The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-13
U-B0ATS USING
A DEADLY GAS
ON U.S.C COAST
Set Adrift Three. Floats
Emitting Fumes Along
North Carolina Shore.
SIX PERSONS OVERCOME
Two Steamers Sunk OFF Nan
tucket and Schooner 200 ,
Miles From n. Y.
SIX PERSONS OVERCOME

WASHINGTON. Aug. 12.--Gsrman sub
marines which are operating of the At
lantic shore Of the United States added
marine gas attack yesterday to their
list Of sinkinge, and six men who formed
part OF ths guard at the Coast Guard
station and light of the North Carolina
coast on Smith Island are suffering from
tho same brand or gaseous. frightfuiness
that has been found by the men. facing
the Germans in the trenches.
In addition to the nine fishing vessels
reported sunk in north Atlantic waters
Saturday and Sunday. these develop
ments were recorded by the Navy De-
partment to-day:
Three acres Of gas emitting oil were
launched from submarines of Smith ISL
and. The six. men caught BY the fumes
will recover. and no other attack was
made at that point.
.'t Evidence Not Conclusive.
A submarine appeared OF the Virginia
coast and seventeen depth bombs were
fired in her vicinity by = destroyer. OIL
, appeared on the water but the Depart
| nent does not accept the evidence as con-
elusive Of hsr sinking. @sat g,
Three vssssls were sunk-tws stsan-
ships and a sch9oner-in north Atlantic
wattfs. Ths steamships we're sum- fSu
miles southeast of Nantucket and the
schooner 900 mites east of New York.
1t is believed that nearly all. II not the
total, OF the ships companies. have been
saved.
This Navy Depa rtment believes that
the submarine work Is part Of sys-
| tematic campaign that has been started
by the German Admiralty on this side
Of the water.
The most novel feature of the attacks
lies in the use OF gas against the station
on Smith Island So far as anybody
knows this Is the first time that an un-
| dersea boat has tried that method Of at
tack on a coast hostile to Germany. A
friendly tide upon which the Germans re-
lied to watt the poison toward its In
tended victims ran around the shore and
prevented the full force of the attack
from reaching its object.
ss, Three OIL Floats.
AS II was. three separate oil floats
| each charged with poisonous gas that
resembled the mustard gas used on the
| western front. were set adrift from the
! U-boat. Each Of the floats was as large
| as an acre of ground, and for forty min
utes 1t held its strength. The oficial
report OF this novel departure FROM Ger
man submarine methods was issued by
the Navy Department as follows:
| The Navy Department has received
a despatch from the commaudant OF the
| Sixth Naval District. Charleston. S. C.
stating that an attack WITH. Sas was
attempted on the North Carolina coast
! about 5 o'clock Saturday afternoon with
the result OF temporarily putting Our
| Of business the coast guard station and
| lighthouse personnel The report goes
| on to say:
About forty minutes after the at
| tack three large oil spots, each over
one acre in extent, were observed pass
ing by Smith Island to the north. This
Oil. from which the gas was no doubt
generated, must have Geen released
from a submarine in the vicinity OF the
entrance TO the channel with the hops
that 1t would come in with the tide
but the tide fortunately set along thu
| island. -
| ".Report was made to Col. Chase
coas, Artillery corps. Fort CaswelI
Se-.t c.,o,,n. ~, Can, w,uora a, th.
Smith Island Coast Guard after the ef
fects of the gas were noted. Six mer
were gassed. No deaths. The gas hat
the effect of mustard gas and was effec
tive for about thirty or forty minutes
D -