Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-04-26
Boat Travelling at Swift
Pace When Shell Was
Discharged at Foe.
TEDDY" GETS IN ON GLORY
Gun With Which Successful
Shot Was Fired Had Been
Named Roosevelt"

LONDON, April 25.-Thc first
clash of war between United states
and German armed forces resulted In
II victory for America.
News of the sinking of u German
submarine by the armed American
steamer Mongolia April 10 was
brought here today with the arrival
OF the Mongolia, II thirteen thousand
tonncr from New York. Captain Rice,
commanding the Mongolia, told of the
sinking of the submarine by United
states naval gunncrs after a short en-
gagcment, In which the submarine
did not get II chance to release a
torpedo
Captain Rice outlined the incident
with modesty but could not quite
conceal the pride he felt in the
achievement of his ship. He paid
high tribute to the gunners and espe-
cially to the manner In which they
were handled by the officers who di-
rected the firing of the telling shot,
Watched Four Days.
-Four days and nights" said Cap
'ali Nlce, nauH nau my clothes
off and we kept "A big force of look.
outs on duty all the time. 1t was
5:20 O'Clock on the afternoon OF the
/ 9Th that we sighted the submarine.
The commanding officer OF the gun
ners was on the bridge. where In
fact. he had been the most of the
time thruout the voyage
There was haze over the sea at
the time. We had just taken a
sounding, for we were getting near
shallow water and we were looking
for the lead when the first mate
cried: There's IA submarine off the
port bow
Change Ships Course.
The submarine was close to us, too
close, in fact, for her purpose and
she was submerging again I'm order
to maneuver In II better position for
torpedoing us when we sighted her.
We saw the periscope go down and
the swirl OF the water. | quickly or
dered a man at the wheel to pull IL
to starboard and we swung the nose
of the ship toward the spot where
the submarine had been seen. We
were going at full speed ahead and
two minutes after we sighted the u
boat, 1t emerged again. about one
thousand yards off. Their intention
side on, but when 1t appeared we had
the stern trained full on II. The lieu
tenant gave the command and the
big gun doomed We saw the peri
scope shattered and the shell and the
submarine disappeared.
4 Mathematical Proposition.
81 cant speak 100 highly Of the cool
manner in which .hc lieutenant ham
dlcd his crew of gurncrs. II was
fine exhibition Of the efficiency or
American naval men. The 'ieuten-
ant knew before the shell struck tho
suhmariae that its aim was accurate.
! There is no guess work about II. buS
n case of pure mathematics. Taking
the speed at which the Mongolia was
travelling at the time and the speed
which the submarine would undoubt-
odlv maze and computing the figures
| with the distance we were rom thS
| submarine when II was sighted ana
when Il appeared the second time, "
| can be shown that the lieutenant had
| eun. sighted to the inch and 1t must
/ tc remembered that the whole acfai'
took only two minutes.
Then Hurried Away.
'I assure YOU We did not stop 10
reconnoitcr after the incident, but
steamed away at full speed, for IL
was no. In probable tnat there was
another submarine. The one | got
undoubtedly had been lying on the
| bottom at this spct waiting for the
ship and came up when 1t heard our
urcpellors. | Immediately sent wire
/ less stating that q submarine had been
| seen.
THAT'S about all there Is to tho
story excepting this:
"rhe gtnncrs had named the guns
on board the Mongolia aud the one
which got the submarine was called
Theodore Roosevelt; so Teddy fired
the first gun Of the wcr after all.
captain Rec recalled that he camo
! from Allston, Mass. and that the en-.
counter with the submarine occurred
| On the date whcu the Fay state was
celebrating the anniversary OF the bat
! tie OF Lexington.