South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-12-23
= The Second In Series of
Articles From the Records Of
the Navy Department
By Ralph D. Paine
Noted Writer of Sea Stories

Tt difficult FOR the American ABOARD
he armed merchant vessels to realize that they had
night a whose operations shrouded and
seen. submarine had poke her periscope above
water they argued to take a sight Of her quarry and
hey rather expected 10 shoot the her n
-he emerged and cleared her for shell fire two
could play at that game. 1t was known that England
mad large number of ships to besides a
actively engaged that the average gun small
o. than the American our bluejackets had reason To
therefore that they might be successful i'm
Beating off attacks How accurately the Germans
able to detect the approach of and
.he time remain invisible matter of guess
work. however. and the knowledge was gained oy
tragic experience.
FIRST TO GIVE LIFE
To be sunk with never a chance to night was bitter
hose. IL happened oftener during early months
% the game. while the gunners learning the
tricks o the submarine and before the owners
aiding them with smoke boxes Camouflage paint. and
anthracite coal in the There loss of
ife on navy list until the freigher Aztec
,edoed without warning, early i'm April She
low ship. laden deep Win nerchandlse IL was the"
hat John J. EOpoluCc. boatswains mate. his
drowning while in the service of his country
a tried man with three enilstments' unknown unuI
.hen ne won remembrance because he the first
TO 20. parents were italian immisrants flung in
,o the melting pot and ne was true American TO
his mother. who suffered her with Roman dignity
and tortude, the secretary Of the navy wrote this
sonal letter:
1t is with deepest regret that the department
must inform YOU OF report from France 10 the effect
hat all of the enlisted men of the navy who formed
ne guard OF the steamship the oriental
Navigation Co. sunk by a German submarine ON APR.
are except John l. EopuIucci. bOatsNains mate
hrsa class who is still missing. When last seen, ne
in the second boat that lett the ship The de
partnent yet give up hope that he may have
been saved. but must frankly admit that the posi-
bilties remote.
.aT7he sympathy which I for YOU can not lessen
the sorrow which has come YOU. You only be
consoIed by knowledge that your bravely vol
unteered this dangerous duty and the first
to- give up his life for his country IN the present str
gle"
Akin to this episode was the loss OF the tanker
Vacuum April. The disaster commonplace
enough the besal annals of the Germ submarine
campaign merely that scores OF men were set adrift
open boats and many Of them persisted of cold and
exhaustion. Commanders OF imperial U-boats
ming iron crosses for such deeds as this
The tanker torpedoed in the morning before
the Iookouts had a glimpse OF perscope Two
minutes explosion the steel HUH
the stern the ship settled under water throwing the
after Yun crew overheard. These were
picked up by the captains first boat somehow two
dropped and pulled clear before the
dived TO the bottom In the afternoon one
capszed twice in the heavy seas. loslnE four
men failed hold the sunwales while the
others righting H. Eighteen had been in
the boat when il left the others. Besides the four
l-oVrad eleven more diei upon the thwarts or ayash
icy that half hlled the boat Among these
were Lieut.. Clarence G. Thomas commanding the
armed guard Of the United states the first officer
die in the war. and whose name viii Toe coupled
with that Ensign Worth BaSley. who led the honor
roll Of the navy dead in the Spanish war
\ DIFFERENT FATE.
Their fates were very different Young Bailey went
into Cardanas bay 10 the destroyer Winslow asaiust
heavy odds and fought his until he died in his
tracks Ii give aud take between honorable foe
men and Bagleys dnsh such brave sailor
same like gentlemen aleld and afoat and &c YOU are
OF comparisons. set Animal t'erNera beside
an Admiral nrpitz-
r5eut Thomas persisted of cold Struggling 90 right
an overturned boat in dreuchng ssas- lie had been
orders in the Lire OF duty. to protec his ship
against unlawful attack upon the high The sub
warfare murder Tat ne only slew American