Evening star., 1918-08-13
COAST GUARDCREW
AT SMITHS ISLAND
GASSED BY U-BOAT
Hun "FrightfuIness" Seeks
Mark Off North Caro-
lima Coast.

MIA SOoSks
German submAssnes. which since May
| at intervals Of se> eral weeks have been
attempting to carry the campaign Of
.frightfulness'' to America through the
| sinking Of vessels off the Atlantic coast.
| have decided to carry the war in real
earnest to the shores Of America
This was the view taken by many
| officials today of the attempt by a Ger
| man submarine to gas the members OF
| the crew of the Coast Guard station at
| Smiths Island, N c.. last Saturday by
spreading oil from which mustard gas
was generated over the waters near the
| island. Navy Department dispatches
said that although six members Of the
| Coast Guard were overcome by the
| fumes, no serious after effects were
noted.
Destroyer Attacks U-Boats-
| The dispatch relating to the gas at
tack was one of a series concerning
German submarine warfare off the
Atlantic coast received by the Navy
Department. One told of an attack
on a submarine 100 pailes east of the
Virginia coast by an American de-
stroyer, which discharged seventeen
depth charges where the raider was
seen to submerge. The result of the
attack was not determined, but, after
oil had appeared on the surface of the
water, two bombs were dropped on
the spot and the submarine was not
seen again.
On the basis of reports received
concerning the attack on the subma-
rine OF the Virginia coast. officials
| would not venture an opinion as to
the possibility that the U-boat was
destroyed. The time of the attack was
not given in the dispatch, and, conse-
Quently, it was not known whether it
was before or after the gassing of the
men on Smiths Island.
May Have Attacked on Sunday.
4 The attack may have occurred Sun
the more generally accepted belief
was that it took place several days
ago. and since there was no conclusive
proof Of the destruction of the enemy,
the destroyer waited until returning
to its base before reporting to the
district naval commander.
When the destroyer sighted the
raider at some distance it dashed for
ward at full speed. The German evil
IDENTIFY was maintaining a sharp look
out, for the U-boat soon submerged.
The destroyer circled the spot and
dropped fifteen depth charges.
When the upheaval of the water
lcaused by the terrific explosions had
subsided, an oil skim was seen. As
that is a ruse long employed by the
lGermans when attacked. the destroyer
dashed in and discharged two more
bombs. The warship then cruised in
the vicinity for some time, but no fur
ther trace of the raider was seen
Wrecked, Is Another Theory.
While the reports from the COM
lmandants of the Smiths Island coast
iguard station and sixth naval district
clearly indicated their firm belief that
the gas attack on the island was de-
Iiberate. some officers thought there
was a possibility that the submarine
being wrecked on a reef.
Attention was called to the fact that
the action of salt water on electric
batteries used by a submarine gen.
crates chlorine gas. which is similar
to mustard gas in its effect and is
deadly if encountered in a closed
space. If the submarine were wrecked,
1t was said, that gas would be gem
Grated and would come to the surface
with the oil which would be freed.
No such possibility. however, was
mentioned in the Navy Departments
announcement
Information from the coast guard
station on Smiths Island was that
those who suffered at the lighthouse
are the keeper, Capt Charlie Swami;
his wife and one other. composing the
entire crew Of the lighthouse, while
three of the coast guards at the life
saving station also suffered. A brood
of chickens on the reservation was
killed, and other animals on the place
showed signs of the gas.
At the Navy Department today 1t
was declared that the new plan of
warfare being waged by the German
undersea craft would be no more
successful than the attempts to de-
stroy American shipping. Though
thirty-one vessels have been sunk by
U-boats of the Atlantic coast since
May, most of the ships have been
small. many being fishing schooners.
and the loss of life has been slight.
The department, it was said, was TAX
ing all possible measures to deal with
the submarines.
Not Of Submerging Depth.
WILMINGTON. N. C. August 13.-
Local fishermen who are thoroughly