Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-03-07
TheBeaSt
Thdtl00kedlike
Submarine

is in river the heart of the Panamanan jungle. A
report of such discovery wouldn't make sense even to
creduous of gobs Yet recent Uboat has
automatically reported Colon having thrown the
Indians of the famed Rio Chucunaque into panic.
1t all about when many intelligent Choos of the
region spotted what they the periscope of a
submarine travelling at rapid rate in deep channel OF
the river The perscope made wake exactly like the
the submarines that members OF the tribe
bered seeing their trips to the Canal Zone.
The about the strange story Dr. Will
liam Barth Texas physician who has been living among
the Indians medical missionary Indian who
to his laboratory e~citedy told the doctor of their
discovery and asked him to Immediately notify our Army
and Navy authorities OF the "enemys' presence.
Quite naturally, Dr. Barth scoffed at such a tale and
said 1T would be ridiculous to bother the busy armed forces
in wartime with such nonsense. The Indians however
were so nsistent that Dr. Barth puzzled. He
a highly truthful and intelligent tribe and not
inclined to exaggerate things.
have submarine, only but several
times" the said Our chief has personally viewed
the periscope With his hand he pointed to il before
many witnesses, from safe distance
Now cannot enter the river TO swim and never
go our boats We have no fish to eat Our supply
food has almost out Families divided because
those who the opposite bank hunting when the
submarine first discovered cannot get back
to their homes There much suffering"
Here. indeed. a problem for the doctor He knew
that no regulation submarine could enter the Jungle
through any outlet the Caribbean the Pacific Ocean
the Chucunaque. The much too shallow for
there impossible rapids, too. But could
Japanese midget" submarine by fantastic chance
penetrated this land through unchartcd trbu
tary pierced the very heart of Panama? what
possible military purpose could such invasion
psh? DR. Barth decided TO investigate the whole thing
Eastern Panama too close to the vital Canal Zone
anyone to take chance with such incredible
report the doctor said to the Indians Lead me TO your
submarine" And he reached for highpowered repeating
rifle and followed guides to their village.
he arrived hundreds of shouting Choos gath
banks of the pointing toward the channel
great agitation. What the doctor not only caused
quickly unsling his big rifle, but also gave him
momentary feeling that he truly seeing things And
longer doubted the Indians story because
right before his eyes hundred yards or so out in the river
he racing against the current what seemed to be
honest-to-goodness perscope.
Later in Colon DR. Barh admitted that his rifle would
have been useless against the steel side of midget
Jap but nevertheless his excitement he started
firing right into the water close to the prorudng peri
scope"
To his amazement periscope suddenly higher
and higher of the water the terrified Indians fled
leaving DR. Barth alone the bank still firing furiousy
at the target The waters of the Chucunaque being
urously the vicinity of the perscope though
the submarine had cash-dved to the bottom or was pre-
pairing to surface And suddenly to DR. Barths complete
amazement he giant alligator head first from
the water and at that moment the mystery of the
submarine" explained.
In the huge creature, sticking straight up
was a large chonta-wood spear II was this which had
been mistaken for perscope. The submarine gator,
travelling rapidly beneath the water raised lowered the
spear it at different levels DR.. Barths rifle
finished the alligator and the Indians settled down
sheepishy normal their tribesmen back
across the they all ate fish together again
would end the tale of the submarine alli-
gator but the story Of the periscop goes back 10
when members of the DarenMaI s Expedition attacked
what probably the creature miles up the
river where they seeking clue to the egendai Y
white Indians of the San Bias
Members the party, which included observers from
the American Museum of Natural History recalled that
native plunged huge spear almost directly into the
center algaor's body after shots fired by the
expeditions leaders had failed to kill it. The alligator
sthered deep away and soon became
known as the reptile that wouldn't die"
Now with its temperance and its death from Or
Rarths rifle the ndomitable alligator gained something
close to by becoming the first known alligator
submarine"