Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-08-23

| and the ocean beneath was black. If
| periscope were raised above the sur
| face it would not have been seen. The
| ship was painted a dark lead color,
| which rendered it invisible against the
| sky.
Then the clouds TO the eastward be-
came q trife lighter than at the other
| points of the compass, and slowly the
| dawn began to make sky and ocean
visible.
At eight bells-the bell was not struck
"a man in the rigging cried out:
Submarine ON the port bow half
mile away!'
Ten seconds later the forward gun of
the Nautilus doomed. The shot flew
above the water and ricocheted when
some thirty yards from the submarine,
passing clean over her deck. which
was bet few feet above the surface.
The submarine dived 1t was prob
able that she had been taken by sur
prise. but must have got the bearings
of the Nautilus. Within two or three
minutes a torpedo came through the
water few feet beneath the surface.
stern had not Captain Clifford given an
order to put the helm hard down,
which was turning the ship to sail in
circle about the submarine. This
had moved the stern away from the
line OF the torpedo.
Captain clifford, having moved from
| the position he was in when the SUBJ
/ 4 H., "a
1t would be necessary for it to rise
again before she could locate his ship
He kept his course till he had COM
pleted semicircle, when thS Heriscope
Of his enemy appeared about 1000
yards dead ahead The marksman at
the bow gun was very quick in sending
shot at her. Whether the shot hit
her or not was problematical, for in
stead of completing rise to the sur
face she went under.
Captain Clifford concluded that If she
had not been disabled she would send
another torpedo to bim or rise to get
better sight of his location. He con-
cluded that it would be safer to keep
right on his course toward her. If he
turned he must expose a broadside,
whereas by heading for her he would
expose only his narrow bow and might
have an opportunity to ram her. A
ripple in the water a cables length
from the ship on the starboard side
and running parallel with it indicated
that the enemy had risked shot, but
had gone vile Of the mark.
The Nautilus kept On her course on
q guess that she was making for the
submarine, the bow gunner ready to
send shot the moment the periscope
Of the enemy showed itself. 1t did
not show itself, however, till the Nau-
titus was within a few yards Of it.
There was a bump, and those on the
bow Of the Nautilus saw a sharkiike
body roll on it's side, turn turtle and
disappear.
A shout went up from the Nautilus
crew. for all knew that they and their
ship were saved. In the ships wake
the surface of the water was covered
with oil, indicating that the submarine
would no longer trouble them.
However, being still on the verge of
the danger zone, Captain Clifford kept
strict watch during the day, and
when night fell the Nautilus mingled
with the gloom, not light being seen
on her
When Captain Clifford passed to safe
sailing his mind naturally reverted to
his waking in the night and his warn
ing vision. Since the warning had un-
doubtedly saved his ship and its crew
he could not consider it a nightmare
or dream. His wife's face and fig
ure, look Of terror in her eyes, We're
vivid, while her warning words still
sounded in his ears. At the same time
the captain was not naturally disposed
] to refer the matter to any cause except
his own presentiment. He finally settled
down to this view, believing the pres
| ence of the submarine near his ship
| and his dream, or whatever it was,
| condolences.
When the captain reached home he
| found his wife's nerves much broken
| down, so much so that he did not for
a time refer to his narrow escape He
! asked her why she had worried her
self into so deplOrable a condition, and
she replied that one night she was
seized with foreboding that a sub
marine was lurking near the Nautilus
and as soon as dawn appeared would
undoubtedly attack the vessel. An
| overweening desire seized her to warn
| her husband. She then passed into q
trance. She seemed to be flying over
the ocean at night, reached the Nau-
titus, saw the drowsy gunners and
passed down into her husbands cabin,
where she warned him of his danger.
When she awoke In the morning her
nerves We're unhinged and had remain
ed so ever since.
This information staggered the cap
tain's rational view Of his warning.
That he had produced it by anxiety.
that his wife should have produced
| the COMPLEMENT of his mart in the