Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-10-18
]. S. DESTROYER
IS TORPEDOED
One Man Killed and Five Injur.
ed-BOat Makes Port De.
spite Damage.
PROBABLY NO BATTLE.
Germans Now Hold Entire Island Of
Oesel and Are Preparins for Big
Naval Demonstration in Baltic.

washington, Oct. 17.-An American de-
stroyer on patrol duty in the war zone
was torpedced by an enemy submarine
wounded. She managed 10 make port in
spite of severe damage.
,vice-Admiral Sims cabled brief report
Of the incident to the navy department
late to-day. He gave few details. but it is
assumed there was TO fight and that the
U-boat made good her escape after launch
ing a torpedo without showing herself.
Gunners Mate Osmond Kelly Ingram
was the man killed. He was blown over
board by the explosion and his body was
not recovered.
Ingram's mother, Mrs. Betty Ingram
lives at Pratt City, Ala.
In accordance with the policy Of secrecy
concerning American naval operations the
department did not divulge the name OF
the destroyer or the exact place of the
encounter.
None of the wounded was seriously hurt
They are: Herman II. Pankratz. gunner's
mate, st. Louis; William K. Merritt, sea.
man. New York city; Frank w. Kruse
fireman, Toledo; Patrick Rutledge. oiler
New York city. and William Seimer. fire.
man. Dundas, MINI.
FIRST u. S. wARSHIP HIT
This is the first time an American
warshp has been hit by the enemy
since the war began. Destroyers con-
voying troops and merchantmen have
engaged submarines and are believed
to have accounted for some Of them
and the ships patrolling the European
shipping lanes undoubtedly have had
many an encounter of which nothing
has been heard. but until yesterday
none had been touched by a hostile
shot
Naval gun crews on armed Amer.
lean merchantmen have not been sc
fortunate. Many Of them have had to
abandon their charges and take to the
boats, Usually after an unwarned tor.
pedo attack, and one officer and 1;
men have lost their lives. while foul
men now are in German prison camps
In all the navy has lost one officer
and 16 men-the only men of Americas
fighting forces actually killed in ac.
tfon.
PROBABLY CHANCE ENCOUNTER.
Naval officers do not doubt that the
awares by the submarine and had nc
chance to bring her guns into play
They think it probable that the U-boat
cruising in search of merchant victims
stumbled upon the patrolling destroyer
and was fortunate enough to get into
position to launch a torpedo and dive
to safety without ever showing more
than her periscope.
1t is believed, too. that the destroyer
must have been steaming slowly ovel
her beat, for at top speed these Graf
present an almost unhittable target t.
the submarine.
WAR SUMMARY.
The Germans are entirely in possession
Of the Island of Oesel at the head Of thu
still there are cut off from communica
ton with Petrograd. Small naval en-
gagements continue in adjacent waters
and German air craft are carrying ou
reconnoissances over the islands in tn,
Gulf of Riga. and over the mainland t
the east. Pernau, an important gul
port north of Riga and due east of Oese
island, has been bombed by German nava
airships.
The Berlin war Office announces tina
large quantities of booty were captured
on Oesel and that more than LOO prison
ers were taken by the Germans Wednes
day.
On the mainland to the south of Rig;
there has been considerable activity oI
the part of the Germans. who at on
point endeavored to throw pontooI
| bridges over the Dvina river. The Rus
| sian artillery, however. prevented tn
bridging of the stream.
report which II true probably Indicate
that the Germans are preparing for biI
naval demonstration against the Russian
from the Baltic, comes from Malmo. il
southern Sweden. 1t says large numbe
| of German war craft were observed Mon
day and Tuesday and that the belief pre-
walls that they were reinforcements 70
the German Baltic feet.
| AS vet the expected renewal OF tn
great offensive by the British and Frencl
| troops in Belgium has not eventuated
Heavy bon1bardments and reconnoiterinl
encounters still prevail.
There have been only bombardments OF
the southern front In France and In tn
| AustrO- Italian theatre. where from tn
Isonzo front to the sea the Austrians an,
Italians are heavily shelling each other
There has been a noticeable return
of bombing operations by the Britisl
airmen in Belgium and across the lin
in Germany and by the German
against French positions, British avi
ators have dropped tons of bombs ol
Bruges and also have loosed explosive
on factory near saarbrucken. Ger
many. while the Germans have bombe
Nancy and Dunkirk. at the former plac
killing ten persons and woundinI
forty.
German submarines or mines las
week were responsible for the sinking
Of eighteen British merchantmen. a
compared with sixteen the previou
| week.
The Italian Parliament has just con
yened and probably will discuss in Sc
cret session rioting which occurred Il
Yurin in August as result or fue
shortage and political discomfort an
also the general food crisis throughou
Italy In the Turin riots news o
which has been received for the frs
time. large numbers of persons ar
said TO have been killed. machine gun
and bombs dropped from airplanes be
ing used to put down the disorder