The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-22
SEARCH FOR SUB
that B0MRARDED
AMERICAN COAST
Submarine Reported Near Bos-
ton Since Saturday.
Sank Barges in Sight of Specta-
tors ON Land.
The U-BOAT GAVE NO WARNING
Wrecking Fleet Is Trying To
Raise the Sunken Boats.
Three Women and Five Chill
dren Were on Board Barges.

dren W ere on BOar0 ,BdrgeS.
Boston, July 22.-An the facilities
at the command of the first naval dis
trict were brought into play today in
| a search of New England waters for
! the German submarine which at
tackled and sank three barges off Cape
| Cod yesterday within view of the
Orleans shore.
| Tho the port of Boston was not
! closed, merchant ships and other up-
! protected craft were warned of the
danger of leaving harbor. The sub
marine was headed south when last
seen yesterday but naval authorities
expressed the opinion that the bvat
might bob up again off the New Eng
! land coast.
! Reports indicated the presence of
| the submarine in this vicinity since
! Saturday. Captain Orrin' Bartlett, of
/ Plymouth, reported that about
/ o'clock Saturday night he sighted the
periscope of submarine four miles
off the port of Plymouth He said
he was in motor boat and close
enough to the periscope positively to
identify it as part of a submersible.
His report placed the submarine
we'll within the Massachusetts, bay.
! Other reports of the presence of the
undersea boat have also been received.
near Orleans was the fact that the
submersible opened fire without warm
ing. In all other cases of reported at
I tacks upon American coastwise boats,
| warning was given.
! Try to Raise Barges.
Orleans, Mass, July 22.-Efforts
were being made today by a; wrecking
fleet to raise the three barges sunk
| by a German submarine off shore near
I here yesterday and salvage a fourth
| barge and the tug Perth Amboy, dam
aged by shell fire from the sub
mersible.
If the barges and the tug can be
saved, the exploit of yesterday win
prove costly bit of business for the
Germans. 1t is estimated that the
three torpedoes launched at the boat
! cost $4,000 apiece. to say nothing of
! the other ammunition expended in the
hour and half's bombardment of the
vessels.
| Captain Charles Ainslee. command
er of the barge, Lansford, who was
wounded in both arms by fragments
of shells. is resting comforta bly,. His
wounds are not serious. Other men,
bers of the crew are none the worse
for their experience.
Sought to Shake American Morale.
! Washington, July 22.-German
! "frightfulness'' in a new form de-
signed to shake the morale of the
American nation was the interpreta-
ton placed by many officials here to-
day on the sudden appearance of a
| German submarine off the Massachu-
setts coast yesterday and the sinking
by shell fire of three bargeS of tow
and the shelling of third barge and
the tug The attack on such small
craft could not be attributed to any
other reason, it was believed, than an
attempt to frighten the American peo-
ple-S
Naval vessels of all kinds were be-
lieved today to be seeking the U-boat
and at the same time keeping a sharp
lookout for mines which it is thought
have been strewn in the steamer lanes
:, by he submarine The unremitting
search for the U-boats, some officials
believe, has led the commanders to
adopt the safer policy of placing mines
=. off the Atlantic coast in hope that
transports may thus be sunk.
orleans, Mass, July 22-An energy
submarine attacked a tow off the
| e~stmost point - Cape Cod Sunday,
sank three barges. set a fourth barge
and a tug on fire and dropped four
shells on the mainland The action
! lasted IN hour and was unchallenged
except from two hydro-airplanes from
the Chatham aviation station. which
circled over the U-boAt, causing her to
s. .erge for only a moment, to re
appear and resume firing.
/ Crews Escas led.
The crews of the tow, numbering
forty-one, and including three women.
and five children, escaped amid the
shell fire in lifeboats. Several were
wounded but only onS seriously. This
happened to be John Botovich. an
Austrian, of the crew of the tug. . His
: right arm near the shoulder was torn
= away by a fragment of shell The
? minor injuries af the others were from
: shell Splinters
! The barges were in tow of the tug
Perth Amboy, owned by the Lehigh
Valley railroad, and were bound from
l Gloucester for New York One, was
! loaded with stone. but the others were
: light, being on their return trip liter
bringing coal to New England.
Attack Without Warning.
/ The attack was without warning
e and only the poor craftsmanship OF
the German gunners permitted the es-
= cape of the crews.
The one-sido fight took place three
= miles south of the orleans coast guard
station, which is located midway be-
S tween Chatham, at the Elbow, and
Highland Light at the extreme tip ol
|. the cape The firing was heard fol
a miles and brought thousands to tbs
s guns and the outline of the U-boa1
f were plainly visible. Possible danger
to the onl1okers was not thought OF
until a she'll whirred over their heads
e and splashed in a pond a mile inland
y Three other shells buried themselve:
4 in the sands of the beach.
e Tie survivors of the tow, with tax
| exception of two injured. were takeE
S to the OrleGns coast guard station
e communication with which under nav,
s regulations. was not permitted. NJ
(Continued on Page Two.I