Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 117, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 May 1918 — Page 3

RECORDS TELL ROW AMERICAN DESTROYERS SINK SUBMARINES

Vessels Guarding Convoy Forced Germans to Surrender After Depth Charge and Shell Fire—“ Mosquito Fleet/’ With Crews of •Youths, Does Great Work in Danger Zone —Nelson - Touch la One Fight.

London. —Often the question has been asked, “What are our submarines doing? Are they active at ail in hunting the German U-boats which are sinking our mercantile shipping?” ' Occasionally cases are heard of German submarines being sunk by destroyers. The weekly Admiralty reports tell of a certain number of merchant ships Unsuccessfully attacked,” from which one concludes that hi some cases a Üboat may have been “bagged” by the merchantman’s gun. Nor has the American “mosquito” fleet been long in learning the game of U-boat hunting. “Keenmustard." said a British naval officer recently in talking about the American, navy. They simply love a scrap when they can get It, but the Germans are not so keen. There is no end of stories about the. sinking and destroying of Gerrnaa. U-boats hidden away In the very brief reports of commanding officers which from time to time reach the Admiralty, If one could only get at them. .Of many of the highly successful methods of hunting and destroying the Üboat it Is, of course, impossible to tell, but the Admiralty has permitted the publication of some recent records in which American destroyers, British destroyers, motor launches and submarines have played, distinguished parts. Most Are Mere Boys. The brave fellows engaged In the work are, for the most part, mere boys, fresh-faced, clear-eyed youngsters, devoid of nerves, always'alert, cool and confident, who have to make up their minds and glvp their orders on the instant, and who, in true navy style, perform their allotted tasks and say nothing about them. Here Is a story of a successful , engagement fought by two American destroyers which were escorting a convoy of merchantmen. They sighted a periscope, which however, quickly disappeared. Rushing to the spot the destroyers dropped a depth charge and then wheeled back. The periscope again appeared, as though heading for the convoy, and off went the destroyers full speed. ' Once more the periscope disappeared, but not before three rounds had been fired by the leading destroyer, who also dropped a depth charge. The enemy’s bow then came up rapidly, and It appeared that he was lying at an angle of thirty degrees, stern ■down. "/ "'./S "■

German Crew Surrendered. / - He managed to right himself and •tried' to get away on the surface, but again the Americans opened Are, and then the Germans came on deck, held up their hands and surrendered. The U-boat sank just afterward, the survivors being taken on board one of the destroyers. Here is a tale of an English commander of a submarine just as It reached Whitehall: •10 a. m.—Sighted hosttie submarine. Attacked same. “10:03 a. m.—Torpedoed submarine. Hit with one torpedo amidships. Submarine seen to blow up and disappear. Surface to look for survivors. Put down immediately by destroyers who fired at me.” But this young commander was a little more explicit in his footnote, as be might well be, for, having kept to sea and his appointed duty under Circumstances of extreme difficulty and hazard, he took his fate in both hands, ata Iked the enemy and destroyed him. "During my attack,” he wrote, ■“there was just enough sea to make depth keeping difficult. I fired two torpedoes, and one hit at forward end of coming tower. A large column of yellow smoke, about one and a half times as high as the mast, wap observed and the submarine disappeared. The* explosion was heard and felt In our own submarine. On the previous day the periscope had become very stiff to turn, and in the dark hours I attempted to rectify same, but while doing so I was forced to dive, and thus lost all the took and nuts of thte center bush. "While attacking it took two men beside myself to turn the periscope. For this reason I did not consider it prudent to attack the destroyer after having sunk the submarine. Lay on Bottom Amid Enemy. “After torpedoing submarine I proceeded four miles northward and lay on Hie bottom. Many vessels throughout the day were heard in close ttoxImity. Several explosions were heard, especially one very heavy one. It must have been close, as the noise was considerably louder than that of the torpedo. On one occasion- a wire sweep scraped the whole length of the boat along my port side, and a vessel was heard to pass directly overhead.” That is all. The feelings of these gallant men, lying on the sea bed, while death In its most horrible form searched Around for them, are left to the imagination. They made port safely and. after refitting, put off to sea again. This deadly game of submarine against submarine is the blindest and worst of sea fighting. The hazard is the highest that can be imagined, but It in accepted by splendid men of the British and American navies with a

