Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-05-02
i. s. LINER SINKS
GERMAN SUBMARINE
IN BRITISH WATERS
American Gun Crew Hits U-Boat
at 900 Yards.
DIVER READY TO ATTACK
Captain of Steamer Mongolia Tells OF
Destruction of Enemy Craft and
Praises Workmanship of
Yankee Sailors and Their
Commander.

Commander.
London, April 26.-Captain Rice of
the American steamship Mongolia,
which has arrived at British port.
said that the Mongolia had fired the
first gun of the war for the United
States and sunk German submarine.
april 10, the day on which the Mon
golia fired the first shot of the war is
the anniversary Of the Battle of Lex
lngton, when the first shot was fired
in the American revolution)
Ready to Attack Liner.
The submarine Captain Rice said,
was about TO attack the great liner In
British waters on April 10 He de-
clared there was no doubt that the
U-boat was hit and that there was
every reason to believe It was de
stroyed.
The naval gunners on board made
clean hit at 1000 yards. The periscope
was seen to be shattered
Captain Rice Proud Of Feat
Captain Rice outlined the incident
with modesry but ould not quite CON
ceal the pride he felt in the achieve
ment of his ship, He paid high trih
ute To the gunners, and especially to
the manner in which they were handled
by the officer who directed the firing of
the telling shot.
For five days and nights" said Cap
tain Rice. Il hadn't had my clothes off
and we kept a big force of lookouts on
duty all the time 1t was 20 o'clock
in the afternoon of the 18th that we
sighted the submarine The officer com
handing the gunners was with me on
the bridge. where. in fact we had been
the most of the time throughout the
voyage
There was haze over the seat at
the time. We had just taken a sound
ing, for we were getting near shallow
water, and we were looking at the lead
when the first mate cried: There's
submarine off the port bow
Submarine Came Close.
THE submarine was close TO us, too
close, in fact, for her purposes, and
she was submerging again in order to
maneuver in better position for tor
pedoing us when we sighted her We
saw the periscope go down and the
swirl of the wafer. / quickly ordered
a man at the wheel to pull il TO star
board, and we swung the nose of the
ship toward the spot where the sub
t.sr,n bod 4.,ar -aan W. ,rrova ~.
ing at full speed ahead, and two min
utes after we first sighted the U-boat
II emerged again about 1000 yards
of, Its intention probably had been
TO catch us broadside on, but when II
appeared we had the stern gun trained
full on it.
And the Big Guns Doomed"
The lieutenant gave the command
and the big guns doomed We saw the
periscope shattered and the shell and
the submarine disappeared
II can't speak too highly of the cool
manner in which the lieutenant han
died his crew of gunners. II was
fine exhibition of the efficiency of
American naval men. The lieutenant
knew before the shell struck the sub
marine that its aim was accurate.
There is no guesswork about it, but
case of pure mathematics"
Taking the speed at which the
Mongolia was travelling at the time
and the speed which the submarine
would undoubtedly make and comput-
In Ba IN
were from the submarine when II was
first sighted aud when II appeared the
second time, it can be shown that the
lieutenant had his gun sighted TO the
inch and it must be remembered that
the whole affair took only two min.
utes" continued the captain.
Steamed Away in a Hurry.
Il assure you we did not stop to re-
cOnnoiter after the incident but
steamed away at full speed, for II was
not improbable that there was another
submarine about. The one ! got un.
doubtedly had been lying on the bot.
tom at this spot waiting for the ship
and came up when it heard our pro.
pellers. Immediately sent a wireless
stating that a submarine had been
seen.
That's about all the story, except.
ing this. The gunners had named the
guns on board the Mongolia, and the
one which got the submarine was
called Theodore Roosevelt; so Teddy
fred the first gun Of the war, after
ALL"
Captain Rice recalled that he came |
from Allston. Mass. and that the en-. |
counter with the submarine occurred |
on the date when the Bay state was
celebrating the anniversary Of the bat. |
tie Of Lexington.
Mongolia Left U. S. April 7.
New York. April 26.-The American |
steamship Mongolia. a vessel Of 1885 |
tons. owned by the international Mer. /
cantile-Marne company, left an Amer. /
lean port for London Afril on her !
second voyage since Germany's sub. /
marine declaration of February /.
Raw Material.
I'm going out In search Of literary