New-York tribune., 1918-07-22
Sa1yu.uors ira Boston
Tell Thrilling Tale
OF U-Boat Attack
Especial Dispatch to Tho Tribuney

BOSTON, July 1.-John Botovich
and others of the crews Of the barges
and tug attacked by U-boat off Or
by train shortly after 10 o'clock to-
night. Botovich, who is an Austrian
by birth, was the worst injured. His
arm was nvarly severed by a piece of
shell. lie was so weak from pain and
loss of blood when he reached here
that he was barely conscious. He was
hurried to tfe Massachusetts General
Hosp tai. There it was said there was
practically no chance to save the arm.
Passengers on the train that brought
the survivors up from Cape Cod said
hat VIII lie their train was passing We'll
fleet, few hours after the shelling
took place, they saw two submarines a
short distance from the shore. They
were entirely on the surface and were
so close to the shore that members of
their crews could be made out stand
ing on their decks
Some of the passengers said the men
on the vessels acted leisurely, and part
OF them were smoking
botovich >was aboard the tug Perth
Anboy, He said:
81 was standing in the pilot house
when t submarine opened fire SO
Tar Tar as | know no one on the tug saw
her until she hurled her first she'll. A
shell came into the pilot house and
assed through it. 1t made a Big crash.
Inc next ing | know I was being
placed on the deck"
Hit While at Wheel
Botovich admitted he was so con
bo Il I. L ~.
h s was the first shell hrdd. He said
the she'll broke in as his hands cripped
the whee. 1t was his right arm that
Vas struck
THE fog was thick outside" Boto-
vich said, Il guess was knocked un-
conscious. but they told me many
shel were fred
William Francis Ireland. of Los An
eeles, native of Cape Cod, was an
eye witness of the attack
81 was walking down the main street
OF New Orleans when I heard a loud
report seaward. Like many others, |
hurried TO the waters edge.
The submarine was quite plainly
visible. 1t was less than three miles
from shore and was fully on the sur
face. Its guns hared continually as it
hurled shells at the TUT and barges.
We saw the pilot house shattered and
a moment Later the tug burst in
flames. Those on board put off in a
small boat and came to shore as the
shells flew about thom"
Ireland SAID he fell to counting tn,
shots and that in the neighborhood of
II ~ hive were fired. Others said the
nun Der was sixty or more
Botovich. ct the hospital, said one of
tn" dockhands on the tug named Bill
had been ia king with HIM earlier in
he day and IN a jocular vein had re-
marked it would be fine day for a
visit from U-boat and he nooed he
would see one. Botovtch said Bill was
so mad during the attack that he an
peared on the VERGE of swimming out
20 the undcrsea craft to fight his as
sallants He further declared he was
gong to the nearest recruiting station
and enlist. according to Botovich.
Captain Ainsley's Story
Captain Charles Ainslev receivad 4
shrapnel wounds in both forearms. He
said:
I'VE were moving with our tow south
a'ong the edge of thick fog bank. /
first noticed the U-boat when saw
water bubbling up outside US to the
east Then the submarine rose and i'm
medlateiy there came the first report.
The submarine nosed out of the fog
bank only short distance off, not more
than half a mile 1t swunc aronnd
leng llwise, and then the shots came
thick and fast. One of The shots went
through the letter H in the word Le
high on : the towboat's funnel. That
was the shot, think that set our boat
atire. When the first shots were fired.
my son Jack ran down into the cabin
and returned with his American flag
and an o d Springfield rife. He was
tu of fight. but outclassed He fired,
but ! guess he did not do any damage.
When he waved the flag a them de-
hantly, and kept it up until I ordered
HIM to get down and not expose himself
until necessary, which he finally did
very unwil llingly."
Captain Ains.ey said the submarine
appeared to be in pursuit Of sailing
vessel in the d rection Of Nantucket
when he saw it last. He believed the
submarine did not attempt to sink the
sma boats in which the victims made