Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-06-07
SUBMARINE SINKS
BRITISH SHIP OFF
VIRGINIA CAPES
Steamer Harpathian Four
teenth Vessel Lost in At
lantic Coast Raids.
CAPTAIN OWEN AND CREW
LANDED AT OLD POINT
Master Declares Hun Raider
Used Torpedo on
His Craft.
MEN BATTLE WITH THE SEA
Federal Officials Now OF Opinion
U-Boats Arc Waiting for
Much Bigger Prey.
CAPTAIN OWEN AND CREW
LANDED AT OLD POINT
MEN BATTLE WITH THE SEA
fRv Associated pr.ul


the British steamship Harpathian loo
miles off the Virginia capes at 2
o'clock yesterday morning wss an
nounced to-niEh, at the Navy Depart
mcnt. The entire crew was rescued
by the steamer Palmer, which arrived
late TO day in Chesapeake Bay
The submarine used a torpedo. One
member OF the British crew wcs in
jured. Tho Harpathian was a freight.
or Of $500 net tons
Only meager details had rcac ched the
department late tonight. The slip
went down In seven or eight minutes.
and u IS regarded as probable that.
unlike other vessels attacked oT the
American coast, she was struck with
out warning.
All British steamers plying through
the war zone are armed. but no men
'ion Of an armed guard was made In
the navy reports
The submarines operating on the
coast had not previously been heard
from since the Norwegian steainc, E;ds-
fo!d was sent down at 3 oclocl. Tues
day afternoon some forty miles Of
the Virginia capes. The Ha-parthian
was sunk about sixty miles further
ou, TO sea. indicating that tho un6er-
water craft had gone further into :ho
atlantic 10 escape patrol boats
The raiders apparently were opcr,t-
ing in comparatively small area
uesc3y and Wednesday,. The Frc-ch
steamer Radioleinc was attacked off
Ma'Eland early Tuesday morning. and
about the same time the schooner I'D
ward r. Baird Jr., was suuE ne,r
INC capes. the raiders having esca,ed
southward through the patrol nae.r
"AF" IN TRAVEL LANE
FOR MUCH LARGER PREY
the fact that the submarines are
braNinS the dangers from the pat,o,s
"h'ch are converGing around the area
o' operations, leads officials to believe
Nat 'Ec raiders are waiting for much
nlEGer prey than they have yet found
me pace where they have operated
most recently Is In the Jane Of travel
'p """ Gown the coast. and through IL
must pass much OF the important ship
ping going in and out OF The Nir-inia
capes.
The sinking OF the Harpathian brings
the total OF vessels known ~ 80
been sent down on this side of Tho 4.
iantic by the raiders TO fourteen-six
steamers and eight schooners. All the
vessels were American exccpt the Eids
void and Harpathian
CAPTAIN AND CREW ARE
LANDED AT OLD POINT,
a telegram received ,o-nish, from
Newport News tells OF the landing NJ
Captain Owen and his crew at Old
Point. Later they were taken to New
port News in charge OF custom Of
heiais. where quarters are being
provided for them
Ine ships master declares he is GER
tain his ship was torpedoed I'VE ha
!ittie chance for our lives" said Can
tain owen as he stepped upon the dock.
and We barely made the lifcboats in
time"
one OF the survivors said that Can
tain Owen and his crew had been adrif,
in the open sea for twenty-six hours
without food or water
The men state that they did not see
the C-boat until their ship had gone
down and they were in the lifehoats
The commander of the submarine ,hep
called the lifeboats TO the underwater
craft. which popped up on the surface
nearby and gave them water and
American tobacco. The crew describe
s'he German commander as gentle
manly murderer who after he had
did all he could to make the survivors
comfortable.
Two Of the Harpathian's men wers
injured. one rather seriously and the
other slightly Another Is suffering
from rheumatism as the result of ex-
posture in the open beat
I'VE did not know that there wac .
U-boat in miles of us" one of them
said. although we had been warned
by wireless. Suddenly the shin ouiv-
cred from stem TO stern and SLOWLY
began to settle I'm the water The can.
tanned ordered all hands to tho life
boats. The Harpathian was struck In
vital spot. for she sank in less than
eight minutes after being hit"
Members of the crew declared tha,
the submarine which sank the steamer
was one Of the largest they have ever
seen. considerably over 200 feet in
length She was heavily armed. and
appeared capable of putting UP stiff
fight against destroyer or other small
war craft.
BELIEVES U-BOATS ARE
AFTER OIL-LADIIN SHIPS
That one of the fleet of German sub
marines raiding the Atlantic coast
chased a vessel at sea off Frying Pan
Lightship Monday afternoon, is the
statement Of the captain of one Of the
vessels which put into an Atlantic port
early in the week to escape the sub
marines. The vessel had received the
alarm and had changed it's course, when
a. wireless was picked up to the effect
that vessel was being chased by a
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