The sun., 1918-09-16
LINER UNDER FIRE
OF NOISELESS GUNS
Mysterious Raider Attacks
British Ship 80 Miles Off
Sandy Hook.

Five explosive shells dropped harm
lessly around big British steamer
about eighty miles southeast Of Sandy
Hook late Saturday night, coming from
goodness knows where OF what, Ike
phantom messengers OF destruction.
There was no warning Of their advent.
not even that OF sound. The Britisher
locked yesterday at an Atlantic port
with a tale as strange as any hereto
fore recounted Of Germany's warfare at
sea.
Mystery as impenetrable as the fog
screened the raider against possible de-
lection. Yet truth OF the. incideN Is
vouched for by several Canadian Off
GERS who were among the nniety-six
passengers.
Preceding the explosion OF each sh III.
all OF which fell perilously near the
vessel. faint red fash was seen
astern. affording the only clue OF the
origin of the shots. Nothing resembling
a submarine or any sort Of a craft could
be observed through the mist.
Not until a shell came whining over
the starboard bow and fell with a loud
explosion in the sea about 200 feet off
the port side was there any intimation
that an enemy raider was in the vicinity.
Then the lookout reported to the captain.
who was also on the bridge:
"A submarine is pursuing us from the
stern"
let him pursue and be damned" re-
piled the skipper. He nevertheless
promptly altered the course Of the vessel
and warned the armed guard not to at
tempt to return the fire lest the flashes
from the guns give the enemy better
idea Of their location.
As the liner zigzagged through the
fog four more shells dropped near her.
sending spouts of water high into the air
There was no panic aboard With the
exception of the Canadian officers the
passengers had retired and were not
aroused by the attack.
Some OF the officers held the opinion
that the submarine-if submarine II was
was equipped with mortars. which eX-
planned the fact that no shots were
heard others upset this argument by
saying that no fare Is produced when
a mortar releases shell.
It was impossible. because OF the fog.
to gauge the distance of the raider from
the steamship. 1: might have been any
where from a half mile to two miles.
Since the shots were not heard II is as
summed she was a considerable, distance
off. In either case the skipper Is at a
loss to understand how his ship was
sighted unless some portfolio was open.
Soon after the report OF the Britisher $
escape had spread several rumors were
current in marine circles. This Is the
first time within several weeks that any
vessel has been attacked so near the
American coast, and II is predicted that
this is the beginning on this side OF the
Atlantic of desperate efforts on the part
of the Germans to destroy transports.
One OF the rumors had II that the
enemy ship was the fishing schooner re-
Gently captured of the New Englan nd
coast and converted into warship.
This was thought likely explanation
OF the noiseless guns. A submarine has
too little space for any but the heaviest
and longest ranged guns possible for
her to carry.
Submarines have been reported re-
Gently off Diamond Light shoals, and a
few days ago one was said 10 have been
sunk by a merchant ship about 500
miles north Of Sandy Hook. but not since
the submersibles created II sensation by
appearing close to Fire Island has one
been suspected of being so near the
coast as the mysterious craft which
sought to destroy the Britisher Saturday.