The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-11-07


 climb down to the central" with the
 instrument and the charts closely nursed against your bosom, sometimes using your back and sometimes your
 knees to steady yourself Then one presses oneself up again through the coming tower hatch and, with the boat leaping between the seas, one is work ing with the circle and parallel rule. The knees have to be the chart table and you are conscious you have done your calculating while on guard against the treacherous attacks of the ele- ments How pleasant is it after having been laboring under such conditions to be able to work once more on the deck
 with calm seas and smooth weather. The fair weather is also useful for the diving exercises which we practice every day. Everything goes as it should. We can calmly draw near to the American coast and in a safe posi- tion under the water we will pass the three e-mile limit.
 During these diving exercises, we exper-
 fence a wonderful spectacle. I let the boat go down just as far as to put the coming tower three meters under the
 surface. Bright sunshine penetrates be-
 low the surface. Close by the water was azure blue, transparent as glass. From the coming tower window I could see the length of the ship; surrounded by wind bubbles glistening like pearls which con- tinually spring out from the hull. There the deck was stretched out which I could see to the prov as clearly as if it had been above the water. Later the entire thing changed to a colored dusk. It looks as if the boat were pushing itself out of an opal green wall, which continually di- vided itself, spreading gittering light that afterward, as one came little closer, changed to a transpadent mass. We were standing there dumbfounded at this tail-like spectacle whose fantastic appearance was increased by the many jelly fish caught in the boats steel railing and lying there glittering, changing in color from rose to pale yellow to purple AN UNEXPECTED RESULT The next day we had an adventure which alarmed us unpleasantly, although | it ended entirely differently from what we expected. My ambition had been dulled l by the various triumphs already accom- plised by the merchant subma rine and we l had been amazed by the various changes possible in the appearance of the U-boat l to conceal it from the enemy.
 During the next few calm days we hal prepared a clever disguise which would change us from a submarine to g regular steamer. Out of sail cloth we had made a smokestack which with stee rings we could fasten to the periscope and raise it up. To cover the coming tower, we had dressing of sail cloth SC that it would look like the deck house or small freight steamer. In this way W. made ready for any possibility and di- rected our course through the beautiful sunshine until one evening at 7:30 z 1 steamer appeared ahead of us on the port bow. We knew at once that he would pass close if we continued on our course We changed it little, swinging off a few points in order to test our disguise.
 l The smokestack is hoisted on the peri scope and bellies out in the wind. In or | der to make it more real we build a fire | in the lower opening, using cotton soaked | in oil for fuel. At the same moment, ths 1 coming tower disappears under the some I what waving cover which trembled in the l breeze, but the cotton loses it's honor ant l only stinks. There is no smoke coming 1 from it. Every one is standing blowing with cheeks puffed out until our trade l lose" foxy berlinger, fetches an ail pump and gets a big flame in our fake l stokehold. With one hurrah his trick is 1 rewarded; above the smokestack's uppel 1 opening we could see slender stream O. 1 smoke only to disappear to nothing in thu next minute. We roar with laughter and again make ready to proceed with oul
  TAR MAKES SMOKE
 When our boatswain, Humke. comes with a jar filled with tar, the air pumr again starts to work and at last big clouds of smoke pour out of the funnel The effect was great The steamer which was at a distance suddenly changes its course and comes straight for us.
 This we had never expected I there fore order the masts taken down and
 make ready for diving. Our canvas GOV ering disappears from the coming tower and with a deep bow the smokestack comes down.
 l As soon as the steamer sees this change in our makeup fear fills his heart. He changes his course and flees, throwing thick, black clouds of smoke which we admire not without feeling of jealousy Without hindrance, we again hoist our funnel The masts are raised. And while our steamer speeds away in her wild flight we laugh so the tears run down oui cheeks. Our fine disguise which was intended tc let us pass unnoticed has instead at tracted the steamers attention to us. He undoubtedly took us for wreck or a shiI | ir distress and came toward us with the | kindest intentions to save us. When he could suddenly see himself the target for the devilish cunningness of a foxy I U-boat. he fled precipitately.
 | What did the people of the steamer
 think when they recovered from their 1 scare? Maybe they felt proud to have 1 been able to escape from the heartless pirates" cunningness. And We. who would have been so proud if our dis guise had worked a little better, were preparing to sink below the surface te /, avoid him.
 l We'll, we thought better luck next |