The sun., 1916-10-10

They say that they were bred to the
sea and cannot be mistaken about what
comes into their vision upon 1t.
Newport was also excited to-day when
Il heard that the submarines had a up-
ply ship with them and that II had been
seen In the vicinity of Nantucket light.
This report rests mainly upon the testi-
mony OF Capt. clifton II. Smith Of the
S.ephano, the largest Of the destroyed
W sseis and the only one which regu-
larly carried passengers. He says that
when the stephano first sighted the U-53
the submarine was close to u large
ship which, In Capt. Smiths opinion.
was a supply vessel there for tho pur-
pose of replenishing the y boat's stock
Of ammunition n fuel.
The naval authorities have no proof
OF the presence of such n ship, but the
rumor Interested the Navy Department
to-day. BY the Departments orders
Deputy Collector william II. Wolcott Of
this port made an investigation to ascer-
tain II any vessel which could be sus-
pected Of acting AS a supply ship had
cleared for Newport on saturday or
yesterday. He found that there was
none.
Tie old popular belief in the existence
Of "a hidden German submarine base"
mas OSeU TeNlNcu ny ststtFudN y eNtHNS
and the rumored movements of a supply
ship. The navy men say there is no such
thing.
Feat Possible for One q Boat.
II was not impossible for a single sub
suarine to have sulk at least four Of the
vessels destroyed yesterday. There Is
uncertainty regarding the S~trathdene
and the Kingston. whose whereabouts
when she was attacked has not been
revealed. although 4. Is supposed she was
about fifty miles from the lightship.
To-day after the commanders OF the
Ofx d~estroyers that returned to Newport
last night had turned In their reports
70 Admiral Gleaves the exact location
Of the sunken vessels and the time or
their destruction became known. With
tkat data In hand the nautical experts
could figure on the probabilities OF the
U-6s having played a lone hand.
The four vessels concerning which
there Ia full data are tho Christian
Nnudser, the West Point. the Blommers-
Iyk and the s,ephano. or these the
first To be assaulted was the knudsen.
THE boat. sunk at : 80 yesterday morn
ing, was fifteen miles east Of the light
ship. The next 10 go was the West
Point. She was t~hirty-five miles east
Of the Knudsen and her time was IL 10
A NJ, three tours and forty minutes
Ater.
Same Boas sank Then All.
Next on the list vas the Stephano.
which fell a victim to a submarine three
miles east of the lightship at 800 r NJ.
There would have been ample time FOR
the submarine which destroyed the West
Point TO retrace her course and bob up
near the lightship at the specified tint
a. that OF the Stephano's end.
A few minutes after 6 o'clock the
Blommersdyk received her mortal blow
when she was only half a mile from the
hShtship. which is itself well outside the
three mile coastal limit. For the sub
narine to sink the S%tephano and then
travel two and a half miles to the Blom-
0ersdyk would be Easy.
Upon these figures. and tile known top
speed OF the submarine, which II IL
Knots, Admiral Glcaves and his sub
o~sdinates base their belief that no other
Submarine was helping the U-5S.
Moreover. the commanders OF the
. United States destroyers, some OF which
were at times grouped around and In
plain view OF the U-53. feel certain that
II there had been a sister C-boat they
would have seen II.
On the other hand there In the story
Ct the fishermen OF the Victor Nathan.
They Saw Two Submarines,
The destroyer Jenkins found h
Amoktng their pipes aboard the Nan
tucket lightship last night, and brough
them TO Newport along with their noel
OF dories.
The captain OF the Victor Nathan
Capt. Herbert Nickcrson. vowed noood!
was going to get his story out OF hin
unless he was paid for II. His mel
talked for nothing. They said they wer'
out in the dories fishing when IN
steamer Harry Luckcnbach collided wit
their vcsse. and sank II or Saturda.
morning. They rowed 10 the i'ghtsli!I
Al p. NJ. on Sunday. they said. they SAY
from the lightship = submarine stop
Danish ~freishter and ict II go on. an
that half an hour later the fubnar.n
sank an unidentified vessel. This sui
mersible was large and white. they SAID
They now know IL was tine C-j;.
4 little While later a Scond submarine
hove in sight. II was about two-third
as big as the other and was painted 8
dark a gray that the fishermen describe'
It as "black" in difercntiatins IL fror
tile L SO. II was the black submarine
they said. that sank the B!oinmersdyk
half mile from .hc lightshlp. This posit!o
agreeing with the B,oinmersdyk's loca
ton as reported TO the naval authorize.
Wanted Good Place To Anchor.
Before she was hit the Biomnsrsdy
hailed the lightship and asked wher
was n good place 10 anchor, accordin
60 the fishermen. After sinking IN
Blommersdyk the black submarine sui
merged and scurried around with onl
her periscope showing for half an hour.
THE SUN correspondent talked wi,
several OF the fishermen independent,
Without fervor. they told exactly II
sarne story AZ regards the two sui
marines. They said they could not |
anietaken--that both the waite one ar
back one were seen Simultaneous
vii hin half a mile OF the lightship.
Admiral Gleaves was asked to-nigl
about n report from New York that u
destroyer Balch stood between the sul