Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1918-07-24
SUBMARINE OFF CAPE COD.
Sank Three Barges, Set Fire to the
Fourth and Tug-Shells midland.

Orleans, Mass, July 21.-An ene-
my submarine attacked tow off the
eastermost point Of Cape Cod to-day,
sank three barges, set a fourth and
their tug on fire and dropped four
shells on the mainland. The action
lasted an hour and was unchallenged
except for two hydroplanes, which
circled over the U-boat, causing her
to submerge for only moment to re-
appear and resume firing.
The crew Of the tow, numbering Al
and including three women and five
children, escaped amid the shell fire
in life boats. Several were wounded.
but only one seriously. John Boto-
vich, an Austrian, OF the crew Of the
tug, had his right arm near the shoul-
der torn away by fragment Of shell.
The minor injuries Of the others were
from shell splinters.
The barges were in tow of the tug
Perth Amboy, and were bound from
Gloucester for New York. One was
loaded with stone, but the others
were light, being on their return trip
after bringing coal to New England.
The attack was without warning, and
only he poor craftsmanship of the
German gunners permitted the escape
Of the crews.
Thousands on Shore.
The one-sided fight took place
three miles south of the Orleans
coastguard station, which Is located
midway between Chatham, at the ell
bow, and Highland light and the ex-
treme tip on the cape. The firing
was heard for miles and brought
thousands to the beach, from which
the flashes OF the guns and the out
line Of the U-boat were plainly visi-
BILE. Possible danger to the onlook-
ers was not thought of until shell
whiZzed over their heads and splash
ed in pond mile inland. Three
other shells buried themselves in the
sand Of the beach.
The Perth Amboy with her four
Darges In line was putting along leis-
urely just off the shoals, two miles
from shore at II o'clock this morn
ing when the U-Doat of an estimated
length Of 400 feet rose suddenly one
mile seaward and trained her guns
on the tow. A moment later, and
without warning to the crew, a shell
struck the second barge amidships.
The empty craft doubled up and sank
so quickly that her crew barely had
time to lower and enter their small
boat. Capt. }. Fl. Tapley, Of the tug,
had sounded his whistles as soon as
the U-boat was sighted and ordered
the barges abandoned. The first shot
was followed by rain of shells that
dropped on and all about the Perth
Amboy and her barges. A lucky shot
next sank the last barge. Meanwhile.
hits on the tug had set her afire, but
she stood by her barges to the finish.
The third barge in the line, the
smallest OF all, proved a hard mark
and the German gunners occupied
half an hour in disposing of her.
BY this time the firing had alarm
ed the whole cape and cries for as
sistance were sent broadcast. NO
American warships, however, ap-
peared to be in the vicinity and the
exhibition Of German gunnery went
on methodically. Then two hydro
airplanes rose from the station at
Chatham and flying low darted to-
ward the enemy as though to attack.
1t could not be seen that they drop
ped any bombs. but the Germans evi-
IDENTIFY anticipated an attack from the
air, for they stopped firing and ele-
Vated their guns against the hydro
alrplanes. They did not fire, how
ever, and q moment later submerged.
ct has developed that the hydro-air-
planes did drop bombs, but they did
not explode. An investigation will
be made).
The planes circled about where the
enemy was last seen and then turned
noses toward their station. Scarcely
had they reached shore when the
u-boat reappeared and resumed her