The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-04-02

ap, while a tnlrd WrenCneQ tne
from his hand-the skipper of
gunlayer pressed his trigger.
kettles from underneath the very
noses of fast-speeding steamers; often
they scrape through literally by the
skin of their teeth, in some cases
leaving patches of their paint upon
the liners hull to show how narrow
was their escape. What bigger thrills
can human man want than this?
OF different order was the adven-
ture of the crew of another submar-
inc which, working in the North Sea
in fog, suddenly ran into something
hard and unyielding, and moment
later was asked very impolitely in
German where the hades she was run
ming to, and if she had bought the
ocean.
The British lieutenant in command
gasped, and then in precise German
poured forth full and fitting reply,
threatening the trawler-for such was
the ship-with all sorts of fearful pen
aIties for having dared to speak thus
to a submarine. Furthermore he COM
manded the enemy vessel to fling
oversize hawser to make fast his
boat and ladder whereby he might
ascend to her decks.
Ten minutes later the commander
led cutlass-armed and very angry
score of British seamen UP the ladder
to ask very nicely for the Huns sur
render. That thrill ended by the arm
ed trawler, which was also mine
layer, voyaging back to Britain under
her own steam manned by dozen
elated Brltons, and shepherded by the
submarine with the bent nose.
1t was also in a fog that E-ump-
teen found herself high and dry on a
shoal off the Schleswig- HoIstein coast.
She could but wait for the tide to re-
float her, and meanwhile her crew
took the opportunity to secure a
much-needed rest. Came along an enc
my destroyer, who asked her her bust
ness, and unfortunately this submar-
inc commander had no German. But
he had ready wit, and answered that
he had no business there, but if the
destroyer would accommodate his
crew he would willingly surrender
, And surrender he did, though neither
he nor his men gave up their stout
, Webley pistols, which they had con-
= cealed about their persons, to use Ia
ter with such good effect that wher
, they were transhipped in the destroy
, er's boats to the bigger ship the Hur
. was fain to perform the "kamerad'
: stunt in his turn.
Then the destroyer's new command
err kept his captured craft hanging
around till the tide rose, hitched {
hawser to his own submarine, ant
9 towed her off, finally bringing thai
inquisitive Hun bird home with hi:
= own craft in attendance.
v A Marvellous Escape
d But a thrill which even the Sub
i marine Service refers to with bateC
I breath was that experienced by GER
tain officer whose boat, rammed IL
p the bows, suddenly lost all her stabil
ity, and fell headlong to the sea bee
: with all her crew. Though only dam
y aged across the torpedo tubes, ant
. though the water was pouring int
her but slowly she refused to rise, ant
her crew knew that unless they NOV
ed exceedingly smartly they mus
n shortly die from suffocation or drown
4" ing.
It on their life-saving helmets, then
Is flooding the boat with compressed ali
n he shot them one by one in a giganti
q bubble to the surface. At last all ha
n gone and only he remained-remaine
= without any means of getting to tn
q surface. He was in despair, put he ma
l. strong objections to dying in such
a tame fashion when there was s
10 he
q the world-when the first real war o
. centuries was being waged. So h
b. made a great fight for life.
II He emptied every compressed al
IT flask in the boat, but failed to ge
IS pressure enough to work the con
t ming tower door, When he tried tn
in hand gear a defect in the lever mani
- tested itself, and it snapped off lik
rotten carrot nhis hands. Then h
took the great resolve-to stake a
. on a last cast of the dice. He woul
u let the sea water into the boat NOR
rapidly knowing that as the water &c
higher and higher in the hull tn
40 air above it would become sufficient
" ly compressed to enable him to ope
nj the torpedo hatch, which would kee
IN the pressure of the sea at bay till h
mt could get out.
Tx Minute after minute he stood Their
m with the water rising, slowly risin
On to his ankles, his knees, his waist, h
ng chest, hisc hin. He decided that
had got sufficient pressure, and mad
his first attempt to open the hatcl
1t gave only three inches, and almo
lie. all his precious air escaped in usele'
bubbles.
1t was enough to make anyone civ
up-but not our commander. Agai
he waited-waited with the compress
ed air scorching his 1ungs-with tie
or thousand little red devils hammerir
at his head and his heart beating Ill
q. great steam pump. Now he had
." climb on the top of his control sto
re to keep his head above water-thel
GU were only six inches of space betwee
Die the surface of the water and the ro
ys of the boat.