The sun., 1917-06-06
3 TORPEDOES
MISS MONGOLIA;
U-B0AT SHELLED
Armed American Ship En-
cages in Second Fight
Off Irish Coast.
LINER FIRES FOUR TIMES
British Destroyer Rushes Up
to Aid and Submarine
Vanishes.

Specfdt Cdoto despatch TO TIE SJN.
LONDON, June 5.-The American armed
merchant liner Mongolia. which arrived
at Falmouth Saturday. had the day be-
fore one OF the most, remarkable en-
counters with a submarine ever reported.
Sixty Red Cross nurses and a large num-
Der Of American surgeons who were
among the ESQ passengers had a thrill
ing initiation into war service.
When the vessel was about 200 miles
of Falmouth, three torpedoes were fired
at her. The Mongolia replied with four
shots Neither the liner nor the SUBJ
marine was damaged. but for a time the
american ship was believed to be
doomed. as there was suspicion that
she had entered nest of underscas
craft.
Though at first not even a periscope
was to be seen everybody was ordered to
the decks, life preservers were adjusted
and the boats were prepared for lower
ing. After the first shot Capt. Emery
Rice swung the Mongolia around point
ing her bow in the direction from which
the attack had come.
Lieut.. Seymour, u. s. N. directed the
gun crew in the firing Of shells at the
hidden enemy. Soon a periscope was
sighted at distance Of about 1900
yards and the fire was then directed at
this. The Mongolia's passengers. despite
the obvious seriousness of the situation,
refused to be frightened. With their
life belts buckled about them they hung
over the vessels ratings and shouted
Get 'em Get :" as the vessels guns
belched fire.
Destroyer Chases U-BOat.
Finally a British destroyer appeared
on the horizon. 1t was sighted by the
~.,h ri nd ha l.
multaneousiy. The U-boat dived. not to
appear again, while aboard the Mongolia
there was a lively celebration as the
warship drew nearer. The gray de-
s.royer searched for the German craft
for a time, her bugler meanwhile stand
ing on deck and sounding the notes OF
The Star Spangled Banner" and God
Save the King" The American nurses
and physicians enjoyed this chase hugely
and repeated their frenzied chorus OF
sect 'em put shells through 'em!"
When the destroyer came alongside
the Mongolia the iatters enthusiastic
passengers united in a mighty cheer.
The British boat encircled the American
vessel three times, while the latter's pas
sengers rushed from port to starboard
and back again. unwilling to take their
eyes off her even for a moment
II was just after noon when the alarm
been sounded bringing out everybody
sboard the Mongolia to witness the en-
counter. The destroyer stuck close TO
the American vessel during the rest of
the voyage. Falmouth was reached the
Aext morning.
Torpedo's wake sighted.
Major Frederick A. Besley OF Mer0l
Hospital, Chicago, director of the nurses
unit which was on the way to France to
Join Base Hospital No. IL. representing
Northwestern University, arrived in
London to-day and gave a graphic de-
scription Of the brief battle and the
chase
AT noon Friday" he said. lone of the
Mongollas lookouts sighted 500 yards
of the port side a small dark object APP
preaching the ship. 1t left fllmy haze
o. blush vapor in a way which. the Off
GERS said, marked 1t as of the new type
o. German torpedoes The wake OF
these torpedoes is thus disclosed, so that
Y one of them misses its mark 1t can
afterward be found and recovered.
Capt Rice shifted. his ships course
10 as to point the bow toward the OBJ
vous source of the torpedo. We put or
full steam In that direction and at
tempted to ram the submarine. At the
same time the alarm was sounded and
l'feboats and life preservers were pre-
pared for use. Although there were 25C
passengers. including more than sixty
women nurses. so far from being panic
there was not so much as a sign of con.
fusion.
The first torpedo passed some 20t
yards on the port side of the Mongolia's
stern. A gun was fired at 1t severa
times. The submarine then launched a
second torpedo and ten minutes later q
third, but neither came near US
Just after the third torpedo was
sent on her way the stern lookouts re
ported the sighting Of a periscope. Ap'
parently the submarine had dived and
then come up astern. Almost at the
same moment the bow lookouts reported
British destroyer coming at full speed
evidently having received the Mongolia's
wireless calls. The battle was then al
its height.
Submarine Goes Under.
THE whole Of the ships company en-
Enthusiastically cheered the destroyer
while our stern guns continued TO fire al
the periscope until the submarine
ducked 1t did this almost immedi
ately after We sighted the destroyer
We were escorted by the British vesse
TO Falmouth, where We arrived Satur
day morning without further incident.
Major NJ Mandel and Major X
Speed. also Of the Northwestern Uni
versty medical unit. corroborated Majol
Besley's recital.
The Mongolia has had more than on,
encounter with submarines since Amer
lea entered the war. She drew frs
blood In the conflict between the United
states and Germany in April. when
sighting U-boat. her gunners, unde
Lieut.. Bruce Ware. flred a inch shell
at the periscope before the enemy Graf
could launch a torpedo. 1t was be
Ileved at first that the submarine wa
sunk, but later the British Admiralty
secret service became convinced tina
the submarine returned to Kiel. thougl
without her coming tower or periscope
The same report said her captain wa
allied.