New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-03
SWIFT RAIDER
HUNTS LINERS
Big Loss Laid to New
German Ship-Mines
SOwed by U-BOat

Reports of new perils besettng the
paths oil ocean liners were confirmed
yesterday on the arrival Of the Nieuv
Amsterdam.
Captain Jan Baron, its skipper, re.
ceiyed daily warnings from the Cape
Race wireless station TO avoid all
shipping lanes and convesging points,
as German commerce raider was
abroad.
When the Nieuw Amsterdam, which
sailed from Rotterdam, was off the
harbor of Falmouth mine sweeper
which was entering the harbor ahead
Of her vanished in a geyser of sea
water.
The luckless trawier passengers said,
was the victir. of new type OF U-boat,
equipped with only one torpedo tube,
but capable OF planting mines about as
fast as the sweepers can rid the seas
Of them. The mine sweeper Is thought
TO have stumbled on q mine tiat had
just been fixed at the harbor entrance.
According 70 Captain Baron, he was
especially warned TO beware Of a
raider 45O feet long and As feet beam
and capable of great speed. She has
one funnel and two masts, and is
equipped with long range guns and
torpedo tubes. Captain Baron said
that he had not seen the craft.
Seek Mystery Ship
The fact that six ships belonging to
the Allies are now long overdue has
led to the belief in shipping circles
that they may have been sunk by this
Invisible" Flying Dutchman, which all
captains deny having seen. although
all report having received warnings.
The largest of the merchantmen not
heard from is the White Star liLer
Georgic, of 5000 tons. She sailed with
a cargo of war supplies. valued be-
tween s75O.000 and Sl,000,000 from
Philadelphia on December 3 and should
have arrived at Liverpool fifteen days
later.
officials of the White Star Line said
yesterday that they thought her arri-
val had been suppressed by the Brit
ish Admiralty for strategic reasons.
If she had been sunk by raider, they
argue, the Germans would have lost no
time in making the fact public.
The next largest overdue vessel IS
the Voltaire. OF the Lamport e. Holt
Line, of 5,54O tons. She left Liverpool
twenty-one days ago for New York, in
ballast, and never has been heard from
since. Other ships overdue are the
Bayreux, British steamer, carrying
a crew of twenty-five men and freight
cargo from Cardiff 20 Montreal, now
forty-two days late; the British
steamer Belgrayian, in ballast, from
Southampton to New York, seventeen
days overdue; :he Belgian freighter
Baron Bayens. from Liverpool to New
York, fifteen days late, and the British
freighter BellerOphon. from Southamp-
ton to Montreal, also fifteen days over
due.
At the Maritime Exchange il was
stated Yesterday that none OF these
ships had been heard from since the
day they sailed, although all were
equipped with high powered wireless.
Neither have they been reported by
any other vessels travelling in regular
steamer lanes.
Germany is using the raider or raid
ers-several captains believe there are
two. as the wireless warnings hrst
stated that the raider was only $50
feet long merely TO prey upon ships
which elude her submarines waiting
of the British and French coasts.
The new type submarines, used ex-
clusively for laying mines, carry only
one torpedo, the rest OF the space being
employed TO transport various types OF
mines. In the coming towers ?f these
undersea craft there is a speedily con
structed air chamber, through which a
diver is enabled 10 leave the submarine
and lay several mines, returning to The
submarine, which remains submerged
throughout the whole operation.
When there is not sufficient time "a
anchor the mines another method Is
employed. Several Of the so-called
floating mines which are weighted 10
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