Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-10
GOOD LUCK ACCOMPANIES
LINER ON WAR; ZONE TRIP
Tho St. Louis Arrives in New. York
After Safe Journey Through Sub
marine-Infested Waters.
NOT y PERIsCopE is SIGHTED
No Doubt That German Admiralty
knew OF Steamers Departure.
British Amazed at Vessels Escape
From Destruction.

NEW YORK. April s.--Running safe
ly through the dangers of the German
submarine blockade Of Great Britain
and without sighting "a periscopc either
on the outward or homeward journey,
the American mail and passenger liner
ST. Louis arrived at her home dock
to-day. The st. Louis was the first
American passenger boat To be armed
and travel through tho danger zone
around the British Isles since Ger
many's declaration Of January 81. and
She was we'll armed for the trip. But
her guns were used on no German
target
The homeward voyage was a stormy
one. y hundred miles off the coast
Of Ireland gale threatened the de-
struction Of the lifeboat.. which had
been partly lowered and il became
necessary To lie to for two hours while
they were made secure. This WAS an
anxious time. n ;hc stop was made
directly in the normal path Of German
submarines returning 10 their home
base.
IF l were hunting for submarines. 7
could not have picked "a more likely
place TO find them" said Il naval officer
on board. But no submarines appeared
The ST. Louis later steamed through
being sighted until American waters
were reached. Now that the American
shin has completed her memorable voy-
age. it Is possible to tell how good
luck probably saved her from dcstruc-
tIon
HEARS MANY CALLS
OF DISTRESS FROM SHIPS
There appears no room for doub,
that the German Admiralty knew OF her
! departure. and took steps 10 destroy
I her The British patrol feet knew this.
and SO did those In command of the
st. Louis before she was far into the
war zone. Running ut fun speed dur
. ing the night, with the coast OF ireland
and It's submarine infested waters stu
In the distance. the 5 . s. calls of
ships I'm distress came TO the watchfu!
wireless operator of the st. Louis 4
ship had been torpedoed about seventy
1--WE miles ahead of the st. Louis and
directly in her path. Soon another call
for help showed that another steamer
had met the same fate Il hundred miles
south. while later third told OF the
destruction OF british boat far TO
the westward out OF the war zone and
in the path the St Louis had travelled
The ST. Louis arrived off the bar OF
the Nersey before dawn. There WAS no
pilot boat at hand. and the American
liner was compelled TO steam out lido
, the bar. where II was known German
submarine had been working the night
before until driven away by patrol
boats. During this time a neutral
steamer. which had been in the harbor
FOR about two weeks. had attempt cd
to go TO sea. She was caught d-cppinE
mines inside the bar, eighty of them
being strewn about. il was reported
Patrol boats picked up Or destroyed all
but two of these
PROBABLY MISSED MINE
ny ABOUT TWENTY FEET
The st. Louis crossed the bar and
went up the narrow channel about 10
later the British steamer KeIvinhead
mines and sank. The ST. Louis could
than twenty feet. How she ESCAPED
destruction WAS a mystery TO the Brit
!sh officers, and the amazed Americans
were congratulated when they reached
their dock.
II was the report around Liverpool
docks that the vessel caught strewing
mines was a swedish boat. This was
not confirmed by the British. Nor is
tho fate of the officers of the guilty
ship known Those things are not
given out or even talked about by
Englands sailors. But the decision In
their cases was probably not long de-
layed.
1t was the expressed belief of the
british that the big guns aboard the
st. Louis held no terrors for the Ger
man submarines. The fortune of war