cheerful disregard for anything but duty. For not only must our undersea craft run the risk of being fired on by enemy ships, but they have also to chance shots from British cruisers and armed vessels, who “let fly” whenever they see a periscope which they cannot Identify. , Nelson Touch In One Fight. There Svas a Ndlson touch about the destruction of one U-boat which would have appealed strongly to the little admiral who-looks down from his lofty eminence In Trafalgar Square upon tile Admiralty building In Whitehall. Sighting the German, the Britisher dived and gave chase, worked Wind on the course her commander laid and trusted somewhat to luck. Now and again her periscope broke water for a second or so—only long enough for her skipper to confirm his course and bearings. Then the British navigated Into shallow water, so shallow indeed that to avoid being seen she had to scrape the bottom, bumping uncomfortably and dangerously all Jhe while, and had also to dip her periscope. Luck was with her, and she avoided breaking, surface until she came to a position favorable for attack, between 500 and 600 yards from the U-boat, which, unsuspecting, was lying awash, her conning tower open. Some of her crew were Indeed spreading the wind screen In preparation for a trip on the surface. Little did they dream that In a few seconds they would be on their way to “Davy Jones’s Locker.” But so It happened: Away with a hiss went the torpedoes from her tubes, and as they sped on their errand the- Britisher was shifted so that another tube was brought to bear on the enemy. The commander was taking no chances, and If the bow tubes missed he was ready to .have another go. But the bow tubes had been “well and truly laid” on the target, and twenty seconds after the torpedoes had been fired a dull explosion was heard by the British crew. ”

Qily Substance on Surface. But there was no sign of the U-boat. There was a great disturbance upon the water where the pirate had last been seen, and when the Britisher reached the spot the sea was found covered with a thick layer of oily substance. A wireless to the depot port and another red dot went on the chart which -records the fate of the pirates. In the dawn of a bright morning a British submarine sighted an enemy U-boat running on the surface and at once dived to get Into a favorable position for attack. As the navy would say, she “proceeded as requisite” for fifteen minutes and, rising until her periscope was above water, picked up her quarry again. The skipper wanted to make sure of his game. Carefully and expertly he maneuvered his boat Into a favorable position. Then a quick order and out of the tube a shining “tin fish” sped toward the Hun. In less than a minute the explosion was heard, and up to the surface came the Britisher to look for results. Right ahead the sea was covered with a big patch of oil, In which three men were swimming. Two were picked up by one of the submarine’s boats; th 6 other sank before he could be reached. Another of the kaiser’s pbts' had “gone west.”

Lauder’s Cousin Killed.

Cumberland, Md. —John Lauder, for-ty-eight. a cousin of Harry Lauder, the Scotch comedian, was killed in the Tysom coal mine near here, where he was employed. He was caught under a fail of rock.

NURSERY TRAIN FOR FRENCH BABIES

A Red Cross nursery train at Basle, Switzerland, where h r *“ ch “ repatriated from Germany are eared for on their way ho “ e - ?h* the stork and the child signifies the object of the car and the inscription aims tranriafed moan* “For the Happiness of Women.

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN.RENSSBLAEII. TNO.

LETS HOLD THE LINE

By Norreys Jephaon (/Conor of the ■ /Vigilantes. We hold the line which stretches far, " From western town* to fields of France, . ,Where now our brave battalions are. Fighting to stop the Hun’s advance. ■We must not fall them in their nefed. We who: in factory or field, Are soldiers, too; we may not bleed; Should we, then, find excuse to yield. Because we pass in dreariness 3..'Our days, of In the summer sun Are hot, and worn with weariness? . ” If our line breaks, the foe has won. If we heed enemy alarms. Vain is the general’s vast design. And vain the soldier’s deed of arms. In freedom’s name, let's hold the line.

GIRL SCOUT CAPTAIN

Mrs. Elizabeth P. Stark, sister of Hoffman Phillip, newly appointed minister of Colombia, is captain of a ( mounted girl scout troop in Mayport, Fla., whose duty Is to patrol the coast east of Florida to turn up pro-German! activities. All the girls carry jrifles or automatics, and are proficient ln| their use.. The scouts are from thirteen to sixteen years old, and do nightl work without a qualm.

