The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1916-07-27
Weren't you bothered by these mines
How did you dodge them?"

method for avoiding mine fields, but
this much l can say-we Germans
know trick to beat the mines danger
ana | used 1t In my run through the
Channel.
Taking soundings Is simple. There
is tube which projects from the
Deutschland's bottom and through this
tube we heave the lead. BY system
OF valves we prevent water entering
the hull while the soundlngs are being
taken. But this Is dry talk. Let me
tell you about our happiest evening.
The Champagne Party,
Then the tale of the champagne
party came out.
"And we felt that way" said Koenig.
referring to the "bells on our fingers"
song. 1--WE were the finger-rlnged, bell
toed boys, and we didn't care damn
for all the British ships Of the Chan
mel patrol"
Rid of the perilous straits finally, the
Deutschland breasted the Atlantic rol.
lers and proceeded upon Its business.
Officers and crew had plenty of time
on their hands. The long days and
nights were divided into four-hOur
watches, shifts on duty for four hours,
at leisure for four, OH duty again for
four, and so on. Incessantly they t>'
vfgilant watch for enemy craft ~
craft.
Kocnig. who knows New York as
we'll as he knows Bremen, says the
North sen and the Channel were as
nrnVHo1 D% ,,tr
about rs garishly lighted with those
"detestable destroyers" playing tag all
over the waters with their searchlights.
A lot of time he poked the periscopc
clear and sighted looming perlls just
In time to dive without being spotted.
But there were dull hours.
Had Phonograph Aboard
"How did you folks amuse your
selves?" he was asked.
Mostly" he said, with the phOnO.
graph. Every submarine carries
phonograph. 1t Is as much of the sub
marines equipment as torpedo tube.
We keep 1t going pretty steadily (at
times, Of course, when there was no
special danger in enjoying music), and
we had fine lot of records; though
the American records were not es-
pecially up to date"
"Have any time to read, captain?
Did the ship boast Of library"
"You bet 1t did" he replied "NVe
have fine little library Of German,
American, English and Spanish books"
ut was remarkable" Koenig said,
"all things considered, how seldom the
submarine was forced to dive. In the
entire trip only ninety miles was un-
dersurfnce going. This ninety miles
was logged ms straight progress and
did not include the times the Deutsch-
land simply went below and sat on its
bunkers, staying there until 1t felt 1t
was quite judicous for nice, fat,
quite helpless U-boat to risk sun or
moonlight. There never was close
call.
No Warship Saw Them.
mot one time In the whole trip
were we seen by warship," explained
Captain Koenig "And I very much
doubt If as many rs half dozen mcr-
chant ships spied us. We, of course,
saw scores Of craft. The very Inst one
we sighted was thirty miles Off the
Firgnian capcs, big white fruit boat
rolling home from Jamaica, suppose"
The Deutschland submerged less
than twenty times from Bremerhaven
to Norfolk. Six times In the North
sea 1t reckoncd discretion MS the bet
ter part, six times In the English chan
mel, and six times In the Atlantic. Once
In the Channel it clung to the sea floor
for ten hours. 1t can stay down four
days, If necessary. 1t can resist the
terrific pressure of 300 feet of water.
Boat Mass Of Machinery.
AS described by DR.. John G. Travcrs,
assistant U. S. health officer, who was
taken through the boat by Captain
Koeng, the Deutschlnnd's interior mp
pears to be mainly mass Of machin-
cry. She has but one deck below and
n seventeen-foot depth of hold for her
cargo. DR.. Travcrs descended through
the forward hatch, where he found
the crews quarters, hunks on either
side Of a narrow passageway leading
to compartments occupied by the cap
tain and his two officers. The cap
taln's room IS scarcely six feet square
and barely high enough for man
to stand.
1t is furnished all in metal, with
the exception Of small onk desk.
Directly beneath the officers quarters
is the dynamo, which stores electrical
energy to drive the vessel when sub
merged.
Next DR. Trnvers was taken into
the officers mcssroom. scarcely larger
than the staterOOms. with galley
built with all the economy Of space
Of a Pullman dining-cnr kitchen. Aft
the mnSSrn0m. nh0llt Onn-thirl tho