The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-04-26
AMERICAN SHIP
SINKS SUBMARINE
Steamer MOngOlia's Navy
Gunners Scored Clean
Hit at 1000 Yards
U-BOAT'S PERISCOPE
SMASHED BY SHELL
" First Gun of the War Fired OFF the
British Coast on the Anniversary of
Lsxtngton-Capt. Rice Lauds Mon
golia's Marksmen.

LONDON, April 26.-Capt. Rice of
the American steamship Mongolia, who
yesterday that his vessel fired
the first shot of the war against Ger
many and sunk submarine, later
talked freely about the encounter.
The submarine, Captain Rice said,
was about to attack the great steam
ship in British waters on April 10. He
declared there was absolutely no doubt
that the I-boat was hit, and that there
was every reason TO believe it WAS de-
stroyed.
The periscopc was sighted dead
all al on the last afternoon of the voy
age. The captain gave an ord'r for
full speed ahead with the intention of
rammmg the submarine. The = ,riscope
Disappeared and Il few minutes later
rcappcared on th> ships broadside.
The gunncrs fired, hitting the peIiscope
squarcly and throwing up Il mountain
oil water.
The naval gunners on board made q
! clean hit AT 900 yards. The pcriscope
was seen to be shattered.
| The most pertinent fact as regards
the ultimate fate Of the submarine was
THAT the she'll disappeared INN 'diatcly
iartcr the hit was made. The captain
| said that shell always ricochett5d in
| the waters and could be seen again
unless il found the mark. Oil also was
seen on the water after the submarine
l1ieaDpaara1
The Mongolia was going NJ fun
lspeed and was long distance away
iWhcn the spray and foam subsidized,
but from the bridge the officers OBJ
served the spot through their glasses,
and theT arc confident the subma-
rinc was sunk.
Captain Rice outlined the incident
with modcsty, but could not quite con
ccul the pride he felt in the achieve
mcnt of his ship. lie paid high tfib
ute 10 tn gunners, and especially t.
the manner in which they were handled
ibv the officer who directed the firing
OF the telling shot.
''For five days and nights said
CAPTAIN Rice. u hadn :, had my
clothes of, and We kept n big forcC
of lookouts on duty al the tim. L
was 500 oclock in the afternoon o.
the 10Th that we sighted tn, subma
rinn The officer commanding the gun
ners was with me on the bridge where
in fact. we had been TIC most of tn,
time throughout the voyage.
''There was a haze over the sea n
the time We had Just taken a sound
ing, for we were getting near SHALLOW
F.. water, and we were looking ct tn
Had when the first mate cried
!, Thoro S a submarine off the port bow.
!. ''Thn submarine was close to MS, to
f close, in fact, for her purposes. an
: she was submcr"in" again IN order t
manocuvre in better position for n,
9 pcdoing Us when We sighted her. "
: saw the Periscope 20 down and tn
. swirl of water. quickly ordered
;. man at the wheel TO nut it u stal
I board. and we swung the nose of th
: ship toward tn spot where the submf
4 linn had been seen.
i We were going nj full speed ahoaC
3 and two inmates after we first sighte
the Uboat it emerged again abou
;, goo wards off lis intention probahl
u had been TO catch MS broadside on, bu
! when it Appeared we had the ster
), gun trained full on it. A
J. "Thc lieutenant gave the commap
7 and the big gun doomed. We saw til
: lperiscopn shattered and the she'll an
the submarine disappeared.
- can I speak too hiehly of tn, 90,
manner in which the lieutenant his,
died his crew Of gunuars. II was in
exhibition Of the efficiency of Am"
lean naval men The Lieutenant khc
y hefor' the she'll struck the suhmariI
that its aim was accurate. There is