Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-05-23
NAVY YOUTH TELLS
OF THE FIRST SHOT
Sumner That Drew GeTman Blood
Reeounts Exploit.
SURE U BOAT WAS SUNK

Denies Berlin Report That undsrssa
Craft Returned. Damaged, 10 Homo
Port--ttis Gray Haired Father Pro-
en-. at Banquet Proud Of His Naval
Hero and Env;sd BY Others
A slender yong man IN the uniform
Of the United States navy stood before
10 cheering and proudly 1ubilant
army and navy veterans At . New
York hotel and told how he had dred
the nrst shot for America In the war.
He was Lieutenant Bruce r. Ware,
Jr.. who on April 10. the anniversary
Of the hattie Of Lexington. gave the
command from the deck Of the Mon
Golia that sent q ak inch shell spin
ming through the periscops Of . Ger
man U boat bent on the liners do
struction-
All evening Lieutenant Ware and
Captain Emery Rice. commander Of
the Mongolia. had listened to words OF
praise from the other speakers. and
the lieutenant was smiling when he
arose. but bis voice broke with emo.
ton ~ he swept into his story. and At
times he repeated his commands to
his men a. II be were still standing On
the MongoliaNs bridge with his eyes
glued to his glasses.
Day and Night Watch Kept.
cit is q wonderful pleasure to tell
you how fired the first shot and drew
the first blood" he said Captain
Rice and formulated 4 war doctrine
and one OF the FIRST things we did was
to begin q night and day watch when
we were six days from our destination.
This event happened ave aud \ half
days later.
I'VE had been up continually. the
men had all been ut their guns, and
We had not had our clothes Oh. Cap
tain Rice and ! were always on the
ways ready and telephone always At
my elbow. We were always ready.
aud We were ready at Sra 4. IN. ON the
10th OF April"
The lieutenant was forced to halt for
q moment. as the room rang with
shouts ms the guests rose to their feet
and waved napkins and small Ameri-
can days.
U Bost Sighted.
The sun came up one minute before
3. and II began to get a little thick"
be continued. I'VE were then OF
Beachy Head light. twenty miles from
the Dover strait. Looking through
the port, ! saw the chief officer turn
around. You could see the whole story
In his face. He could hardly speak the
words My Cod he cried. look at
It" said. Its . U boat, and he's got
us
I'VE threw In the starboari control.
'Zigxag.' said to Captain Rice.
didn't tell him which way to 80. be
cause that had all been doped out. We
charged. We made that snake that
came creeping In toward us 20 down.
Il rushed to the chart house and
telephoned: No gun train on the
starboaN quarter. Report when you
see submarine The gun crew report.
ed almost instantly. There II In Then.
Now it's gone; there It Is again
trained my glasses and picked Il up
Coming Tower HN.
II ordered No. 8 gun to commence
firing. Fire! Fire! Firer And they
did. and picked up that six inch shell
a. she left the gun. and l saw It travel
through the air, and I saw II strike
eight inches. . foot. In front Of that
fellows periscope."
And then. In contradiction Of the
German dispatch to the eject that the
submarine was not sunk. but iimped
into home port. badly crippled. Lieu.
tenant Ware fairly shouted the words
And II went into that coming tow
e.! saw the fakes Of metal nyins
into the sea. I saw smoke. l hit the
enemyr'
When the applause had subsidized Q
| gray haired. bespectacled and bearded
man arose and asked u be might say .
word.
"surer' came the answering chorus.
Wars Senior Proud Of Son.
you he said. have been proud ol
my son since April 10. I've been proud
| Of him since Feb. q. 1887"
And Bruce r. Ware. ST.. with moist
| eyes and flushed face. sat down again,
amid the cheering of more than lUC
fathers who envied him that proud
| moment Of his life.
| Captain Rice was called upon, but
blushingly excused himself.
| I'D rather take the Mongolia through
the war zone any day than make .
speech" he said. "All can gay II
that hope we meet that U boat again
II she 10 still able to navigate"
Most Of those present were old
friends Of Captain Rice when be sailed
the Pacific steamship service between
San Francisco and oriental ports.
The joka An tkn ete~n