Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-03-12
TELL THRILLING
STORY OF BRUSH
WITH U-BOATS
Transport, Riddled With Hun
Shrapnel, Bears Testimony
to Encounter
OFFICER WAS DISLOYAL
Former Quartermaster Is AL
legged to Have Altered
Ships Course
OFFICER WAS DISLOYAL
By ASSOCIATED Press

An Atlantic Port. March 12.-In
connection with the case of Edward
Otis, the 23-year-old native of Riga,
Russia. formerly quartermaster on
a United States transport, who is
charged with espionage and is being
held under $4,000 bail, has become
known the details of the perilous
voyage overseas of the transport
which, riddled with Hun shrapnel,
bears silent testimony of an actual
clash with a German submarine.
Otis, it is alleged, tampered with
the mechanism which controls the
transports course in the submarine
zones. 1t is charged also that he
ran the American flag upside down
and that he reported a false reading
of the carriers log.
Alleged Tampering
At Otis trial here last Saturday
it was brought out that the tamper-
ing with what is known as the zig
gag" clock of the transport had
shifted the zig tagging course of the
vessel to a material degree and that
the ship was placed thereby in grave
danger of submarine attack.
The transport. safe at her berth,
brings with it a crew the members
of which tell of the brush" with
the undersea vessel and of the cou-
rageous conduct under fire of those
who manned the American guns,
who, fighting against great odds,
had won the day. All stand ready
to brave the submarines again and
the morale of the unit is unimpaired.
The transport made but one trip
overseas. After clearing from an
Atlantic port she joined her convoy
and began the trip across the At
lantic without special incident until
she. neared the hostile zone. Then
things began to happen. First her
engine went wrong" and she was
compelled to drop behind the con-
voy, believing the trouble could be
corrected in a short time. But this
was not the case, and when the re-
pairs were made the transport was
separated from her convoy. but not
alone, for, proceeding along her
course. the lookout sighted a subma-
rine dead astern, less than a mile
away.
The gun crew of the transport
was thrown into action and the stern
gun was opened up at the enemy
craft. At this time the undersea
boat showed fight, and, remaining
on top of the water, began to drop
shrapnel shells on the transport.
Chief Gunner Injured
ClOSihS hGI SuTdpHel SullS, Ile
submarine crew let loose one of
her torpedoes, but the transport ma
neuvered in time to let it pass. star
tlingly close to her stern. The crew
of the transport was having trouble
with the range. To add to the trans
ports predicament, the chief gun
ner had his clothing nearly stripped
from his body in a hail of small
shell. He was wounded in the leg.
AS usual. there was an American
present who jumped into the breach.
took the place of the wounded chief
gunner and proved himself equal to
the occasion. The volunteer was a
17-year- -old youth.
Grew Makes Hit
In the meanwhile the enemy craft
had pulled up to within 900 yards
and sent up the signal. Surrender,
we are overhauling you" The gun
crew on the transport answered with
their first hit.
Again came the signal: "Surren-
der, we are overhauling you!" from
less than 500 yards. but the trans
port replied with another hit, and
the men swore they would die fight
ing rather than give a satisfactory
answer to the Hun challenge.
The shot that closed hostilities
was a direct hit. which landed fairly
on the periscope deck of the subma-
rine and with it's bursting the under
sea craft was seen to dive or sink.
The crew, exhausted but enthusi-
astic, did not linger to investigate
the fate of the enemy ship.