The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-19

%,i3$S E 42
whole crew displayed a most commendable spirit
during the battle"
This is precisely as 1t should be, bluejackets and
merchant seamen standing together, fighting the
enemy as one intrepid American crew, and the
Stars and Stripes hoisted at the first shot by order
Of the skipper. Chief Gunner Clark had the honor
to report to the navy department:
"As the submarine displayed no flag and was
coming nearer, we fired a shot. The submarine,
which was then about 1000 yards away, replied
Immediately with what seemed to me, ON account
of the range, a six-inch gun. Her first shot fell
amidships about 100 yards short. We changed
our course due west, increasing speed. The sub
marine followed us, keeping up fire. The fight
lasted from 6 o'clock until abouY Z 80 p. m. We
fired 20 shots. The submarine fired over 80, in
Guiding some ~shrapnel toward the end. which ex-
ploded astern of our ship too high to do any dam
age.
"Our last two shells seem to have hit the sub
marine in the forward part. A few seconds later
her bow jumped up, and she went down, stern
upward at an angle of about 40 degrees. The sub
marine did not come up again, and 1 believe it was
sunk then and there. No damage was done to cur
ship, and there were no casualties"
The steamer was still within effective range of
the big guns of the submarine, which could have
had no other reason than a sudden attack of acute
iAhhSSS Ah dliAslllI III lhS ~ upl muuutE. L
seems fairly conclusive that a shell blew her part
ly out of water, and then she went lunuing and
laundering into the depths. The steamer did not
stop to search for traces of the disaster, but SEN
sibly continued along on her course. Tankers
filed with millions of gallons of gasoline do not
linger in the var zone.
The American passenger liners, maintaining
their service almost as regularly as In time of
peace, would naturally run the gantlet much often
er than the same number of cargo boats. They
sail on an express schedule and spend little time
in port. 1t is no secret that they are fast and well
armed, able to whip a ubmarlne in q fight with
guns. The deadly torpedo is another matter, but
speed has so far been a saving factor. 1t is what
the gunners on board call "the sporty life" nor
can 1t be to people with nervous sys-
TENS as a restful vocation. For example, one of
these liners, during the first six months of war,
made only one perfectly tame and routine voyage.
During all ner other trips across there were fights
with submarines or escapes from torpedoes.
Extracts from the navy departments reports of
these steamers may be chosen almost at random
as interesting reading with a thrill in 1t. These
are fair samples of what 1t means to make the
Atlantic voyage, which is no longer a common
place, soothing ocean ferry"
1.-The lookout in the lower crows nest, a cox
swain of the naval guard, picked up an oil slick
ahead, which veered off to port at right angles to
the ships course. Following the slick, which was
about the width of a ship, he suddenly saw the
periscope of a submarine appear at the end of II.
about one foot out of the water. He instantly
sung out, Periscope,' and the next moment, Tor
pedo,' for the submarine had been exposed scarcely
more than a second when she fired a torpedo. The
enemy was then about 300 yards from the ship
and three-fourths point forward of the beam.
"The torpedo was running straight, but appar-
emily having trouble In maintaining its depth, for
when about 200 yards off 1 saw a streak, then at
a depth of about five feet. 1t dived and passed
1ndap tha chin about IN foot from tho storm Soon
after heading away from the submarine we picked
up an abandoned lifeboat two points OFF the star
board bow. The submarine had apparently been
lying near the life boat, and on seeing us approach
had headed off to assume a position for attack on
our port side, probably expecting us to pick up the
lifeboat and thus miss seeing him. Fortunately,
however, the oil slick was sighted first.
1.-THE old hands among the gunners paid no at
tention to the torpedo, which was coming right
for them, but made every effort to get the guns on
the target, which was the submarines periscope."
What might be called a close shave befell anoth-
er steamer on the return voyage.
There were several other ships in the vicinity"
runs the report, including two tankers and a de-
stroyer and two or three tfamps. Suddenly a perl
scope was sighted a quarter of a mile away, show
ing up plainly In the streak of moonlight on the
water. The submarine seemed to be just coming
up and had probably misjudged the speed of the
steamer, having seen her some time earlier. Be
fore a torpedo could be fired or the guns manned,
the steamer was right on top of the submarine.
which submerged. The chief officer threw the
helm hard over and went straight for him. hoping