The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-09-26
BOCHE SKIPPER'S
POOR SPELLING
HIS UNDO|NC
Exciting Incident in the Life Of a
Raider Patrol Of British
Navy.
SINKING OF THE TUURTELLA

Gern1ans Nearly Fooieo INC EuUtiSH puk
Were Betrayed When They Spelled
Alden With a "T"-Destroyed
the Vessel Themselves.
London.-Little by little the world
Is learning some Of the romance and
excitement that at times punctuated
the rather prosaic lives of the men who
patrolled the seas and kept the e
traffic lanes open for allied shipping.
The dangers that lurked In the Arabian
seas and Indian ocean have been
known In a general way from the too
frequent admiralty reports Of ships
sunk there by submarines and raiders.
An episode In the life of a raider pa
troll Is told by q correspondent of the
London Times, as follows:
At the beginning of March, 1917. /
was In III. M. s. -- on the Alden
%patrol-a dull job, as all p~atrolling
jobs are. But we did not pretend TO
be pining for the more thrilling occu-
patton of searching for the German
raider Wolf. Her guns could outrange
the guns of u little ship, SO effectual-
ly, that, had we met her, we should
probably have been blown out of the
e before we could put a shot any
where near her, and, frankly, we had
no great desire to meet her.
About 10 O'clock one evening a sig
mailman appeared at the wardroom
door with a message from the bridge,
From the officer of the watch, sir.
Ship on the starboard bow showing no
lights"
Probably an old tramp scared out
Of his wits by these yarns about the
Wolf" suggested someone.
"All these merchantmen are going
about without lights nowadays"
The captain and the navigator went
up to the bridge, where they were
presently Joined by the first lieutenant.
The moon was nearly full. casting a
white track across the dark blue car
pet of the sea-. 1t was the kind of
night that brings back memories of q
Thames regatta, of lounging In a we'll
cushioned punt, and listening to a good
band. To connect such a night with
German raiders, guns, mines and tor
pedoes was quite impossible the whole
setting was entirely wrong.
The mysterious ship was now two
points on our port bow, and about
three miles ahead. A thick volume of
smoke pouring from her funnel sug-
gested that she was In a hurry, or, at
all events, was not disposed to be so
cable with us. We had been ambling
along comfortably at eight knots; the
order was given to increase to ten.
The shutter Of u signal lamp began
to rattle.
"What ship Is that?"
Claimed British Registry.
The signalman had to repeat the
question twice before he evoked an
answer.
"Toritella." was the belated reply.
what nationality we asked
promptly.
British" was the answer.
"What are your signal lettersY" was
our next question.
u. +. X. L." came the answer.
We hunted up the name In Lloya's
list, but without success.
"Are you sure you have got his
name right, signalmanf Ask him
again."
"Vhat is your Manner asked the
patient signalman. This time the mys-
terIous stranger expanded volubly.
"Turritella, London. Runs for Brit
ish admiralty. Port Said for orders"
What name Of ship was this. who
spelled her name at one time with an
O and n r. and at another time with
q u and two R's7 And. that express
sion. "Runs for British admiralty
Would an English merchant 81 skipper
talk about the British admiralty.
Would he not say. "Under admiralty
charter" or some such phrase?
The signal lamp Of the unknown
vessel began to scintillate again.
"Who are your ran the simple
message.
There was certainly a d~irectness
about the question suggesting a bluff
old English skipper.
"A British man-of-war," was our
answer. A little later we followed 1t
up by a peremptory order to the stran-
ger to stop. When the signal lamp
began to flicker again, 1t seemed To
show just q trif1e OF hesitation.
Night OF Suspense.
His meaning was plain enough. We
could have ordered him to stop when
we first sighted him, when we were
within range OF the shore batteries,
and where there were British men-of-
wal lying just round the corner inside
the harbor. He evidently suspected US
Of being the German raider. All these
merchantmen were In a state Of high
nervous tension. The mere fact OF be-
Ing ordered to stop q enough to
make him U as hard as he could. 1t
raj clear that we could not overhaul
him. The only question was, had we
SUFFICIENT grounds OF susDiciOn to ms