The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-26

activities are the cause of the war.
I'm full daylight last Thursday-an-
niversary, by the way, Of the battle OF
Lexington --t the crack American
freighter Mongolia came upon q sub
marine. Before a torpedo was launch
ed in attack the United States navy
gunners under Lieut.. Bruce ware
fred q 6-inch shell at the submarines
periscope. The pertscope was shatter-
ed, and Immediately after the ad1ac-
cent waters were thick with oil.
There Is no doubt in the minds OF
Capt. Emery Rice Of the Mongolia and
the other officers on board that Ger
many's force is one fewer than before
the encounter, although the Mongolia
kept full speed ahead ON her courseg
The Mongolia arrived in British
port last Friday, but news OF the frst
encounter Of the war was not made
public until yesterday. The story OF
the sinking fulf1ls every British test;
the Submarine was only 1000 yards
away, her periscope was seen to be
shattered, the six inch shell instead OF
skipping along the waters top as II
would in case of miss disappeared
Immediately in a geyser it stirred up
and the foam and spray did not settle
for some time.
These facts, added to the fact that
a Aim of oil covered the water where
the subnarine had been when it was
struck prove to the British that the
Mongolia actually did sink the SUBJ
marine.
The Mongolia, which Is owned, by
the international Mercantile Marine
and New York on the Atlantic trans
port service. She was formerly a
passenger vessel, has great speed for
a freighter, being capable Of II knots
and has an exceedingly narrow beam
for her size, fact which probably
saved her.
First Nate Spies U-Boat
1t was the afternoon before she was
to arrive at British port when the
submarine was first sighted. Capt
Rice had not had his clothes off for
five days. A vigilant, lookout had
been maintained every hour of the
day. Lieut. Ware too, in charge Of
the gnn crew Of nineteen men assign
ed to make uses0f4 the two four inch
guns forward and the six inch gun
aft in case Of opportunity, had been
spending twenty-four hours a day in
eager watchfulness- He and Capt
Rice were on the bridge at $3.50 in
the afternoon, which was hazy. when
the periscope Of the submarine was
sighted by the first mate, who bawled
out his find.
The periscope was almost dead
ahead-just a few points to port
Capt. Rice is convinced that the Mon
golia offered too narrow target IN
that location for the submarine;
otherwise a torpedo would have been
sent at him
Lieut.. Ware and his men had their
three gums waiting for just such an
opportunity, and as quickly as men
can move in willing compliance with
sharply spoken order, the three guns
on the ship were pointed at the spot
where, the submarine had been. but
even quicker than that the subma-
rine's periscope sank gently out Of
sight.
Capt Rice was shouting orders as
fast as was Lieut.. Ware, and soon he
had the Mongolia pounding along at
the greatest speed he could get out Of
her In the direction ofsthe submarine.
He hoped to ram her.
L
oiForStwo minutes, according to Capt.
Rices estimate, the submarine remain
ed submerged and then her peri
scope was seen to rise UP again. This
time she was 1000 yards to port and
the Mongolia offered her broadcast ex-
panse to the skill of the U-boat men.
From the bridge Lieut.. j Ware
shouted his orders to the mensat the
/ inn OF hn fysof
The gun doomed and the watchers on
the Mongolia saw the periscope struck
and shattered. A geyser shot up, the
sea became tumultuous and gradually
foam and oil covered the surface
It was said here that the shell, had
there been a miss, would have re-
cochetted along the top of the water.
The Mongolia, kept straight ahead at
the top speed. but Capt. Rice and
Lieut.. Bruce, on her bridge with their
powerful glasses, were able to watch
for long time the spot where the
submarines periscope had been
| sighted. and they saw nothing which
led them to change their belief that
they had destroyed German U-boat.
Capt. Rice's Story
Capt. Rice declared today that
there is absolutely no doubt that the
U-boat was hit. Lieut. Bruce and
the Mongolia's mates and men are
also convinced that she was destroy
ed. The Captain outlined his story
with a show Of modesty, he could not
quite conceal his pride in his ships
achievement. He paid high tribute to
Lieut., Ware and the gunners under
him. -
The submarine came up, after
sinking once from our sight, not more
than 1000 yards from u.s." said the
Captain 'She had fine shot at
our broadside when the Lieutenant
and his men gave a superb exbi-
ton Of American naval efficiency.
The Lieutenant knew before the
shell struck the submarine that the
aim was accurate. There was no
guesswork about 1t. It was a case Of
pure mathematics. Taking the speed
at, which: the Mongolia was travelling
and the speed the submarine might
be expected to. make and computing
these figures with the distances we
were from the submarine when the
craft was first sighted and when she
appeared the second time it can be
shown that the Lieutenant had his
gun sighted to the inch. And it must
be remembered that the whole affair
took only two minutes.
1--WE didn't stop to reconnoitre az
ter the incident, but steamed away
i