Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-13
GAS ATTACK MADE
BY B0CHE U-BOAT
ON COAST GUARDS
Six Men Overcome at Light
house Station on Smith
Island, N. G..
AMERICAN DESTROYER SINKS
SUBMARINE 100 MILES OUT
Oil Appears on Surface After
Warship Drops Depth
Bombs.
TWO STEAMERS SENT TO BOTTOM
Poison Fumes Which Overcamc Men
Believed to BE of Mus
tard Variety.
AMERICAN DESTROYER SINKS
SUBMARINE 100 MILES OUT
TWO STEAMERS SENT TO BOTTOM
lBy Associated Press.

WASHINGTON. August l2.-Gas
from oil discharged on the water BY
the German submarine operating off
me Middle Atlantic coast. overcame
six men in the coast guard station AMI
lighthouse on Smiths Island. -. C.,
Saturday evening. the Navy Depart
ment was advised to-day by the com
inandapt Of the Sixth Naval District.
IL the gas attack were deliberate
and most officials believed that II was
1T constituted Il new and ingenious
form OF "frightfulness" and, so far AS
has been reported. was the first direct
effort OF the German raiders 10 harm
persons or property on American
shores.
The gas was said by the commandant
Of the coast guard station to have
much the same effect as the mustard
gas used by the Germans on the western
front. The men were laid out for more
than half an hour. but apparently suf-
Tered no serious af;er-cfrccts.
DESTROYER DISCHARGED
SEVENTEEN DEPTH BOMBS
The dispatch relating the gas at
tack was one of series concerning
German submarine warfare off the Al
lantic coast received during the dag
by the Navy Department One told OF
an attack on submarine 100 miles
east OF the Virginia coast by an Amer
lean destroyer, which discharged sew
enteen depth charges where the raider
was seen to submcrge. The result OF
the attack was not determined but
after oil had appeared on the surface
OF the wator. two bombs were dropped
4
seen again.
The British steamer Penistone or
4,las gross tons was torpcdoed 100
mile. east OF Nantucket lightsh'p yea
terday morning and the Swedish
was sunk by bombs August 2. 100
American schooner. whose identity has
not been established. was destroyed by
kunfire yesterday zoo miles east OF New
York All members Of the crew Of the
Sydland were reported saved. but the
navy's dispatches did not clea- up the
fate OF the crews OF the other vessels.
The Penistone and the unidentified
schooner were sent down in the vicin-
ity Of Georges Bank. off the Massachu-
setts coast, where submarine came
TO tho surface Sunday in the midst
Of fleet of American fishing vessels,
nine OF which were destroyed.
SURVIVORS OF KATIE PALMER
LANDED AT NEW BEDFORD
Still another dispatch said that four
survivors OF the fishing schooner Katie
Palmer landed at New Bedford. Mass.
reported that they had been taken
aboard the submarine, the commander
OF which boasted that he was equipped
10 remain In American waters for six
months II he desired.
While the reports from the command
ants of the Smiths Island coast guard
station and Sixth naval district clearly
indicated their firm belief that the gas
attack on the island was deliberate.
some officers tonight thought there
was possibility that the submarine had
discharged tho oil and gas after being
wrecked on a reef.
Attention was called to the fact that
the action Of salt water on electric
batteries used by submarines gen
crates chlorine gas, which is similar to
mustard gas in its effect. and is deadly
II encountered in a closed space. II
the submarine was wrecked, 1t was
said. this gas would be generated and
would come to the surface with the
oil, which would be freed.
No such possibility. however. was
mentioned in the Navy Departments
announcement, which said:
The Navy Department has received
A dispatch from the commandant of the
Sixth naval district, Charleston. S. c..
stating that an attack with gas was
attempted on the North Carolina coast
about o'clock Saturday afternoon.
with the result Of temporarily putting
out of business the coast guard station
and lighthouse personnel The report
continues:
"'About forty minutes after the at
tack three large oil spots. each over
one acre In extent, were observed
passing by Smith Island to the north.
This OIL from which the gas was no
doubt generated. must have been re-
leased from a submarine 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. after the effects of
the gas were noted. Six men were
gassed. No deaths. Tho gas had the
effect of mustard gas. and was effec-
tive about thirty-six or forty minutes.
Color of the gas has not yet been as
certained and it's effect on trees and
shrubbery not yet determined. Entire
CONTINUED on Second Page.)