The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-10-10
WHOLE ATLANTIC
COAST SHIPPING
PANIC STRICKEN
Every Available Craft Is
Sent to Aid Warships in
Saving Lives
NO FURTHER REPORT
AS TO OTHER LOSSES
From Maine to Gulf Vessels Waiting
Orders to Sail, as it Is Thought
Wholesale Attack Is to
Be Made

Newport, r. T., October 9-The whole
sale raid on foreign shipping south of
Nantucket lightship Sunday was the work
hof one submarine, according to reports
OF American naval officers. Rear Ad
miral Albert GIeaves, commanding the
torpedo-boat destroyer flotlla, which
did such remarkably speedy rescue work,
yesterday said tonight that the reports
of all his officers agreed that to the best
of their observation one raider only ives
concerned. This boat presumably was
the German U-53, which called at New
port Saturday.
Admiral Gleaves said he could easily
understand the positive statements of the
captain Of the Nantucket lightship and
of sailors of the torpedoed vessels that
more than one submarine was concerned.
The U-boat, he said, was very fast and
appeared to have been handled cleverly.
1t was easy, he pointed out, for her to
disappear on one side of ship and turn
up at some other point. He said he
believed she submerged and disappeared
orten enough to mislead any but keen
professional observer and to create the
impression that more than one sea terror
was operating.
This opinion would seem to be borne
out by the statements of many of the
refugees that the submarine had more
business on hand than she could take care
of at once and was obliged to request
eae steamer to wait her turn while an
/ III w, haino NM rt,t re com mi cco.,
Lieutenant commander Miller, Of the de-
stroyer Ericsson, who witnessed the de-
struction of the Stephano, said he was
positively that only one submarine was
in the vicinity at the time.
Today the raiding had ceased, at least
for the moment.
LIST OF VICTIMS
The known list of the victims Of the
U-boat's Sunday exploits remains at six.
Notwithstanding reports from the Nan
! tucket lghtship that three other ships,
the identity of which could not be learn
Cd, were sent to the bottom. There also
was persistent rumor without vertical
ton that British cruiser. one of the
allied patrol fleet sent to the submarine
zone had been attacked.
tonight by the Melville, tender of the
destroyer flotilla, which picked up 10
Chinese members of the crew of the
steamer Strathdene. They were sent to
the training station to be held until i'm
migration inspectors can pass upon their
cases.
Destroyers swept the waters on wide
II area today in vain search for the crew
o. the steamer Kingstonian, who were
seen by members of the steamer Strath-
dene to take to their boats before their
vessel was sunk Rear Admiral Knight
commander of the Nanagansett bay
naval defense district did not appear to
be alarmed at the lack of success in find
ing the missing men and saw no reason to
change the previous reports that the raid
SO destructive to property was accom-
. ptshed without loss of life. 1t was the
commandments opinion that the Kingston
ian's crew had been picked up by an
eastbound steamer which did not care
to divuge her position to lurking sub
marines by reporting the fact by wire.
less.
LULL IN ACTIVITIES
Notwithstanding the lull in submarine
activities today, shipping men We're ry
no means treasured If ony one raider
were concerned she might be waiting only
to replenish her supplies, they believed
This gave rise to renewal of reports
that elaborate methods of supplying for
eign submarines from American bases
had been perfected
In order to dispose as far as possible
of claims of this sort as applied to the
Earrangansett Bay district, William H.
Wa'cott, deputy collector of customs,
made careful investigation today to
learn II any merchant boat or yacht
hid cleared from Newport Saturday or
Sunday which might have carried sup
plies. IN, Investigation, it is understood,
was made On orders from Washington.
Mr.. Walcott found no indication that
any such supply boat had cleared
Another report persisting in shipping
circles was that the call Of Captain
Hans Rose of the U-53 upon America
naval officers here was to give an init
nation that rescue ships might be needed
in the vicinity soon, as well as to ex-
change formal visits of courtesy. Ship
pers pointed to the promptness With
which II fleet destroyers had been rushed
at full speed to Nantucket lightship
within few minutes after the reports
came of the sinking of the first subna-
rire victim. the British freighter West
Point, Rear Admiral Gleaves, comman-
het of the torpedo fleet, disclaimed to-
night absolutely any prior knowledge Of
he intentions of the German U-boat.
i EVERY AVAILABLE VESSEL
The natural thing to do was to order
put every available vessel to search for
he crew of the West Point he said. "As
(Costinued - Pase Twelv.a