The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-03-01
MYSTERY SHIP
WAS GREATEST
U-BOAT SINKER
Tramp, With Hidden Guns, Dead
~ to Subs.
CREWS had TO WORK HARD

VulGUUO uutSO ~ WV1nIA uuBuuA0
Man Had to BE Actors as Well az
sailors 20 Get Their Prey--6usinesa
Was to Lure German Submarine
From Depths to Position Where It
Could BE Destroyed by Guns Con.
cealsd on Mystery Ship.
The 20" boat. Britain's great "Hush
Hush" or mystery ship, that was re-
sponsfble for the sinking Of more Ger
man submarines than any other device
ever attempted. has just made a de-
mure appearance in the London docks.
For the modest fee of II cents the
British public is allowed to carry out
q self-conducted tour Of inspection of
her sinister closed hatches and her
Swallowed decks, where ~cunningly con-
cealed, great guns hug their noses be-
hind innocent-looking deck houses,
periscopes are to be found concealed
In chimney cowls, and whole decks
fall away at the touch of a magic but
ton.
London's 20" boat Is n Of the ac-
teal band Of blood brothers which
rolled and reeled around the storm
zones. waIlowing iendishly down the
trafhc lanes, looking, asking and pray
ing for trouble of the first water;
trouble with a shining horror of a tin
noli n the beginning and the end of 1t.
The business of a mystery ship Is
wall known. It is to lure a German
suomarine from the depths to q posi-
tlon At which 1t may be destroyed by
guns or other engines concealed In the
shlf. The events recounted to US by
the mystery ship commander happened
scmo time ago, but not till now has
the silence been broken.
First, the mystery commander talk
"a about his early days when the mys-
tery service was in its infancy, two
or three years ago, and ofShopes de-
feEfed and disappointments. One day.
hunting In the Irish sea, he saw a fat
old tramp torpedoed without the SUBJ
marine appearing, and soon afterward
~ saw a three-masted coaster 60
doWn-but still nc luck. The coaster.
however, gave him an inspiration.
Gets HIs Big Idea.
III I could get q little ship like
dat" he thought. II might get my
b1rds ali right" So he hunted through
- docks of the kingdom and at last
h picked up q vessel of the right size
md look and put into her what was
necessary. and after that had doubts
whether she would float. But at last
- began his cruise.
Il wal near the Lizard in an awful
: sou'west gale when I got to know that
Z sub was near by. q torpedo passing
r1eAt under the engine room, too deep
q touch the ship" 'aThis." as the
0mmander said, twas not In the song
book. We didn't see the sub and kept
81 with the men at action stations,
With good lookout, until three
o'clock when we caught sight Of him
following and pretended not to have
ooon him-his oil was awful-when he
was on the beam 5000 yards away,
and We could see the phosphorescent
Wanh q his propeller. He went down
ana I damned the helm hard and just
missed the torpedo, which came as ex
pected. It was three feet ahead"
The next incident was OF the French
coast near the Channel islands. wher
be heard reports that a submarine
W. about and saw two French air
pl&bes dropping bombs. This was con
oi6ered I nuisance. for anything which
1nfetferes with q mystery ship being
tcepedoed, and preventing 1t doing I'll
work after that, Is not liked In the
special service.
n this special service, It must b
noted. the ship has first Of all to b
totpodoed. and the officers and mel
take their chances OF death ant
wounds before they can break thei
silence or strike q blow. The torped'
hit the ship at the bulkhead just q
the bridge. The commander was blow
up and the forward gun dismounte'
and fell on one Of the gunpers. !
huge column Of water went into tn
air. and coming down In bulk on TIL
ship did Z lot Of damage. Fortunate
~ no one was killed. but two othe
oGceEs were badly injured.
show Good Acting.
The wounded were put in SAT
plkees n the tween decks and tn
safandon' ship" party ordered into tn
boat This Is q curious act In tn
uagtcomedy Of the mystery ship. III
crew II 20 like an ordinary tramp
crew that its brothers could NJ
I'll he difference. Some acting take
place a. they rush, panic stricken, !
IN boat. It II called the movie act
The host bucketed away; the ship Ia
s3ent the wounded accomplishing
fhols blood, the rest Of the crew hi
ID II their recesses. II the ship sar
zopic11y there vas no chance for an
1hom. The submarine anne to Y
bGnr1hco and lay on three-Quarters
mIlo ahead watching her sink. 81
- rolng down very slowly. The Lii
Soats pulled away for . distance. th'