The Carlisle independent., 1918-09-19

cause there Were-s0tS of them. But you can never have too many handy boys with the guns and he was very anxious for me to get all I could. had no way of reaching the ex-garbies 1 did know, so l had to pass up this opportunity to recruit by mail.
 While We were in Brest I got per mission to go aboard q submarine and petty officer showed ne around, This was the first time l was in the interior of sub and told the officer that I would like to take spin in the tub myself. He introduced me to the commander, but the petty officer said he did not think they would let me stay aboard. I showed the com- mander my passport and talked to would take me on their practice cruise two days later if the Old Man gave me written permission.
 So I hot-footed it back to the Gas sard and while did not promise that I would get any American gunners foI him in exchange for the written per. mission, he was free to think that if he wanted to. It seems as thougi. he did take it that way, for he gave me a note to the sub commander and sent him another note by messenger. l wanted Murray to go too, but the Old Man said one was enough.
 So, two days later, I went aboard in the morning and had breakfast with the sub crew and a good break fast it was, too. After breakfast they took stations and the commander went up on the structure amidships, which was just under the coming tower, and I squatted down on the deck beneath the structure.
 Then the gas engines started up and made an awful racket and shook the old tub from stem to stern. I could tell that we had cut loose from the dock and were moving. After while they shut off the gas engines and started the motors and We began to suUluCI " ntil ht were dl iIlC way under I looked through the peri scope and saw a Dutch merchantmen. We stayed under about half an hour and then came back to the surface. One of the garbies was telling me later on that this same sub had gone out of control a few weeks before and kept diving and diving until she struck bottom. I do not know how many fathoms down 1t was, but it was farther than any commander would garby said they could hear the plates cracking and it was wonder that they did not crumple up from the pressure, but she weathered it, pres sure button and all. and in a quarter of an hour was on the surface. While on the surface they sighted smoke, submerged again, and soon, over the horizon came eight battleships, es eorted by Zepps and destroyers.
 They tested their tubes before they got in range. Finally they let go. The first shot missed, but after that they got into it good and the garby said all you could hear was the knocking of the detonated guncotton.
 About five minutes later they sight ed five destroyers. two on each bow. and one dead ahead. The sub steered in at right angle zigzags and the de- stroyers stayed with their convoy. The sub launched two torpedoes at less than a mile before diving. to get away from the destroyers and the garby said at least one of them was hit. These ships must have been some of the lucky ones that came down from the North sea. The garby said he thought they were eff the Dutch coast at the time, but he was not sure.
 But this cruise that I was on was only practice cruise and we did not meet with any excitement in the short time that we were out,