captain, who refused to see
anything very remarkable Ia his ex-
plot.
Describing the voyage of the
Deutschland In quiet and simple
manner. Captain KOenig said:
"The Deutschland was completed
! some months ago. ] was chosen to
command her. suppose, because |
have been captain of two North Ger
man Lloyd liners. the Prli cess Irene
and the Schleswig. and had also sailed
into Baltimore with the Rhein and the
Neckar.
Knew Little OF Submarines.
~ knew little about submarines.
Indeed, this was my first long cruise
In one, but was given uD opportunity
to make trial trips In Il e Baltic and
elsewhere. The company assembled u
crew of twenty-five men. Most Of them
are married and they range In age
from twenty-One up to forty.
MY first officer is Mr.. KrapOhl, my
second officer Eyrlng and Klees Is chief
engineer Klees Is the most important
man of all.
I'VE left Bremerhaven at noon ri
June IA. In our cargo we had about
$1.O0O,000 worth Of dyestuffs. Also
carry 300 tons of Ir,n for ballast. In
addition we were given three pack
ages of mail from the foreign office tC
he delivered to Ambassador Won Bern
storff. This turned over.
"Well. we went to Helgoland from
Bremen. The trip consumed only
few hours and we kept on the sur
face all the wPy.
mo, the British blockade is no
half us tight us they would hive yOl
believe.
Had Much OIL Left.
|, Here we delayed for nine days
+ This was for the purpose Of dlspos
2 Ing properly of our cargo and bullus
and the reception of food and fuel
We took on 1870 tons Of oil. We hav,
] nlnety-five tons left, enough to tux
] US home again.
( 1--WE had not serious accident, n,
} trouble with our engine or subInerg
ing apparatus, and had more thai
: double the amount Of fuel needed.
"Only one case of sickness of an!
sort developed OIL the trip. One o
: the sailors was badly sunburned ont
day.
I'VE left uelg0land on the 23d o.
June and headed across the Nortl
sea for the Channel. Almost all thu
time we Travelled ut steady speed %
: IL or IA knots ON the surface Of thu
water.
IN fact. we Travelled very little un
der waiter. Only 81 Of tine $500 mile
was done uEder water. Our prnctic'
was to sufmerge for very short tim
: the moment we sighted nm enemy shin
We went under five times In the NOrtl
sea, six times In the Channel an,
three times In the Atlantic ocean.
Under Water Ten Hours.
""rhe longest time we remained I'm
der water at any one time was tel
hours. This was In the North sen.
, necessary we could submerge for fou
days. Then we would be forced t
come to the surface to recllurge on
oxygen batteries.
"Once we went down almost fift
fathoins. This was ut the time W
remained beneath the waves all nigh
Your see, we had sighted English de
StrOyers and merchantmen. 1t wa
just n small grOul-we neSsr ran Int
a feet or large group Of SHIPS blu
: we thought II best to avoid them.
"Were we atraidT The captain
laugh was q dry eackle. mo, not eS
actly; just cautious. We were no
> afraid OF mines because we had
pretty good idea Of their location
But we did not want to give a de
strOyer or merchantmen chanc
: to get In q lucky shot or ram US"
"How did you amuse yOurselve
down there at the bottom Of the sea ?
: The captain looked little shame
faced. "Why. we played our tw
graphophones and dr0hk little chan
pagns," he replied.
Crew Played Graphophones.
Imagine the picture. Foggy nigl
, heavy sea-dcstr0yers prOwlin
above. and men--humun beings lIk
you and the man ia the next fat
drinking wine ard listening to grapl
oph0ne 300 feet below the surface {