Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-08-17
GAS ATTACK MADE BY ROCHE
U-ROAT ON COAST GUARDS
Six Men Overcome II Lighthouse sta
ton on Smith Island, N. G.


Washington, August 12.--Gas
from Oil discharged on tho water by
the German submarine operating off
the Middle Atlantic coast, overcamc
six men In the coast guard station
and lighthouse on Smiths Island, N.
c., Saturday evening, the Navy De-
partment was advised today by the
commandant of the Sixth Naval Dis
trict.
If the gas attack were deliberate
and most officials believed that it
vast constituted new and in
gcnious form Of "frightfulness" and,
so far as has been reported, was tho
first direct effort of the German raid
crs to harm persons or property OH
American shores.
The gas was said by tho command
ant OF the coast guard station to
have much the same effect as the
mustard gas used by the Germans on
tho western front. The men were
laid out for more than half an hour,
but apparently suffered no serious
aftcr-effccts.
DESTROYER DISCHARGED SEVEN.
..... TEEN DEPTH BOMBS
The dispatch relating the gas at
tack was ono Of Il series concerning
German submarine warfare off the
Atlantic coast received during the
day by the Navy Department. One
told OF an attack on Il submarine
100 miles cast Of the Virginia coast
, by an American destroyer, which dis.
charged seventeen depth charges
where the raider was seen to sub.
merge. The result Of the attack was
not determined, 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.
The British steamer Pcnistonc, OF
4,139 gross tons was torpedoed 100
/ miles cast of Nantucket lightship
yesterday morning and the Swedish
steamer Sydland, OF 3,031 gross tons,
was sunk by bombs August 3, 100
miles south OF Nantucket. An Amer
, lean schooner, whose identity has
not been established, was DESTROYED
by guniiro yesterday 200 miles east
! of New York. All members OF the
crew OF the Sydland were reported
! saved. but the nayy's dispatches did
: not clear up the fate Of the crews Of
the Otncr vessels.
The Pcnistone and the unidcnti-
fled schooner were sent down in tho
: vicinity Of Georges Bank, of the
Massachusetts coast, where n sub
marine came to the surface Sunday
; in the midst OF Il fleet Of American
; fishing vessels, nine Of which werc
destroyed.
SURVIVORS OF KATIE PALMER
>. LANDED AT NEW BEDFORD .
Still another dispatch said that
-FOUR survivors Of the fishing schoon-
or Katie Palmer landed at New Bed
ford, Mass, reported that they had
been taken aboard the submarine,
the commander OF which boosted
that he was equipped to remain in
American waters for six months if
he desired.
While the reports from the COM
! mandants Of the Smiths Island coast
guard station and Sixth naval dis
trict clearly indicated their firm be-
lief that the gas attack on the island
was deliberate, some officers tonight
thought there was possibility that
the submarine had discharged the oil
and gas after being wrecked on q
reef.
Attention was called to the fact
that the action OF salt water on cleo
rite batteries used by submarines gen
crates chlorine gas, which is similar
OF mustard gas in it's effect, and is
deadly if encountered in closed
space. If the submarine was wreck
ed, it was said, this gas would be
,H.,nf nI N.,I H..
surface with the oil, which would be
freed.
No such possibility, however, was
mentioned in the Navy Departments
announcement, which said:
"Tho Navy Department has receiv-
cd a dispatch from the commandant
Of the Sixth naval district, Charles
ton, S. c., stating that an attack
with gas was attempted on the North
Carolina coast about o'clock SAT-
urday afternoon, with the result Of
temporarily putting out of business
the coast guard station and light
house personnel The report con-
tinues:
about forty minutes after the
attack three large oil spots, each
over one acre in extent. were OBJ
served passing by Smith Island to
the north. This oil, from which the
gas was no doubt generated, must
have been released from subma-
rlne in the vicinity of the entrance
to the channel with the hope that it
would come in with the tide, but the
tide fortunately set along the island.
EFFECTS OF GAS FELT ABOUT
FORTY MINUTES
Report was made to Colonel
Chase, coast artillery corps, Fort
CasWell, N. c., by Captain Willard,
\ OF the Smith Island coast guard, af-
ter the effects Of the gas were noted.
Six mon were gassed. No deaths.
The gas had the effect Of mustard
gas, and was effective about thirty
\ six or forty minutes. Color of the
gas has not yet been ascertaned and
its effect on trees and shrubbcry not
Byet determined. Entire case will be