Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-05-22
"Submarlne on the port bow half 4

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some thirty yards from the submarine,
passing clean over her deck, which
was but few feet above the surface.
The submarine dived. 1t was prob
able that she had been taken by sur
prise, but must have got the bearings
Of the Nautilus. Within two or three
a torpedo came through the
water few feet beneath the surface.
1t would have struck the ship in the
stern had not Captain Clifford given an
order to put the helm hard down,
which was turning the ship to sail In
q circle about the submarine This
had moved the stern away from the
line of the torpedo.
Captain Clifford, having moved from
the position he was In when the sub
marine had him sighted, believed that
it would be necessary for it to rise
again before she could locate his ship.
He kept his course till he had COM
pleted semicircle, when the periscope
of his enemy appeared about 1000
yards dead ahead. The marksman at
the bow gun was very quick In sending
shot at her. Whether the shot hit
her or not was problematical, for in
stead of completing rise to the sur
face she went under.
Captain Clifford concluded that If she
had not been disabled she would send
another torpedo to him or rise to get
a better sight of his location. He con-
cluded that it would be safer to keep
right on his course toward her. II he
turned he must expose a broadside,
whereas by heading for her he would
expose only his narrow bow and might
have an opportunity to ram her. A
ripple in the water a cables length
from the ship on the starboard side
and running parallel with it indicated
that the enemy had risked a shot, but
had gone wide Of the mark.
The Nautilus kept on her course on
a guess that she was making for the
submarine, the bow gunner ready to
send shot the moment the periscope
of the enemy showed itself. 1t did
not show itself, however, till the Nau-
titus was within few yards Of it.
There was a bump, and those on the
bow Of the Nautilus saw q sharklike
body roll on its side, turn turtle and
disappear.
A shout went up from the Nautilus
crew, for all knew that they and their
ship were saved. In the ships wake
the surface of the water was covered
with oil, indicating that the submarine
would no longer trouble them.
However, being still on the verge of
the danger zone, Captain Clifford kept
strict watch during the day, and
when night fell the Nautilus mingled
with the gloom, not light being seen
on her.
When Captain Clifford passed to safe
sailing his mind naturally reverted to
his waking in the night and his warm
ing vision. Since the warning had un-
doubtedly saved his ship and it's crew
he could not consider it nightmare
or dream. His wife's face and fig
ure, look of terror in her eyes, were
vivid, while her warning words still
sounded in his ears. At the same time
the captain was not naturally disposed
to refer the matter to any cause except
his own presentiment. He finally settled
down to this view, believing the pres
ence Of the submarine near his ship
and his dream, or whatever it was.
condolences.
When the captain reached home he
found his wife's nerves much broken
down, so much so that he did not for
a time refer to his narrow escape. He
asked her why she had worried her
self into 50 deplorable a condition, and
she replied that one night she was
seized with a foreboding that sub
marine was lurking near the Nautilus
and as soon as dawn appeared would
undoubtedly attack the vessel. An
overweening desire seized her to warn
her husband. She then passed into a
trance. She seemed to be flying over
the ocean at night, reached the Nau-
illus. saw the drowsy gunners and
passed down into her husbands cabin.
where she warned him of his danger.
When she awoke in the morning her
nerves were unhinged and had remain
I'D SO ever since.
This information staggered the cap
tain's rational view of his warning.
That he had produced it by anxiety,
that his wife should have produced
the complement Of his part in the
matter also by anxiety, did not seem
to fulfill the conditions of a warning
dream or autosuggestion. Furthermore,
the warning proved to have been need
ed. Without it the Nautilus would
doubtless have been sunk by the sub
marine.
When Mrs. Clifford recovered her
health her husband told her his part
Of the story. Since then there are two
opinions Of the matter in the Clifford
family Captain Clifford attributes the
warning to autosuggestion and coinci-
dence. His wife believes that she was
endowed with power to know of his
danger and to 60 and warn him. Both
have their adherents.
But, granting this, how did she go?
Surely it will not be admitted that her
body was transported over several
thousand miles, and that without her
being conscious of it. But the soul!
If it is soul it is not material. And
why should not a soul move as well
as wireless electricity?
WHFA1l ESc RlccIuTc