FORETOLD WAR WITH HUNS

Russian Consul at - Boston Fourteen Years Ago Prophesied Great Conflict. Boston. —Fourteen years ago Joseph A. Conry, Russian consul, prophesied there would be a war with Germany. This was made in an address Mr. Conry delivered at the annual meeting of the Ninth Regiment Veterans’ association in G. A. R. hall in this city, April 6, 1904. Excerpts from his speech follow: “There will be a war in this country as sure as time ’flies. With England? No, because our commercial interests are too intimate. Not with France, because she is diminishing. We have had it with Spain. “But it will be with the empire of Germany. We have no desire for war, but if It should come, we need a volunteer militia made up of 500,000 men to back up our standing army.”

Ship Coal by Water.

Memphis, Tenn. —Heavy shipments of coal from the Kentucky fields are being made by water on the Mississippi river. A single steamboat recent* ly towed 15 barges containing 9,000 tons of coal from Caseyville, Ky., to Memphis. It would have required three or four trains to have hajiled this consignment by rail.

“LIFTERS” AND “JABS” IN BAYONET AND BOXING WORK ARE DEMONSTRATED

Bennie Leonard, the boxing coach at Camp Upton, and Lieut. E. J. Statler demonstrating the similarity of “lifters” and “jabs” in boxing and bayonet work.

WAR’S TOLL ON AMERICAN LEAGUE BASEBALL CLUBS.

Chicago—Scott, Jenkins, Kieser, Payne, Von Kolnltz. Boston—Barry, Shore, Bader, Janvrln, Pennock, McNally, Gainer, Shorten, Lewis. Cleveland Harris, Guisto, Dickerson, Smith, Torkelson, Petty, De Berry. Detroit—Burns, Alten, Fuller, Oldham, Nicholson, Hollywood, Ellison. New York Fisher, Kane, Smallwood. Washington Gibson, Menosky, Leonard, Murray, H. Milan and Rice. St. Louis—Fincher, Jacobson, -Yale’ ----- Athletics —Haley, McAvoy, Anderson, Bates, "Johnson, Noyes, Scibold, Sharman, Murphy, Witt.

HANK GOWDY WRITES LETTER

Gas and Baseball Masks Are Quite Different, Says Former Backstop ■ of Boston Braves. * “It makes no difference how many years a fellow wears a catcher’s mask, it doesn’t give him one bit of training for wearing gas masks,” writes Hank Gowdy, former catching star of the Boston Braves. Hank Is a member of the 166th United States Infantry, with the American expeditionary ’ forces “over there,” being the first baseball player in either of the big leagues to enter the service. “Gas masks,” writes Hank. “I hate ’em. I’ll bet they’re worse than the gas itselt lam almost tempted to risk It. They’re hard things to handle; hard to put on, harder to keep on and hard to take off again. A fellow does get fresh air through his baseball mask, but these things—they are next door to suffocation and the smell of the stuff they ‘doctor’ ’em with! Well, I’m going to make every one of my friends put it on. “Wonder where the Rabbit (Maranville) is going to play,” he writes. “It would sure put the club in bad without him. I have received letters from Stallings and McGraw, and they sure were welcome. “Since arriving in France we have been pretty busy.. We are training now for sure, and I expectlt won’t be very long before we will go up Into the trenches. We have a fine regiment, and the boys made a ‘hike’ record here recently. . Have had the doubtful pleasure of sleeping In stables, haylofts and one night in a stall.” Gowdy is with the headquarters company of the 166th.

CRACK TRAPSHOOTER AT TRAVERS ISLAND

The photograph shows R. L. Spotts, the crack trapshoqter, who was defeated in competition.-at the contests held by the New York Athletic dub at Travers island.

HAS WON SEVERAL PENNANTS

Cornelius McGillicuddy, Leader of Athletics, Holds Record In Baseball Championships. Cornelius McGillicuddy (Connie Mack), manager of the Philadelphia

Connie Mack.

George Stallings’ Braves in 1914. There was no world’s series in 1902, the first season Mack won the American league pennant. Connie’s club has finished in eighth place for three consecutive campaigns, and many smart ball men believe that he is through. He sold Mclnnis, Joe Bush and other stars last winter, and his team will hardly cut any figure In the 1918 championship race. Connie was a catcher in his playing days.

