Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-08-12
GORDON TELLS OF
SEEING s N !: SUBMARINE ]
OTTUMWA MAN SEES DEUTSCh-
LAND y WHILE ATTENDING
ELks' CONVENTION. .., 81
CUT OFF BUTTON s
Wearing Apparel Of Crew Members
Disnantlsd by Souvenir Seekers
'tA VINO Pals Well for Their
e.
pe ,,.-.t-9e7t ass Trophies.

@ y" who Paie Well for Their
20. ,t--er2t aa& Trophies.
II would have given almost any
thing to have been permitted to go
down into the body of that German
submersible Deutschland, but no one
was accorded that privilege among the
citizens Of our country save the sec.
rotary Of war, three army omcers ana
one newspaper representative, sara
l.. A. Gordon, who represented Ottum-
va lodge No. SAT, B. p. o. Elks, at Bal
timore recently. Mr.. Gordon is en-.
thusiastic about having seen the won
derful ship and talks interestingly
about 1t. -5r .Ag.,.af ss5rsst lt- IA
OF course the Ottumwan, being nn-
able to 20 aboard is unfamiliar with
the inner appearance of the ship and
knows nothing Of its construction
from personal observation except what
was visible from a distance on the ex-
terror, and this, he says. was but little
He describes the color as steel
gray although he said many speak OF
it Us pea green. He wakes enthusiast.
tic about the sight of the strange
craft and tells of how he managed to
get a glimpse of it saying, 1T arrived
there Saturday night OF Sunday morn
ing and I reached Baltimore the next
day, While on a sight seeing trip in
a party of 1900 Elks aboard steam.
er on the bay, we caught glimpse OF
the Deutschland and all OF the ElKs
began yelling and shouting until they
were hoarse. They waved their hats
in the air and would not give the cap
tain of our boat peace until he made
an effort to get us closer to the strange
craft.
This was not easy for after the sub
marine had arrived the government
devised a plan for keeping all other
craft away. .11t There was string OF
logs and log RATS drawn in circle
about the vessel and added to this as
a guard for the boat. four government
vessels were on hand to keep the curl
Gus at distance. -ssr5'r~-a ~~
>-".s- T Return the Greeting,
However, we managed TO- get IN close
for after our captain was requested
by the crowd aboard to get nearer the
underwater craft, there was begun.
series of whistle blasts by our boat
and one of the government vessels
with the result that in little while
the latter turned around and permitted
us to steam in closer, to, the ship.
Whether the navy vessel officers spoke
to the Deutschland or not, l do not
know, but by the time we moved IN
close to the latter, the captain, WIRE
less man and several members or the
crew came up from below and gath
cred on the small space available out
side dome shaped arrangement on
the top of the submarine and all dof'
fed their caps and returned the salute
OF shouts that rent, the air from the
throats of the 1900 Elks aboard our
boat" .#atE-srr@a IT,.
This was as close as Mr.. Gordon was
able to get to the undersea merchant
craft and he says that all that was
visible was the dome alluded to above,
about eighteen inches OF the deck or
ton of the ship which was all that was
above the surface, and the two wire:
less poles which were, Of metal and
when not in use were dropped down.
one living on each side of the dome or
cupola. ~ ~ 6E ...
\ : E,ks Take Souvenirs.
"The members of the, crew Of the
German vessel made more money In
gifts from the visiting Elks who got
portions Of the sailors clothes as
souvenirs, than they will in year
salary. said Mr.. Gordon. "They would
come ashore on leave of absence IN
twos and threes and when you caught
sight Of them down town. they would
be backed I'D against plate glass win
dow or front Of a store and Elks In
crowds sometimes >; ten deep I; would
with knife in hand, be seen cutting on
a button or a piece OF garment ana
pushing a five dollar bill in the pocket
OF the coat that they were d1smantllng.
The sailors later wendell their way. 10
a bank and changed the bills into gold.
saw several of them with pockets
buleed with currency, but was never
able to work my way in close enough
to one of them to get souvenir.
"The men that made UP the officers
and crew of the Deutschland, were
without a doubt the finest specimens
of physical manhood fever saw. The
captain and the wireless operator were
the Oldest and the former appeared to
be about As years Of age and the latter
about IS years The balance OF them
looked as if none was under "a nor
over % years. I believe they were a
picked lot Of men. -
T would have given almost any.
thing to have got absord that vessel
but as it was impossible. will always
feel that it was great privilege to
have seen 1t at as close range as
did,
ANXIOUS TO- HAVE