The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-05-31
But Men in That Service
Like Them, Says Sailor
Burke.
SOME TYPICAL CASES
Night Patrolling is Decided
ly the More Excit-
ing.
~ SEAMAN R. W. BURKE OF THE
U, S. S. g."

We h0Q many udIIO" hguSah 49,
ming at night without lights.
OF course the rule against lights at
night IN absolute; you are never al
lowed to have any lighton the ship
n night: you are not even allowd 70
GHOke because the lighted end OF
cigaFet could be seen for many miles.
That Is the strictest rule in the feet.
We we're nearly rammed one night
a consequence OF this rule. We had
. hurry call TO go out and pick up
some survivors from a torpedoed ship
and along with US went one OF those
Biz sea-going tugs. We picked up the
diSabled ship all right-she was stu
afloat.
We we're maneuvering around the
GpOt when we saw a white wake OF
tie kind that a periscope makes
through the water at night, coming
Fight down on US on our port side.
The officer OF thedeck gave orders
far full speed astern and swung the
Giip sharply just In time to miss the
BIZ tug which went tearing right by
~, II that had hit US she would have
zone through US. We had lots Of close
GhaVOs like that.
one night We we're with a convoy
% American troop ships.
The fog was so thick you couldn't
see q thing, We were Just running on
different changes Of course-that Is,
g certain times every ship changed
@ once 10 keep even.
But one OF the transports must
have missed out on the time OF
change OF course. She suddenly
loomed right up alongside Of us
rushing right down on us. We
tnst managed to slide through all
Fight By giving a hard rudder,
90 that she swung clean around
our bow.
When We first got over to the other
eide the fellows used to be kept on
ne iump all the time with the por'
pOisos. We used TO mistake them
for toTpedoes.
Porpoises at night leave a phos.
phoreSeent wake. You might be-
standing watch and you would sud.
denly Gee coming toward you one Of
these poTpoises and 1t would look for
all the world like a torpedo.
remember a couple of times stand
ing watch, another fellow and myself,
when We saw one OF them making
straight for Us. We could see 1t com.
ing and Il gave Us a funny sensation
because you are never quite sure
whether Il Is q porpoise or torpedo.
L makes you tongue-tied for the time
being. But we soon learned to dis.
tinguish between porpoises and peri.
scopes
Night patrolling is more exciting
than day work, Of course.
remember one night, It was around
8 o'clock, and I was on the wheel.
Right OF our starboard bow on the
horizon suddenly the lookout saw a
submarine submerging. We saw her
Just as she was going down. We
SHIFTED our course and speeded up but
We knew We couldn't get her because
she was away OF.
Nothing happened for a little while
IN hour or so afterwards we saw
small object on the horizon.
General quarters" was immediate.
y sounded and full speed ahead rung
%.
The object seemed 70 be quite a
distance ahead and 1t took US some
time to come up with It, when we
made out that 1t was flames shooting
0p N the air.
When We got there we found a lit.
GO sailing boat right down to the wa.
teT'S edge. It was Just like a furnace
Everything red hot
We did not slow down very much,
because It q bad business slowing
down when the subs are watching
around for another ship to come up.
We searched all around to see II any.
body had escaped. We couldn't find
anybody at all, but for a while there
was plenty Of excitement.
This boat had been shelled by a
submarine. They get these little
sailing boats, carrying cargoes Of oil
NJ wheat.
They don't want to torpedo
them, because a torpedo is too
valuable 10 waste on a small ship
AAAD Suotp ~ lucy olauu OlL CUu'
pie Of miles and she'll them.
She iS defenseless; couldn't ram a
Sub herself Sometimes they Just
cone up and 90 aboard and take the
crew oG and touch q light to her and
let her 80, that is all. We fred a
couple Of shots into the hulk to sink
4 90 We always do to any derelicts.
We were Just about 10 leave her
when . big object doomed up along.
SIDE Of us. We could see she was a
large ship running without lights, and
thought she might be q German raid.
81. We challenged her at once with
code lights.
That b a. important thing we have
q. watch out for. Somebody always
atand8 on the Quartermaster watch |
Just looking out for these signals at
1iGhG They come over fast. The
chips signal 70 you and you have to |
answer Immediately in code. We
hayo our own special code-the allied |
code.
: q GhiD doesn't answer you know
he isn't one Of your own and you let |
- e Der without asking more cues.
eiou0. o'tsA 49, ..t-.
This boat answered tight away. She
n q