The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-06-03
U-BOATS

the view OF some mere To-Day.
U-BOATS
CONTINUED from Page oneJ
swung across the harbor entrance.
This followed receipt of information
that a number of ships, including
three schooners had been destroyed.
There wa also a report, credited to
the Maritime exchange, that the toll
ran as high as fifteen ships. The ex-
change refused to confirm this.
Two Tank Steamers Sunk.
Two tank steamers were sunk by
German submarines about $50 miles
off Sandy Hook between Z and 8
o'clock Sunday night. according to
the captain of Canadian Pacific pas
senger liner arriving today.
The liner carried $50 passengers on
her maiden voyage. She was travel
ing in a slow convoy. Sunday night
at 7 o'clock, when the passengers were
giving a dinner to the captain, a wire
less message was received saying:
I'VE are being attacked by a sub
marine"
The sender of the S. o. s. flashed
the name of his vessel and its exact
location also, but these facts were not
disclosed.
A few minutes later came another
wireless:
1--WE have been torpedoed."
The captain ordered his liner to
leave the convoy and make with all
speed for the nearest port. Several
other fast ships also broke away from
the convoy and with all lights dimmed
made a dash for safety. The dinner
donned their life belts and were
ordered to their stations beside the
life boats.
Half an hour later, as the liner was
speeding thru the night, another wire
less message came.
I'VE are attacked"
This message gave the name of
another tank steamer. also it's loca-
| ton. The liner could not turn from
it's course to go to the rescue. The
last heard from the second was brief
| flash.>very faint:
I'VE are sinking S. o. S"
The captain of the Canadian liner
heard nothing further about the sub
marines until he entered the harbor
here.
Report "Sub" Captured.
Among the many reports here today
was one that a German submarine.
after sinking four vessels off the New
Jersey coast, was captured. ana was
being taken into New York. Local
navy officials denied any definite
knowledge of the matter.
Two submarines attacked the Ed
ward H. Cole. according to the COM
mander of the vessel, Captain New
comb.
The crew took to their own boats
Immediately and the German sailors
then planted bombs on the vessel and
blew her up.
The submarines appeared simulta-
neously, one on each side Of the ves-
sci, and signalled the captain to heave
to. The commander of one if the sub
marines then boarded the schooner in
small boat and gave the crew ten
minutes to leave the ship.
Just before the explosion occurred
an American steamship appeared in
the offing and the U-boat Immediately
gave chase. The last Captain New
making off at full speed.
The crew of the Edward H. Cole
was subsequently picked up by an
American auxiliary naval vessel
brought to an Atlantic port last night
and thence sent here by train. They
were taken in charge by navy Off
Gals.
Rescuers Pursued.
The auxiliary vessel carrying the
Edward H. Coles crew, was pursued
by the submarine, but escaped by TAX
ing refuge in the Atlantic port.
Beside the Edward H. Cole, the
names of four other sunk ships have
the Schooner Jacob S. Haskell and the
Isabella D. Wiley, the Hattie Dunn
and the Samuel Hathaway.
A rumor has reached the office of
the third naval district here that a
submarine operating off the coast
war ship. 1t is said that the U-boat
is being lowed to this port. There is
no confirmation Of the rumor as yet.
After Transport Ships
Rumors of the presence of>German
submarines off the American coast
have been current for the past two
weeks. the reports telling of one or
waters. The attack upon American
shipping almost at the very entrance
of New York harbor is taken to mean
that Germany has at last inaugurated
submarine campaign to break up
transport of troops to France.
Many Plungers in Raid?
Within the last week South Amer
lean ship, arriving here, brought re-
ports of the presence of two German
submarines in the vicinity of Bermu-
da. The report that fifteen vessels had
been sunk seems to indicate the pres
ence of a number of submarines and
that the enemy has inaugurated an at
tack in force.
First Attack Here.
Altho there have been frequent ru-
mors of submarines having crossed the
Atlantic since America entered the
war none has actually before attacked
| American shipping on this side of the
Atlaptic. In October. 1916, the Ger
man submarine U-53, after visiting
| Newport, r. l.. lay in wait for British
| shipping off Nantucket and got six
victims.
Schooner Down Off Block Island.
A wireless message saying the
American schooner, Ella NJ. Wiley,
has been sunk by gunfire" off Block
Island, was picked up by an Ameri-