The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-10-12
U-BOAT sinks SIX
SHIPS Off COAST
West Point, Strathdene. Ste
piano. Kingston, Boomers
dix, C. KnHdsOn Torpedoed
AERlCAN VESSEL HELD UP
Four British, One Dutch and One Nor.
wegian Vessels Are Attacked-Ony
Ship to Escape of Those Sighted
by the Boat Was the Kansas.

Boston.-The German war subma.
rine U-53, which departed from New.
port, r. l., after a mysterious three
hour visit, brought the war within 80
miles off the New England Coast
when she torpedoed six steamship at
different times on the same day in
transatlantic lane off Nantucket
Shoals Lightship. There was no loss
of life. The crews were rescued from
their boats by United States revenue
cutters and torpedo boats and taken
to the lightship, So miles southeast
of the island OF Nantucket.
Admiral Knight commander of the
naval station at Newport, r. L. an
nounced that the Nantucket Lightship
reported a second German submarine
nearby. Naval officers say they ex-
pect feet of German submarines
will blockade every Atlantic harbor
rom which munitions ships leave
The radius of the attacks was
bout fifty miles and covered a period
f eight hours. Ii the U53 worked
lone, she had to double on her tracks
any times and travel at a speed
hich allowed nothing for waits while
he was aiming her tOrpedOes and
warning the ships she had marked
r. for destruction.
These ships were sunk in the first
day of German submarine activity in
American waters:
DoI frro-c l;,or =
Johns, n. F.. to New York, passen
gers and freight,
The West Point freighter from Liv.
erpool to Newport News.
The Strathdene, New York to Brest
France, laden with munitou.
Kingston, former Canadian lake yes
sci.
Bloomersdijk Holland-America line
merchantmen.
Christian Knudsen, Norwegian tan,
ker.
The crews OF all the vessels were
the vessels we're torpedoed. All OF
them sent wireless calls as soon as
To submarine halted them.
he first sign Of the U-35 after it
IeIt Newport was $50 i'll the morning
of the lightship when it siEualled tie
American steamer Kansau, bound
from New York to Boston TO stop
The Kansan did 50 in response to sig.
nails, sent boat with an officer and
the ships papers A boarding crew
from the submarine sent back to the
Kansan and satisfied with their in,
spection, permitted the steamship to
proceed.
The Kansas was about forty miles
away from where she received d wire
less call from the British steamship
West Point saying that she was sink
ing. The Kansas put about and the
revenue cutters AndroscOggin, from
Boston, Acushmet, from Woods Hole,
and the torpedo destrOyers Jarvis and
jenkins from Newport also answered
the call. Before she had reached the
scene there came succession of wire
less calls in the course Of several
hours from other boats which had fall
len victims to the submarine.
The distress signals, which came
first from the West Point. were picked
up by the government rad 0 station
at Newport, R. L. and Immediately
Rear Admiral Albert Gleaves, com
mander of the destroyer fOtilla of the
American Atlantic fleet, ordered virtu
ally all of his ships to the rescue
The West Point gave her position as
fifty miles southeast Of Nantucket. but
the navy officials questioned the ac.
curacy Of this and said later reports
indicated the vessel was not more
than ten miles off shore.
The booming OF the submarines
guns, apparently fired in warning, was
distinctly heard at Nantucket. But
where the submersible was at the mo
ment these reports was heard was
pure speculation