Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-03


ard which Captain Boyd made his esct
Dixie's touring car was waiting fol
her when she got to the street, and tax.
ing the chance that Boy-Ed and Captain
Rose, for il was the commander of the
t-53. who had met Boy-Ed, were bound
for the submarine. she chose side
street and drove with al speed to the
dock at which the German craft was
moored. 1t was closed 10 visitors. and
Dixie learned that no one had been per-
mitted on board except a correspondent
of the Associated Press, who had been
told that the boat lad made the trip clear
across the Atlantic to carry dispatches
to Won Bernstorff The hint had been
made that it was a peace proposal.
As she was getting this information
the taxicab, with Boy-Ed and Rose. drew
up near the dock Dixie saw Boy-Ed
alight and mingle with the crowd which
was gazing at the submarine Their
Rose honkcd three times on the horn OF
the taXicab, and, as if in answer. bells
changed on the submarine. a gangplanR
was thrown TO the dock and It was an.
nounced that the boat was open for a
short time to visitors. Dixie appreciated
that II was strategy to permit Boy-Ed
prompted the admission of visitors and
she pressed closely into the throng which
flocked up the gangplank. Boy-Ed was
but a few feet ahead of her.
She saw the former naval attache
whisked through the door of a compart-
ment which had not been opened to the
sightseers A moment later she had
dared through the same door and found
herself at the head of a steel ladder
leading into the bowels of the subma rine
She slipped down noiselessly and found
herself alone in the torpedo room of the
craft. From an adjoining compartment,
evidently the navigating room, she could
hear the voices of Boy-Ed and Rose.
TT is no use delaying longer" Boy Ed
was saying. 1T will take us some lime
to reach the northern steamship route.
I have here a list of vessels clearing
from New York today, and there is
plenty of work for us in the morning"
Dixie secreted herself in one of the
lockers with which the torpedo room was
lined as Captain Rose entered the room
and ascended the
Dixie Mason time later she could
Starts on hear the visitors
ashore Then came
the throb of en-
gines. the quivering of the boat as it was
put in motion and Dixie Mason was
started on a voyage an uninvited pas
senger on an imperial German war ves-
sell
For more than an hour the throbbing
of the engine continued. Then there was
a change. The floor seemed 10 be sink
ing under her. and from the change in
the air she knew the boat was submerg-
ing. She Surmised correctly that the
three-nile limit of safety from British
war vessels had been reached, and that
the German submarine was going under
the waves for safety. For hours the
from observation on the surface. Then
it emerged. and from a glance at her
Watc h. aided by crack of light through
the door of the locker, Dixie saw it was
nearly 10 o'clock, and knew that the
ocean would be covered with the dark
ness of night, through which only a lucky
fiashlight of a searchlight would disclose
the presence of the low-lying submarine,
All night long the U-53 journeyed
northward on the surface of the ocean.
The torpedo room was deserted. and
Dixie rested her cramped muscles by
walking up and down. seeking the ref
uge OF the locker again at the least
sound. Thus the night passed. and when
the morning was announced by the sub
merging again of the boat the engines
were stilled and Dixie could tell by the
roll of the boat that It was lolling sta
tionary, with only the periscope show
ing. The room filled with sailors.
Steamer to the south-southwest,"
watch through the periscope.
Run closer" came the voice of Boy
ED, who had evidently taken a station
at the ground glass of the submarine S
eye. and with his words came the throh
of the engine. Several minutes passed
and again came the voice of Boy-Ed
It's the Strathdene, a British freghter
To the surface, and give them fifteen
give her a torpedo"
The orders were followed Dixie heart
the hail TO the hapless freighter Evil
dently no resistance was thought of fol
the C-boat remair et
First Victim of theTwelve minutes hat
t-53 in Amer passed when Captain
lean Waters Rose re-entered the
torpedo room. One
of the six torpedoes
swung into the tube. Promptly at th'
end of the quarter hour. the hand o.
the commander, who had been jockeyinl
his boat into position. dropped and thu
deadly weapon sprung on its course
Dixie learned later that it struck TIL,
Strathdene amidships and tore such 4
hole that the freighter disappeared be
meath the waves within another quarter
of an hour
The C-boat cruised about and from he
place of concealment Dixie heard th'
orders which sped four more of tn,
torpedoes on their ways of destruction
against unprotected steamers. DiXi,
heard the identity of three of the vic
Tins announced before the deadly wea
pom was discharged--the Bloomersdyk
Dutch freighter; the Christian knud
son, of Norwegian ownership, and tn
Stephano, another British boat
During the lull which followed th
sinking of the latter boat, Dixie hear,
the voice of Boy-Ed:
If something doesn't show up for thi
last torpedo ] am afraid We will have t
start. What position DO you make u
now, captain" ....
Dixie could not distinguish the repl.
Of Rose, which came from the naVigat
And the base is at longitude 50. lati
tude 4i," came the voice of Boy-Ed
We ought to be on our way this Yer,
minute. Most of the run will have 10 b.
. submerged for we cannot AFFORD 70 b'
observed, and we must have supplies
, tonight"
Dixie thrilled. submarine base fo
imperial German boats within few
hours run of Nantucket That coul'
, have but one meaning, that spies hat
established a base on American soil
Hastily she tried to devise some mean
OF escape from the U-boat. She cam
; near to hoping that another victim TO
the U-boat would appear, and resolved
overheard when the boat came to tn
surface to give the customary fifteei
minutes respite for the crew of the Sc
lected victim to take to the boats. A
the thought came to her. cry cam
from the periscope watch announcing
another boat in sight.
The West Point. British freighter,
to give her warning. and II Is sense
J less thing anyway Get your positiol
and then full speed to the base"
Dixie was horrified. Not so much n