Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1917-07-13
Submarine Crews
Every Time the
Undergo More Strange and Har-
rowing Perils Than Any
Other Type of Sailor

TINE two types of navy craft which
are absorbing popular attention
are the submarines and their ter
rible missiles sped from ambush and
the most potent foe of this type, the
destroyers-
Stripped hulls Sinking through the gloom.
Half guessed and gone again.
And now that our destroyers have
Joined those Of our allies IL Is more
tory, which will have its own deep f.
terest for us, will soon be rapidly wri.
ten on or about the waters OF the
North sea and those of the English
channel.
In this writing there is no intention
of discussing the characteristics Of
either type. 1t is merely TO illustrate
some phases Of life on board. In a
fine tribute to the late Rear Admiral
Robley D. Evans Kipling described
that officer as having "lived more sto-
ries than Zogbaum or / could invent"
After reading an experience like the
subjoined one can realize how much
this may now also apply to those who
hourly risk their lives In service
where the widest tales are true, says
the ST. Louis Globe-Democrat.
The story is Of an adventure of a
submarine Somewhere In salt water"
The vessel picked up the smoke Of en-
envy vessels on the horizon at 8 o'clock
and at once headed for them. When
she had approached to suitable dis
lance the submarine dived and by
means Of her periscope soon was able
to see that the enemy vessels COM
prised a squadron OF ten ships OF the
line and torpedo boats. To prevent
the enemy seeing the periscope the
commander of the submarine decided
TO steer to the port side Of the squad
ron. where he would be between the
enemy and the light
Decides on Frontal Attack.
At the same time, knowing the en-
envy torpedo boats train special explo-
sive contrivances for the destruction OF
submarines, the commander decided
to make frontal attack OH the squad
ron and steered corresponding course.
Keeping her periscope above water, the
submarine approached the torpedo boat
leading the right column and passed
at its port side at distance Of be-
tween forty-five and sixty yards. still
keeping her periscope six inches above
water. The torpedo boat either did
not perceive the submarine or perceiv-
ed her too late, for it stood on It's
course
Wishing to operate outside the line OF
torpedo boats, the submarine drew to
the left, under the Prov of the second
torpedo boat. and in order to avoid Il
collision sank to depth of fifty feet.
At this depth the crew OF the subma-
rine distinctly heard the noise made by
the screws of the warship. At a depth
Of thirty-fve feet the submarine raised
her periscope, TO sight on her starboard
beam the ram OF the leading warship,
which was cutting across the course OF
the submarine at a distance Of not
more than sixty yards.
The commander ordered the subma-
rine to dive, but before the vessel could
submerge there came terrible crash,
the submarine Keeling from the shock
until she had been forced on her beam
ends, and in that position she was held
as the long keel Of the warship scrap
ed along her side. The collision broke
every electric bulb, plunging the sub
marine In utter darkness, and as the
vessel went over on her side the crew
were hurled from their feet and dashed
against the side with violence that
stunned many into Inconsistencies.
Cleared at Last.
After what must have seemed an
eternity the keel OF the battleship at
last scraped clear of the submarine
and the stricken vessel slowly righted.
Then, to avoid any more collisions, the
commander, cropping In the blackness
for his diving gear, began to submerge
the vessel to a greater depth. Sudden
~ came loud explosion, one that
caused the commander to suppose that
the shell of the submarine, having
been damaged by the collision, could
not stand the pressure of the water
and was collapsing He therefore rose
to sixty feet, but the sound OF the ap-
preaching screw OF large vessel CON-
PEELED him to dive again to a depth Of
eighty feet. Repeated attempts to
rise were In vain, because each time
the submarine rose to fifty feet they
heard the screws OF the battleships
and torpedo boats Of the enemy squad
ron, which had broken line and were
cruising backward and forward search
ing for the submarine.
1t was found that the periscope had
heen wrecked and To add tn the troI.