The Elbert County tribune., 1917-07-13
New York Man on Menaced
Steamer Describes Trip With
Many Thrills.
DELAYED BY PERILS AHEAD
lookout's Glasses Slip and Fall on
Precise Spot Where Periscope Was
Just Poking Up Its Nose
Ruses to Lure Victims.

New York.-Contrast of the ocean
travel of a few years ago when II was
but n pleasant and luxurious Junket,
and practically the only danger was
the remote one of icebergs during a
certain season of the year, with the
thrills and perils, very real and in
tensely dramatic, that the ocean voy-
ager now undergoes is afforded in an
Interview given the New York World
by George nwyer of this city.
In this regard 1t is one of the most
vivid first-person stories of passen-
gers that have yet been recorded. Its
principal event is an actual battle
with n submarine, with the strong
possibility that the passenger steam
er sank 1t after firing 13 shots, to say
nothing Of the revelation that 1t was
the merest chance-the slipping of a
pair of marine glasses in the hands of
the ships lookout-thnt revealed the
presence of the submarine and pre-
vented the accurate firing by her OF
torpedo.
The publication of the name OF the
steamship on which Mr.. Dwyer un-
derwent his experience is withheld
for on account of her many success
full evasions of the submarines she
has been marked by the Germans as
an especial object Of attack.
Mr.. Dwyer has made many trips
abroad since the war began. He Is
In the business of supplying walnut
wood for airplane propellers.
U-Boat Two Hours Out.
''The boat on which we sailed from
Europe" said Mr.. Dwyer, "an ordl-
nary six-day ship. took eleven days to
bring us over, this being caused by
our having to lay at anchor at DIFF
ferent places for periods of from
twelve hours to two days, after leav-
Ing our dock, under admiralty orders,
while the path which had been
mapped out for us was being cleared
of enemy undersea craft, which had
been sighted by the patrol boats
ahead.
I'VE made our departure on warn
spring morning, sunny but misty
Our course lay down certain river
through which we sailed slowly
on account of the fog. In few
hours we were over the bar and out
Into the waters of the lurking subma-
rine. The vessel we were on was
armed heavily. both fore and aft, and
while everybody aboard felt tight
enlng of the nerves, there was an at
mosphere of confidence that. If at
tackled we would give good account
n
would On the bridge. Mt the gun
stations, everywhere, officers and
men kept sharp lookout for peri
scopes.
"We were only two hours out when
our first thrill was experienced. We
were feeling our way slowly when
suddenly the naval lieutenant on the
bridge called to the starboard crew
Put the gun on that = pointing to
where little Norwegian steamer lay
about half mile ahead on our
right. The gun was swung around.
but l noticed that T. was not trained
on the steamer, and I asked one of the
crew what he was covering. He
pointed TO a spot, and there / saw a
little ripple which moved on the water
close by the steamer. II was a sub
marine just under the surface.
1--WE expected to hear the COM
mand to fire. but The Norwegian
steamer suddenly got in front of the
ripple, screening 1t from our view.
We ordered her out of the way. and
she promptly moved, but by that time
the ripple had disappeared. The spot
was watched carefully for some time,
butNnothing more was seen.
"In the meantime. the actions of the
Norwegian ship were so suspicious
that our captain promptly sent a wire
less to have her taken in charge. Sew
'eral weeks before that steamer fly
Ing the same flag and loaded with lum-
her was carpbf rod -hapdad I'm fha doad