Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1917-10-03
SUBMARINES RAID
Irish FISHERMEN
Blow Up Their Boats in Waters
Around the Emerald
Isle.
Threaten COAST Villages
To Remark, 1--WE Thought You Liked
the lrish," They Retort, "Ah, You
Don't Know Us Yet"-To
Cut Food Supply.

Skibbereen, County Cork.-German
submarines have been actively en-
gagged in the destruction of the Irish
fishing fleets in the waters around
these coasts. Of course it is impossi-
BILE to designate here the exact local
tiles where or the dates when the Prus-
sian pirates did their cowardly work.
But their purpose is plain to all the
world-to cut off part of Ireland's and
England's food supply, for mackerel
teen in these waters.
The submarines were busy many
miles outside from Kenmare in Kerry
to Howth on Dublin bay. Many fish,
ing craft are at the bottom of the sea,
and the men who owned them and the
fishermen who worked on them are
ruined financially.
Affixed Bombs on Boats.
On certain evening about seven
o'clock the fishing fleet put out from
Baltimore, on Baltimore bay, near
Skibbereen. The first numbered about
eighty boats Of all classes and en-
braced several boats from Arklow,
County Wicklow. A few hours after
the fleet set out q German U-boat Of
the latest pattern, about 300 feet in
length, appeared. The submarine did
not waste torpedoes or shells on the
defenseless fishing boats; the crew
simply placed bombs on 13 Of them
and so destroyed them.
Only three minutes were allowed
the hapless fishermen to get into their
small boats; then all their belongings,
which in many cases included con-
siderable sums Of money, were sent to
the bottom. Had it not been for the
appearance Of a British patrol, which
caused the submarine to submerge at
once, it is certain that all the fleet
would have been destroyed. Those
that escaped returned to port with an
abundance Of fish, but are not ventur-
ing out again, so that in one night
the fishing fleet Of Baltimore has been
put out Of action by the Germans,
which means loss Of many thousands
of pounds to the poor fishermen and
their families. Among the fishing
belonging to the Baltimore Piscatorial
schools, q motorboat the property Of
John Beamish, Skibbereen, and two
motorboats owned by Mr.. Cottrell,
Baltimore, worth several hundred
pounds each.
The pirates did not spare even the
smallest craft, for they bombed two
open boats. With great hammer
they smashed to bits the engine Of
little boat belonging to John Dono-
van of Castletownshend and left it to
drift about.
No lives were lost, but for that the
Huns deserve no thanks, for they re-
fused the fishermen permission to take
oars into their punts.
One Cape Clear man, resenting this
refusal, ventured to remark to the cap
tain of the submarine:
ct thought ye Germans would do
nothing to the Iish-that ye liked
us?'
"Ah, my dear fellow, you don't know
the Germans yet" was the command
er's curt reply.
The Germans intimated that they
had sunk all the Kinsale fishing boats
as they had come along to Baltimore,
and that off Dunmore they had de-
stroyed the Waterford fishing fleet.
They made no secret Of the fact, but
on the contrary boosted about it and
declared that they would have every
Irish fishing boat at the bottom Of
the sea before month. Furthermore
one of the submarine crew said they
intended shelling villages on this
coast shortly.
"It's All Up Now"
CONSERVATION and despair have
seized our unfortunate fsherfolk.
1T is all up now, sir" said Balti-
more skipper, "when they are sinking
our fishing boats" When I told him
I would expose the Huns deviltry he
joyously exclaimed:
"Oh, then, do, sir! Tell all America
the Germans are the worst savages
on earth, and that this is their most
cowardly blow yet, and that we hope
and trust that with the aid Of our kith
and kin over there the archfiends will
soon be swept from the face of the
earth"