The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1918-01-18

.fa.St%-GH
whole crew displayed conmendable spirit
during the battle"
This is precisely it should be- bluejackets and
merchant seamen standing together, fighting the
enemy as one intrepid American crew, and the
Stars and Stripes hosted at the first shot by order
Of the skipper Chief Gunner Clark had the honor
to report to the navy department:
AS the submarine displayed flag and
coming nearer. We fired shot. The submarine.
which was then about 1000 yards away, replied
Immediately with what seemed to me. account
OF the range slx-inch gun. Her first shot fell
amidships about 100 yards short. We changed
our course due west, increasing speed The sub
marine followed us. keeping up fire. The fight
lasted from O'Clock until about 80 p. We
fred 25 shots. The submarine fired over 80 in
Guiding some shrapnel toward the end which
ploded astern of our ship too high to do any dam
age.
"Our last two shells seem to have hit the sub
marine in the forward part. few seconds later
her bow jumped up, and she down. stern
upward at an angle Of about As degrees. The sub
marine did not come up again, and believe 1t was
sunk then and there. No damage was done to our
ship, and there were casualties
The steamer was still within effective range of
the big guns of the submarine which could have
had no other reason than sudden attack of acute
illness for vanishing In this abrupt manner. 1t
seems fairly conclusive that shell blew her part
ly out of water. and then she went lunging and
laundering into the depths. The steamer did not
stop to search for traces of the disaster but
siby continued along her course. Tankers
filled with millions of gallons of gasoline do not
lnger In the zone.
The American passenger liners, maintaining
their service almost regularly as in time OF
peace would naturally run the gantlet much often
er than the number of cargo boats. They
sail on an express schedule and spend little time
in port. 1t is secret that they are fast and well
armed, able to whip submarine in a fight with
guns. The deadly torpedo is another matter but
speed has so far been saving factor 1t is what
the gunners on board call the sporty life" nor
can 1t be recommended to people with nervous sys-
TENS as a restful vocation. For example one of
these liners, during the first six months of war,
made only one perfectly tame and routine voyage.
During all ner other trips across there were fights
with submarines or escapes from torpedoes.
Extracts from the navy departments reports Of
these steamers may be chosen almost at random
as interesting reading with thrill in it. These
are fuir samples of what 1t means to make the
Atlantic voyage, which is no longer a common
place soothing ocean ferry"
THE lookout in the lower crows nest, a cox
swain OF the naval guard, picked up oil slick
ahead, which veered off to port at right angles to
the ships course. Following the slick, which was
about the width of ship, he suddenly saw the
periscope of a submarine appear at the end Of it.
about foot out of the water He instantly
sung out, Perscope' and the next moment, Tor
pedo, for the submarine had been exposed scarcely
more than second when she fired torpedo The
enemy then about 900 yards from the ship
and three-fourths point forward of the BEAM
THE torpedo was running straight but appar-
emily having trouble in maintaining its Depth for
when about 200 yards off saw a streak, then at
depth of about five feet. 1t dived and passed
under the ship about 80 feet from the stern. Soon
after heading away from the submarine picked
up abandoned lifeboat two points off the star.
board bow. The submarine had apparently been
lying near the life boat, and on seeing approach
had headed off to assume position for attack
port side, probably expecting to pick up the
lifeboat and thus miss seeing him. Fortunately
however, the oil slick sighted first.
THE old hands among the gunners paid no at
tention to the torpedo, which was coming right
for them, but made every effort to get the guns
the target, which the submarines periscope."
What might be called close shave befell anoth-
steamer on the return voyage.
''There several other ships in the vicinity"
the report, Including two tankers and de-
stroyer and two or three tramps. Suddenly peri
scope was sighted quarter Of mile away, show
ing up plainly in the streak of moonlight the
water. The submarine seemed to be just coming
up and had probably misjudged the speed of the
steamer having her some time earlier Be
fore torpedo could be fired or tAe guns manned
the steamer was right top of the submarine
which submerged. The chief officer threw the
helm hard over and went straight for him, hoptng