New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-10-25
FOUR MEMBERS OF CREW
INJURED IN CONFLICT
One Shell From the Submarine Hits
-
the Engine Room Smashing the
Machinery, While Another Puts the
Wireless Ont of CommissiOn-But
Helm is Summoned-Desroy Doc
tors Take Care of the Injured.

A French Separot, Oct. 25.-Escap-
ing from a German submarine after
: bitter fight lasting nearly four hours
and with seven Of her crew wounded,
two of them seriously, an American
steamer arrived here this morning
from an American port. The timely
intervention Of an American torpedo
boat alone saved the ship from being
sent to the bottom.
A few hours after the vessel had
entered the danger zone. a LOOKOUT
sighted a submarine on the port DOW
but before he had time to report its
presence the submarine fired a. shot
which missed the stern Of the ship
by but a few yards. The captain i'm
mediately sent out a wireless call for
assistance, as the position Of the sub
marine was such that escape was
nearly impossible.
The gun crews Of the submarine
and the steamer then began to ex-
change shots. The chief gunner of the
steamer opened fire at q range OF nina
thousand yards but all the shots fell
short, The submarine kept maneuv-
erine to keep out Of range OF the
steamers guns, at the same time
maintaining a running fire in an effort
20 disable them. The merchant ship
Safter altering her course started at
full speed In an attempt to escape.
The stubbornness of the battle is in
dicated by the fact that the submarine
fired 234 shots at the steamer which
responded with more than ESQ shots.
A doctor and two assistants board
"a the merchantmen and attended to
the wounded. The engineers had
great difficulty in repairing the
4 ~{Yoc he
the destroyer and the merchantmen
lost each other, but finally the
steamer made port in safety
The wounded were transferred to
a hospital in this city. Two of them be-
long to the gun crew and i've TO the
ships crew.
The steamer was not hit below the
water line but her cargo caught nre
during the engagement. Ine anoun'
Of damage has not been ascerta1neo'
The sea was running high at the
time and there seemed little nope OF
saving the ship when low streak OIL
black smoke was sighted on the
horizon. 1t later proved to be an
American torpedo boat destroyer COM
ing at full speed, running right INTO
+he sea and at times nearly disappear
,sne, from view. The destroyer had
heard the calls for aid sent out by the
: steamer and travelled at a speed OF as
high as thirty knots to come to her
assistance.
The destroyer Immediately made Tor
the submarine, which dived and d1s-
appeared beneath the surface. The
American warship circled about the
SPOT. dropping a few depth charses
,,but no more signs Of the U-boat "ere
seen.
While coming to the steamers as
sistance the destroyer kept seno1ng
assuring messages such as "hold on
"stick" I'VE are coming"
The steamers wireless apparatus
however had been disabled soon a1te'
the fight began and the messages
never were received, so that the ar
: rival of the American destroyer was
quite unexpected. The submarine ap
parently was aware Of the destroyer
presence because she submerged oe
fore the destroyer could get WlthlI