The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-04-09
BRITISH VESSEL
WARNS OF RAIDER
Suspicious Ship OFF Nantucket
Lightship Reported to
Boston.

BosToN, April S.--A suspicious vessel
off Nantucket lightship was reported to
the Boston Navy Yard by British ship
to-day. The radio message, as an.
nounced by Lieut. Edward @. Blakes-
lee. district communication superintend.
ent of the New England radio district,
said:
sight suspicious vessel or object
forty-fve miles south. six degrees west
true. from Nantucket light vessel at
ais A. VI. to-day.
BRITISH Vessel"
Later. the position of the myste 'ious
vessel was given as latitude 4Ol5
north, longitude 69.2S west. almost due
south from the shoals.
This report OF a mysterious craft in
the steamship lane TO Europe was the
second to be announced officially within
twenty-four hours. Yesterday the light.
ship sent word of commerce raider
OF 10000 tons burden passing west
Whether the craft sighted to-day was
the same one, naval officials declined
to state. The censorship which was
lifted momentarily to allow shipping to
! receive warning OF danger. was at once
clamped down tightly.
Conditions to-day, however. were
much more favorable for observation
, than they were yesterday when the war
gray raider" loomed out of the fog
for moment and then vanished in the
/ thick mist
! Nantucket shoals are only eighty-five
, miles east of the naval base at New.
/ port. and commerce raiding could hardly
| be carried on with the boldncss which
! characterized the operations of the U-5a
| on october S. when she did no, have the
! swarm OF destroyers to reckon with, a;
she sank six ships during her days
! work.
| Whether because all the chances were
against an enemy ship playing lone
| hand at the war game To-Day or whether
! there was foundation of truth, there
| were reports from widely separated
| sources that raider had been sunk Of
| Nantucket one rumoT had II that tn,
! raider had been sunk by destroyer
Another had II that she had been SEN
/ TO the bottom by one Of the American
! submarines To queries on all such
stories naval men had but one answer
We can say nothing about IT,"
Captains and masters Of merchan
! vessels received Instructions to-day I,
report promptly to the naval authoritie.
! through the nearest radio station or b,
| other means the presence of submarine
or mysterious vessels. Full details ar,
requested in order thai patrol boats ma,
be directed on the search with no los
OF time.
Naval officials tonight were interested
In comparing the position given as tina
Of the mysterious vessel or object witt
reports made fret on Friday and agail
tonight of the presence OF derelic
schooner In the same waters. The steam
! trawler Wave had reported that ol
Tuesday she passed derelict schoone
In latitude $3.50 north, longitude 81 8
west, Tonight the Navy Depsrtmen
announced receipt Of another report OF
vessel having passed dangerous wrecI
of a schooner. very low IN the water. II
latitude 40.2s north. longitude 7ll6 wes'
II was pointed out that tho positio
given as that OF the mysterious vesse
or object" a0,l5 north latitude. 6s2
west longitude, differed but little fror
the derelict ships Maritime men hav
expressed the belief that the derelct wa
the schooner y. f. Aver OF Machiaspor
Me-. which was recently abandoned b
her crew of the coast.