Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-12
Destroysrs Hasten to
- ub" Killing When
Called by A;rplane

| ASSOCIATED Press Correspondence
London, Feb. 2.--One of the meth
DDS by which, as the first sea lord,
Sir Eric Geddes, said recently, the
submarine menace is being held Is
vividly described by a writer in the
Liverpool Journal of Commerce
A seaplane had spotted sub
marine lying on the sea-bed. Instant
ly, the observers finger commenced
to tap key and ten miles away,
long, lean destroyer and four squat
trawlers detached themselves from
a pack of hounds working covert,
and fastened to the kill. Meanwhile
the seaplane circled around, but
when the surface ships arrived her
instructions, delivered by wireless
were curt and precise. Acting upon
them the trawlers stationed them
selves at the four corners OF wet
quadrangle, while the destroyer kept
her guns ready to talk to Fritz
should he appear above the surface.
The trawlers at the corners OF the
wet quadrangle got out their sweeps
long wire hawsers of an incredible
stoutness, with heavy kite" in the
center to keep their bights down on
the seabed-and commenced to-
steam towards each other. AS the
pairs of vessels met. their wires SIM
utaneously engaged themselves I'M
der the tT-boat's bow and stern, and
commenced to work their sinuous
way between her hull and the sea
bottom.
Then the strange thing happened
Two round, black objects seemed to
detach themselves from her hull and
float surfa cewards. to hover sec
ond and then to commence bobbing
down the tide-bobbing down a lane
much frequented by those ships that
brought food. munitions of war, and
hundreds of other things to Eng
lands shores.
"Minelayer, eh?" called the sea-
planes observer.
That's it, lad" came the tele-
phoned answer, but her eggs can
wait for a minute"
The traWlers now crossed their
dependent cables and thus held the
U-boat in kind of wire cats
cradle. She seemed to suddenly wake
from her danger, for with a bound
she tried to disentangle herself from
the meshes which held her. But it'll
was no use; the trawlers had been
too long at the game to leave any
loopholes and the submarine was
doomed
Got him." signalled the seaplane. |
Thanks replied the destroyer |
Wen give him five minutes to come
up and breathe. but no longer" That
time passed but still Fritz made no
further move.
At tagged signal from the des-
troyer the port foremost trawler and |
the starboard after one clipped a !
small red tin of high explosive to the !
bartaut wire, and allowed it to slide |
down till it touched the U-boat's |
hull. 1t was the seaplane's turn to |
wave flag, and Immediately there !
followed the crashing of two fists up
on two firing-keys; the uprising of
two grey mounds of water and a |
rumbling, muffled explosion.
The seaplane circled twice above |
the patch of rising oil, ascertained |
that Fritz had been destroyed, and !
notified the destroyer of the fact. |
Then, with her observer slipping a |
drum Of cartridges into his machine
gun, she sped on after those objects
bobbing down tide A burst of rapid |
firing-and the first of the devils |
eggs. its buoyancy chamber punctur-
ed. sank with a gurgle; the second
gave a show for it exploded grandly |
and harmlessly--as the bullets
reached it.