The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1918-10-17

you can never have too many handy
boys with the guns and he was very
anxious for me TO get all I could. I
had no way OF reaching the er-garbies
I did know, so I had to pass up this
opportunity to recruit BY mail.
While we were In Brest I got per-
mission to 60 aboard a submarine
and petty officer showed me around.
This was the first time I was In the
Interior OF a sub and told the officer
that would like to take a 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
him for a while. md he said he
would take me on their practice
/ cruise two days later II the Old Man
give me written permission.
SO I hot-footed II back to the Cas-
sard and while did not promise that
I would get any American gunners for
him In exchange for the written per
mission. he was free to think that II
he wanted to. II seems as though he
did take It that way. for he gave me
n note to the sub commander and sent
him another note by messenger.
wanted Murray to go too, but the Old
Man said one was enough.
So, two days later, 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 suuatted down on the deck beneath
the structure.
Then the gas engines started up
and made IN awful racket and shook
the old tub from stem to stern. 1
could tell that we had cut loose from
the dock and we're moving, After a
while they shut Off the gas engines
to submerge. When we were all the
way under 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. l do not know how
many fathoms down II was, but 1t was
farther than any commander would
take a sub If he could help II. This
garby said they could hear the plates
cracking and It was a wonder that
they did not crumple up from the
pressure, but she weathered 1t, 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'
corted 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 al
you could hear was the knocking OF
the detonated guncotton.
About FIVE minutes later they sight
ed five destroy ers, two on each bow
and one dead ahead. The sub steerec
in Mt 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 som'
of the lucky ones that came dowT
from the North sea. The CARLY SAID
he thought they were off the Dutcl
coast at the time, but he was no
sure.
But this cruise that was on wa
only a practice cruise and we did no
meet with any excitement in the shor
time that we were out.