The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-10-31

even estimate the speed at which the
submarine had been submerged-about
eight knots.
"The K worked up to full speed,
turned with left rudder, and ran down
on the right hand side Of the slick.
In six minutes she had reached its
head ready to drop q depth charge !;
four minutes to run to the end Of the
wake, two more to allow for the
subs run beyond-and she tripped
the pump. With the charge, which
was set for 80 feet, was dropped cal
cium torch pot to mark the place. The
explosion audibly Jared the blowers,
and within three minutes bubbles
swirled to the surface. But in the 20
minutes that the K circled the vicinity,
hoping the injured enemy would rise to
the surface, no further sign of damage
was revealed.
-Four days later the - turned her
convoy over to the - at two hours
before daylight, and returned to her
regular patrol. About five o'clock In
the morning she took under her wing
the steamer Pentwy, bound for Man
chester. At quarter to eight Cap
tain Lyons sent quartermaster aloft
to the main track to clear fouled
commission pennant. Scarcely had
the quartermaster reached 1t when he
called down to the watch on the after
deckhouse, 'Periscope, two points
abaft the port beam!' The thing was
1900 to 5000 yards from the -.
who was 400 yards ahead Of the -.
one point on her port bow. The whole
the quartermaster though, oddly, in
visible both to the bridge and the fore
top lookout. The periscope seemed
headed westward, and she at once
started to submerge. Within 20 Sec
onds, as the destroyer came to gen.
eral quarters, first one torpedo. instant
ly followed by second, radiated from
the point where she had vanished.
Both were making surface runs, for
the subs coming tower hatch still
must have been near the surface. They
threw spray up fully 20 feet, clearly
visible against the choppy sea. All
hands on the bridge and decks saw
them-as did the -, astern; for she
swung sharply to starboard, present
Ing her tail to them. At the same mo-
ment the - sounded six blasts on
her whistle, followed by two, to mean
that the attack was being made to
port.
Miss by Small Margin.
Both torpedoes missed the -,
but by the smallest margin. The -.
making high speed, swung with full
left rudder toward the submarine. At
five minutes past nine O'Clock third
torpedo was fired at the convoy, ap-
parently from another submarine,
about 200 yards ahead Of the first. It
approached from the broad on the
IS beam, also making a surface
run at about the same range as the
first two, and missed.
But now the ~ was In sight some
four miles distant, ready to relieve
the - Of her convoy. She, too,
made full Roadway on signal, Make all
speed to US; submarine in sight aud
searched in the vicinity Of the -.
while the - followed the subs
Sticks. The first wake tended east,
but in ten minutes lost itself among
the whitecaps. The second and plain
er one led westward, irregularly, as If
the sub had been zigzagging. A
depth charge was dropped at its end,
but half hours search found proof
Of nothing. The - really had saved
herself by quick and efficient hand
ling.
"The IS adventure with the
steamship Tarquah cannot be told un-
til that flivver comes into port. The
-, - and - had a hand In
1t; and the f1rst's account Of the sink
ing Of the Obuasi-where she arrived
long after the deed-shows the defect
i've functioning and poor marksman-
ship of German torpedoes. The -
reports to the same effect. At half
past ten o'clock on the morning Of
the 18th she picked up in her sea area
two boats and % survivors of the
Greek steamship Charilaos Tricoupis.
Two hours before, two torpedoes had
been fired at her, at an interval Of
Is minutes. The first struck the star
board quarter. between rudder and
propeller, and, failing to detonate, did
little damage; but the crew abandoned
ship. The second hit the starboard
side amidship, blowing up the Greek
so that she sank In five minutes. Be-
tween the two shots the submarine
came to the surface, but instantly sub
merged. Not man appeared on deck.
This submarine, like all others report
ed for the fortnight, are declared to
have been Of the U-5O to go types.
$50, as yet, no blood has been spilled
on any of our gun mattings. The
mean, blindfold campaign continues
with small apparent losses either in
subs or shipping. We follow oil
Sticks with the thrill Of woodsman
striking strange cross-trail in the for
est; wes mass guns over 'periscope'
that turns into swabhandle or table
leg; vide the IS and IS ia
nous battle with ventilator of the
French coast. And the - and -,
I hear, have celebrated the chagrin
and thrills of it all In ballads which
shall try to send you"
Such is Fame.