The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-08-13
Six Men Overcome for Half
Hour But Suffered No Per-
manent Effects.
A NEW "FRrGHTFULNESS'
German Submarine Adopting
New Method of Warfare OF
Coast of North Carolina
Several Vessels Sunk.

Washington, Aug. 12.-Gas from
oil discharged on the water by the
German submarine operating off the
middle Atlantic coast. overcame six
men in the coast guard station and
lighthouse on Smiths island, North
Carolina, Saturday evening, the navy
department was advised today by
the commandant of the sixth naval
district.
If the gas attack was deliberate
and most officials believed that it
vast constituted a new and in
genious form of "frightfulness" and,
SO far as has been reported. was the
first direct effort of the German raid
ers to harm persons or property on
American shores.
The gas was said by the COM
mandant of the coast guard station
to have much the same effect as the
mustard gas used by the Germans on
the western front The men were
laid out for more than hall an hour
but apparently suffered no serious
after effects.
Many Reports Received.
The dispatch relating the gas at
tack was one of series concerning
German submarine warfare off the
Atlantic coast received during the
day by the navy department One
told of an attack on a submarine 100
miles east of the Virginia coast by
an American destroyer. which dis
charged II depth charges where the
raider was seen to submerge. The
result of the attack was not determ-
ined 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.
Sinking of the British steamer
sPenistone. ,of 4.199 ssoss>toRs,aass>1
the Swedish :. s.ssnsssf yarsaasSf
wajs4p eassshsss ing sdiaSks
Sshdal, 3ses9ets
asF.ag tse 81 fsssssfS ~ ~as s'Iis sSs
fssh6edi Sunday With .tiffGTfa.e off her
crew still undetermined, whpasfhe
latter was destroyed by bombs .Au-
gust s and her crew later rescued
by passing ships.
Still another dispatch said thar
four survivors of the fishing schoon-
er Katie Palmer landed at New
Bedford, Mass, reported that thew
had been taken aboard the submaN
rine, the commander of which boast
ed that he was equipped to remain in.
American waters for six months If
he desired
The submarine was described bv
the men as being about 800 feet.
long. with coming tower Is feet
nigh. and mounting one gun. The
raider carried crew of 60 men. ac-
cording TO the survivors. who we're
held aboard the submersible for a
time and later set adrift in dorv. g
While the reports from the COM
mandants of the Smiths island
coast guard station and sixth naval
district clearly indicated their firm
belief that the gas attack on the is
land was deliberate. some officers to-
| night thought there was a possibility
that the submarine had discharged
the oil and gas after being wrecked
on reef.
Attention was called to the fact
that the action of salt water on
electric batteries used by submarines
generates chlorine gas. which is sim
liar to mustard gas in its effect and
is deadly if encountered in closed
space, If the submarine were wreck
ed. it was said this gas would be
generated and would come TO the
surface with the oil which would be
freed
No such possibility. however, was
mentioned in the navy departments
announcement