The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-06-05
American Liner Mongolia Ran
Into Nest Of u Boats Skulk-
ing in Wait for a
Victim.
DROVE THEM ALL OFF
Ship Load Of Rcd Cross Nurses
saved by Accuracy Of Amerl-
can Gunners and Clever
Captain.

armed merchant liner Mongolia put
into q British povt today. bringing as
dramatic a tale Of brush with sub
marines as has been told in Ger
many's submarine warfare, with hel
crew confidently expressing belief
they had sunk one of the enemy
universities. The Mongolia ran IN
to a nest" of submarines and had
her first glimpse of periscopes when
| 225 miles from her port OF destlna
ton. This was on Friday. June !
One "eye" of submarine was sight
ed a hundred yards distant and I'M
mediately the American naval gun
was trained on it. Almost stimuli
taneously the aft gun spoke in sho'
fired at the second pertscope, this
one about $500 yards distant. Lieu
tenant Seymour, U. 8. N. in charge o.
the gun crew, believes this aft guns
shell reached its mark and that the
submarine was sunk
The first two shots from the Ameri
can guns brought British destroy
er hurrying up on the starboard hor
lion. Two hundred American HE'D
Cross workers enroute from Chicago
to France to join base hospital NUM-
Der IL from Northwestern university
hung over the Mongolia's rails and
yelled get 'em" as the long grey
British destroyer sped aft, barring her
teeth in a great shear of white spray
flung out over the green wake.
AS the chase started, the destroy
er's bugler stood on the deck OF the
speeding ship and sent over the wat
ers the clear bugle notes of the Star
Spangled Banner and God Save the
King. The destroyer thrice circled
the Mongolia-the gallery" OF Red
Cross officers. nurses and men fol
lowing hurriedly from port to star
board and back again. unwilling to
lose sight OF her for single second
lest she run down her quarry.
Before the destroyer could come
up, however, three torpedoes had been
launched by the submarines and sent
speeding through the water toward
the Mongolia.
Immediately the U boats wero
sighted, the Mongolia began to zig
gag. The torpedoes could be seen,
marking their white track through
the water-but they missed. All
passed astern of the American ship.
Failing to reach one of the en-
envy boats for an engagement, the
British destroyer ducked back along.
side. Throughout the remainder Of
the afternoon she stuck close, at
hand, frisking gravely about occas-
ionally like a sedate old grey hound.
1t was exactly 1918 according to
those aboard the Mongolia, when the
ships alarm Of one long and four
short blasts, brought all the Amerl-
can ships passengers and her crew
to the life boats. all with their life
belts buckled on. There was no
panic.
Just before the brush with the
Germans began and for fifteen min
utes while the aft gun was firing,
Gunner Andrew Fleming Of PhilaL,
delphia was in charge. Passengers
and crew alike-all wearing their life
belts--lined the rails during the
fracas-some silent, holding fingers
tightly stopped in their ears. while
the guns were barking, or else when
the firing was over, crowding the side
to cheer the wallowing, dipping de-
stroyer, while the Britisher .exchang-
ed flag signals with the Mongolia
Most Of the salon passengers dined
that same evening still wearing their
cumberous life belts.
Major Frederick A. Besty. Of Chi
CagO, ana a ueIuDeI cl Tie 4Nol III
western university medical unit
aboard the Mongolia, declared the
conduct of the nurses aboard the YES
sci was splendid.
"As soon as the warning was sound
ed" he said, they went to their
state rooms and calmly returned
later carrying their coats, blankets
and life belts.
"The German submarines fired
three torpedoes at the Mongolia. Our
ship was hurried on zig gag course
to avoid them and each time the
torpedoes passed astern. There
wasn't any doubt about them being
fired as their course was plainly dis
ernible by the small columns OF white
vapor and foam they churned up.
There was absolutely no panic
and no fear apparent among the
nurses"
Major NJ. Mandel and K. Speed, of
the same medical unit, corroborated
Major Besty in full.
The aft gun. which Lieutenant
Seymour believes struck the SUD
marine. Is the same gun which fired