The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-04-24
Ensign B en- Bucknaster
Brings Back a Memento
Made From Piston Of
First Liberty Motor.
SAW MANY SUBMARINES
Local Officer Just Released From Ser
vice Tells About An Adventure with
a Submarine and Torpedo THAT
Wasn't a Torpedo.


e. Buckmaster is a strange ornament
To the casual observer it is only
large, almost massive, ash tray will
the sheen Of tempered steel and the
neat precision characteristic of some
thing turned with mechanical perfec
ton; but to the initiated it is thu
head Of Piston No. in the first
Liberty Motor installed and tested b
American Naval Engineers.
This unusual war-trophy was giver
to Mr.. Buckmaster by his son, Ensign
Ben Buckmaster, who has only recently
been released from active service al
Construction Officer in the Naval Gal
Engine School at Columbia Univer-
sity.
Although Ensign Ruckmaster has
FOR the most part, ssilver stripes IN
stead Of gold'', his war-experienoei
In New York, with German subma
rines lurking just beyond the harbor
line, have been as cracking good I
as the first Liberty Motor, which
he, himself, personally installed and
tested. He reports that its first
explosions were so loud that the
Oommandant came rushing over to
the shop with the news that the
boys were all excited because they
thought the generator had bursted and
blown up half the school.
HBut I had my real experiences,
Ensign Buekmaster said this morning
stwhen I was sailing on a chaser.
II shah never forget the day ]
saw my first submarine. The boys had
been worrying rs to let them &c
swimming so, since everything look
ed lovely, we had said the word and
they were having a splashing good
time alongside the boat. was on the
bridge watching very carefully. II
was my first boat and I didn It want
to lose it. So, when I saw something
sticking out Of the water like a fence
post on the starboard quarter, I gave
the alarm and say-you should have
seen those boys get out Of that water
They were just like a school Of por-
poises Hopping over the rail and into
the nearest hole they could find.
ATt proved to be an American
SUBJ he added, ttbut we'd learned
something anyway; namely that a y
boat . better than whistle to get q
bunch Of gobs where you want them
81 had another exciting exper
ience," he went on never dreaming be
was talking for early or any publica
tion. ct was just coming off Dead
Man Is watch one night when one Of
the men who a been watching the sea
said to me: We'll, sir, 7 thought a
moment ago you and ma both'd BIZ
takin' ride by now. I saw a ripple
on the swell that looked just like
torpedo and it was headin straight
for US. T had said my prayers and
everything when it came up and
diyed. Tt was fifteen-foot shark
but I'd sworn, sir, it was q real tor
pedo.
"And that was the way it went, .
the Ensign commented on the incident
Sometimes they were and sometimes
they weren't torpedoes but with the
Germans getting twenty coastwiss
traders in one day as they did once
or twice last summer it was rather
our business to be eternally on the
lookout. -
After graduating from Beloit col
lege and the University of Wisconsin
School Of Engineering, Ensign Buck,
master secured his commission by com,
petitive examination in October, 1917
He served for four months at sea as
Chief Engineer on the Tsp 1877 and
was then made Construction Officer
in the Columbia University Naval Gas
Engine School where he served with
distinction until the end OF the war
He will spend a few weeks in Ke
noshal before returning to his civil
dnties as a designer, engineer and
sales-manager for the Hyatt Roller
Bearing Company in New York City.