The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1916-10-13

Bost0n.-A German submarine, sup.
posedly the U-53 which called at New,
port, torpedoed ard sank the British
freight steamers Strathdene, Stephano
and Kingston and torpedoed and Grip
pied the British freighter West Point
off Nantucket. No loss of life was re-
ported. The submarine also held up
the American freight steamer Kansan,
but later allowed her to proceed.
The crew of the steamer Strath,
dene, nearly all Of them Lascars, were
taken aboard the Nantucket lightship.
The officers and men of the West
Point took to their small boats after
srmmoning assistance from shore.
The distress signals Of the West
Point e picked up by the govern
ment radio station at Newport R. l..
and Immediately Rear Admiral
Gleaves, commander Of the destroyer
fiotilla OF the American Atlantic feet,
ordered virtually all Of his ships to
the rescue. The West Point gave her
position as SO miles southeast of Nan
tucket, but the navy officials said that
later reports indicated that the vessel
was not more than 10 miles off shore.
The weather was thick and it was eX-
pected that the crew would not be
brought into Newport before midnight.
The booming Of the submarines
guns, apparently fired in warning,
was distinctly heard at Nantucket.
But where the submersible was at
the moment these reports were heard
was pure speculation. 1t was PLAIN,
however, that she had placed herself
in the lane of passenger and freight
traffic and %terrorized shipping along
the coast.
Vessels Change Their Course.
Immediately after the first distress
signals of the West Point were sent
broadcast, wireless messages were
sent up and down the coast and far
out to sea, warning every vessel that
a German submarine was operating
in the steamer lane. Every vessel
equipped with wireless was told to
make at top speed for the three mile
zone and the commanders Of mer.
chant vessels of the entente allies lost
no time in shifting their course.
Those that were following what is
known as the outside course turned
to the inside course that would bring
them closer to American land. The
passenger steamer Stephano, which
plies regularly between New York
and st. Johns, N. F., was bound west
and was due off Nantucket tomorrow
morning. When her British com
mander received his warning he was
said to have shifted his course to
bring his vessel within the inside lane.
British consular officers along the
New England coast who had been ad-
yised by the British embassy to warn
British shipping against the U-53 upon
her appearance at Newport, renewed
their caution on learning that the sub
marine had gone into action.
Something like a panic possessed
the minds of shippers in this city and
at other points along the coast when
the first reports OF the torpedoing
were received from the radio station.
The stories regarding the U-5S which
.anpeared in the Sunday papers had
aroused much speculation as to her
mission, and the news that she had
attacked British vessels travelled fast.
Anxious inquiries were made at the
Newport Offices from seemingly al
most everyone who had a friend on
fha water or owned q share OF stock
in a merchant bottom.
Radio Stations Closed.
The Frederick; VIII of the Scandina'
vian-American Line, which is bringing
home the American ambassador 10
Germany, James W. Gerard, and Mrs
Gerard. was 600 miles east of New
York at noon Sunday. Assurance that
the ambassador and his wife were
IN a neutral vessel was given to in
o,iring friends by the press.