Evening star., 1918-06-08
.U-B0ATS F0|LED IN
ATTACK ON CONVOY
Rev. Father Wareing Tells
How Depth Bombs Saved
U. S. Ships.
MEN DISPLAYED NERVE

LONDON. Thursday. juno 6.-Ger-
man submarines were foiled in their
attempts against a convoy which in
cluded ships carrying American
troops and American Red Cross work.
ers, according to Rev. Father Joseph
Wareing of Baltimore. one of the Red
Cross party. who arrived in London
yesterday. The protecting destroyers
got into action quickly o. two occa-
sions last Sunday. but MIR. Wareing
did not know whether any submarines
had been sunk.
To the Associated Press Rev. Father
Wareing. who had a trying experience
following the torpedoing Of the Brit
ish steamer Laconia in February,
1917. said:
At Least Two U-Boats Seen.
''Soon after we reached the danger
zone our convoy was attacked by Ger
man submarines and for a few min
utes I thought / was in for another
experience of the same kind as 1 had
on the Laconia: The exact number of
the enemy U-boats was not deter
mined. but at least two were seen.
we had a lively escort of British
destroyers, however and they were
on the trail of the periscope like a
flash. Guns and depth charges began
popping like giant firecrackers on the
Fourth of July. Fifteen depth charges
were dropped into the nest of German
submarines. Whether any submarines
were sunk / cannot say, for we were
on a fast ship and enveloped in smoke,
but I know We did not lose a single
ship. Our convoy carried a large
n II ryY1h ~ Avn nrtn tr1@
tell you how many.
Depth Charges Shake Ship.
When the first alarm was sounded
for the passengers to go to their life
boat stations late on Sunday after
noon I was in my stateroom. Word
was passed around that enemy sub
marines had been sighted. I had no
sooner reached my station than depth
charges began to explode. shaking
our ship. After few minutes Of
anxious waiting at the lifeboat sta
tions we received the signal: The
enemy has been beaten off,
discipline on board was superb.
The troops behaved as IL subma-
rine attack was part Of the every
day routine and there was not the
slightest furry anywhere on board.
For coolness in time of emergency
I do not think you can beat these
young Americans. Their nerves are
like steel.
Another Alarm Sounded.
1.-TWO hours later on the same day,
while I was preparing for dinner.
another alarm was sounded. and
almost simultaneously the destroyers
began dropping depth charges. One
landed within about 800 yards of our
ship and gave it a good shaking
"At no time during either attack
did 1 see a periscope or the track of
a torpedo.
when the first alarm was sounded
BUSINESS for the alarm bell brought
back to my mind with great vividness
my Laconia experience, when / suf-
fered considerably from exposure. AS
1 hurried on deck I think almost
every detail Of those awful hours
which followed the Laconia sinking
came back to my mind like moving
picture, and 1t was several minutes
before I got complete command OF
myself"
Laconia Horror Recalled.
After the sinking of the Laconia on
February 26, 1917. the Rev. Father
Wareing was in the same 1ifeboat
with Mrs. Mary E. Hoy of Chicago,
and her daughter. Miss Elizabeth Hoy.
Mrs. Hoy and her daughter both died
of exposure and were buried at sea.
Among the other members of the
Red Cross party were Prof. Dexter Of
Panama, Whitford Shelton of the
University of Pittsburgh, the Rev.
William Cotton of Tarrytown. N. z;
the Rev. Robert CoupIand of New Or
leans, the Rev. James Conover Of
East Greenwich. R. l.. and Elton
Clark of Boston.