The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-08-13

The Ens was said by the conn
 mandant of the coast guard station
 to have much the same effect m
 the mustard gns used by the Ger
 mans on the western front. The
 men were laid out for more thnn
 m hour. hut apparently suffered
 no serious after effects.
 The dispatch relating to the gas
 attack was one, of the series com
 corning German submarine warfare
 off the Atlantic coast received dur-
 ing the dny by the navy depart-
 ment. One told of nm attack on .
 submarine 100 miles cast of tho
 Virginia coast by an American de-
 stroyer, which discharged IF
 depth charges where the raider
 was seen to submerge. The result
 of the attack was not determined,
 but after oil had appeared on the
 surface, two bombs were dropped
 on the spot and the submarine was
 not seen again.
 Sinking of the British steamer Penis tone of 41@ gross tons and the Swedish steamer Sydland of 2031 gross tons in New England waters near where 10 fish ing smacks were destroyed Sunday also was reported to the navy department during the day. The former was tor pedoed Sunday with the fate of her crew still undetermined. while the latter was destroyed by bombs August s, and her crew later rescued by passing ships.
 FOUR SURVIVORS LAND Still another dispat1n said four sur
 
 mer landed at New Bedford, Mass, re- ported they had been taken aboard the submarine, the commander of which boasted that he was equipped to re- ] main in American waters for six months if he desired.
 The submarine described by the men as being about 800 feet long, with a coming tower 15 feet high, and mount 1 ing one gun. The raider carried a crew /, of 60 men, according to the survivors. {, who were held aboard the submersble l! for a time and later set adrift in \ ]! dory.
 While the reports from the comman- dants of the Smitifs Island coast guard station and sixth naval district clearly !! indicated their firm belief the gas at- tack on the island was deliberate, some officers tonight thought there was a pos l sibility that the submarine had dis charged the oil and gas after being wrecked on a reef.
 l Attention was called to the fact that the i action of salt water on electric batteries used by submarines generates chlorine l gas, which is similar to mustard gas in i it's effect and is deadly if encountered 1 in a closed space. If the submarine were wrecked, it w.. said, this gas would be generated and would come to the surface with the oil which would be freed
 OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT No such possibility, however was men toned in The navy de.,artment's an sl nouncement, which said
 The navy department has received a dispatch from the commandant of the Sixth naval district. Charleston, S C.. lstating that an attack with gas was tattempted 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 goes on to say.
 F "4.About 40 minutes after the at tack three large oil spots, each over one acre in extent, were observed pass ling by smith Island to the north. This loil from which the gas was no doubt generated, must have been released l from d 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 lisland.
 "tReport was made to Colonel Chase. 4 coast artillery corps. Fort Casweli. 4 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. The gases had the effect of mustard gas and was effec- tive about 36 to 41 minutes. color U, the gas has not yet been ascertained and it's effect on trees and shrubbery not yet determined. The entire matt ter will be investigated and report
 The cident was reported by Colo mel Chase to the naval district com imandant smiths Island is off the mouth of the Cape Fear river neaD the entrance of the channel to Will mington. N. C."
 \ OFFICIALS PUZZLED
 Assuming that the attack on the island was deliberate, officials plainly were pug zled-' asi to it's purpose. The only explana- ticn was that the submarine commander sought to put the lighthouse out of con- mission with the attendant danger 10 passing ships. If that xere the purpose, however. officials could not understand why the commander did not destroy tha lighthouse with his guns On the basis or reports recelved con- [cerning the attack on tho submarine or the Virginia coast. officials would not venture an opinion as to the possibility a that the U-boat was destroyed The time of the attack was not given in tho dispatch. and consequently it was not known whether 1t was before or after the gassing of the men on Smiths Island, The attack may have occurred Sunday I and been reported by radio. but the more generally accepted belief was that lit took place several days ago, anI since there was no conclusive proof of destruction of the enemy. the destroyer waited until returning to it's base before