The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-01-11

OF the vessel was unknown to the skip
per of the submerged submarine. Hay-
ing struck his victim in a vital spot. he
mad every reason TO believe that il
would disappear beneath the waves
within reasonable period. The BUSH
ness of the distinguished merchantrna n
was to encourage this delusion in every
possible way. From the time that the
torpedo struck, the mystery ship be-
haved precisely like the everyday car
go carrier which had been caught in a
similar predicament. A carefully re-
hearsed contingent of the crew. known
as the panic party" enacted the role
of the men on a torpedoed vessel. They
ran to and fro on the deck, apparently
in state of high CONSERVATION. now
rushing below and emerging with some
personal treasure, perhaps an old suit
of clothes tucked under the arm, per-
haps the ships cat or parrot, or a small
handbag hastily stuffed with odds and
ends. Under the control of the navi-
eating officer these men would make
for a lifeboat, which they would lower
in realistic Notwithstanding going so
far. in their stage play, as to upset it,
leaving the men putting and scrambling
in the water. One member of the crew,
usually the navigator, dressed up as
the captain, did his best to supervise
these operations.
Finally, after everybody had left, and
the vessel was settling at bow or stern,
the captain would come to the side,
cast one final glance at his sinking
ship, drop a roll of papers into life
boat-ostensibly the precious docu-
ments which were so coveted by the
submarine as an evidence OF success
lower himself with one or two compan-
ions and row in the direction of the
other lifeboats. Properly placing these
lifeboats, after abandoning ship was
itself one of the finest points in the
plot. If the submarine rose to the sur
face it would invariably steer first for
those little boats, looking for prisoners
or the ships papers; the boats crews
therefore had instructions to take up a
station on bearing from which the
ships guns could most successfully
rake the submarine. That this man
ouevre involved great danger to the
men in the lifeboats was matter of no
consideration in the desperate enter
prise in which they We're engaged
U-Boat Commanders Became Wary.
Thus to all outward appearance this
was merely the torpedo
ing of a helpless merchant vessel Yet,
the average German commander be-
came altogether too wary to accept the
situation in that light. He had no IN
tantion of approaching either lifeboats
or the ship until entirely satisfied that
he was not dealing with one of the de-
GOV vessels which he so greatly feared. /
There was only one way of satisfying
himself: that was to shell the ship so
that, in his opinion, if any
h,,Ynan beings had remained aboard, /
they would have been killed or forced |
~ surrender. The submarine there
fore arose at a distance OF Two or three
miles. Possibly the mystery ship, with
one well-ain1ed shot, might hit the sub
marine at this distance, but the chances
were altogether against her. To fire !
such a shot of course, would imne-
5ia4eIv betray the fact that a gun crew /
SIN remained on board, and publish the
,,c+ that the vessel was mystery ship;
M on this discovery, the submarine !.
would subrnerge. approach the vessel
,nder water and give her one or two
$500 +ornedoes. No, whatever the /
en- ptation. the crew must play pos
sunon and not by so much as a wink
IF the submarine know that there was
nv living thing on board.
ar This experience demanded hero-sE
81, that almost approaches the sublime.
me gun crews lay prone beside tneh'
runs. waiting the word Of cornnlana IS
ire. The captain lay on the screened Il
fridge. watching the Whole proceeding
Trough peephoie. with voice tubes