BASEBALL STORIES

New York's army of baseball fans is pulling for Sunday baseball. ♦ ' • Charles Heine Wagner is now coach and scotft for the Boston Nationals. '* ♦ * Uncle Robbie needs a second baseman. Possibly Hi Myers will be his final selection. * ♦ * American baseball games played 1b Paris are among the minor incidents of the' world war. - ■ ♦ •. * . ....... . - “Kid” Caton is playing his real game. This youngster- is going to be one oi the teal stars of the game. *♦ * ' It looks as though Gus Getz’ youth will earn him a Job as the regular third baseman on the Clevelands. Pitcher Ralph Comstock, after pulling his regular annual holdout, has decided to report to the Birmingham Southern league club. ft:. ♦ ' .«■ ■ - --- .If the draft law had requisitioned all- ballplayers the local managers would have a fine chance to win the pennant this year. . The Indianapolis club reports the signing .of a young catcher named Henline from Fort Wayne who is said to have great possibilities. A St. Lottis expert, hi picking the prospects of the various major league c’ubs, says the great weakness of the Pirates is in their pitching. ♦ • The New Orleans club wanted Infielder Harry- Lunte from Cleveland, but Mobile, from which he was drafted, refused to waive its claim. • ♦ * . - The Providence club of the Eastern league has elected Benjamin M. Moulton, police commissioner of the city, as head of the reorganization. ♦♦♦ . . Paul Perfitt is a pitcher with the Fort Worth team of the Texas league. Yes, he’s_related„to “Pol”. of JtheJGi-. ants. He’s the. New Yorker’s uncle. ' - - * * . * Max Carey, the fleet-footed Pirate, is lambasting the ball in the spring games, which is a source of delight to Hugo Bezdek. Fritz Mollwitz is also clouting at a good clip.' * » • Pitcher Lefty George, who didn’t go south with-the Detroit Tigers for a come-back effort after all, has signed his contract with Columbus and will postpone his re-entry into the big show.

Athletics, has won six American league pennants and scored ‘three world’s championship victories. In this respect he leads all baseball managers. Mack defeated McGraw twice and Frank Chance once tot the world’s championship, lost one battle to McGraw and also lost to

PICK SOX AND GIANTS

Selected as Logical Pennant Winners in Major Leagues. Champion* of 1017 Just a* Strong M Ever and "Dope" Favor* Them to • Repeat —Borton Lacking in ’ Experience Today. ■ ■ ———— . . The White Sox and Giants stand out today as logical pennant winners In the major league races. Some of their rivals have been Strengthened, while others have been weakened by player deals or the weight •of war, but the 1917 champions are just as strong as ever, and the “dope” favors them to repeat The world’s champion White Sox have not lost a player whose absence would hurt their chances. The team Is intact, thoroughly seasoned, highly confident and efficient in every respect.- The pitching staff, which did such effective work last season, is on edge again, this year, and It appears that the Sox should set a pace that will lead, their rivals to the wire. In the National league the Giants are still supreme, although they will find stiff opposition in the West McGraw’s team has not been weakened, though Herzog and Robertson are missing. Ross Young is more than filling. Robertson’s-Shoes, while Doyle and Barnes have added strength to -the club. If the- Giants can hold the players now wearing uniforms they will lead the field in October. A study of the opposition In the path of the 1917 champions reveals the Red Sox as the only elub liable to give Chicago a desperate fight for the American league pennant. Boston filled the empty shoes of departed stars with players equally capable, and the team as a whole is strong as Chicago. But Boston’s players lack experience together, which Is a big point in favor of the White -Sox*----Detroit appears to be next in line. The Tigers lack pitching strength, but there is no denying the driving power and defensive ability of the club as al whole. Cleveland and New York should fight hard for the remaining first-division berth. The Indians have been hit hard by the draft and enlistments, but Lee Fohl gets the best out of his men and he Still has a strong team. The Yankees, under Miller Huggins, are on their toes, They have class enough to make a stiff fight for position. St. Louis, Washington and Philadelphia are doomed for the second division, with the Browns showing best on paper.

CHAMPION SPRINTER NOW IN KHAKI UNIFORM

Sergeant M. T. Geis, now of Company B, One Hundred and Fifth infantry, Camp Wadsworth, W the amateur Athletic Union 1,000-yard champion for New York-state. While on a furlough recently he ran on-the winning team, Senior Metropolitan Relay team; in New York city.

FRANK BAKER IDEAL PLAYER

Manager Miller Huggins Undergoes Change of Cfijinion as to His Third Baseman. “Frank Baker is. a much different ball player than I had figured him to be when I saw him in action at Macon,” remarked Miller Hoggins during a recent fanning bee, “and the difference Is entirely in Baker’s favor. He is a better player than I had believed; I had pictured him as one of those hitters who take long swings at the ball and quite frequently are in die- position to hit-a certain kind of a ball. On the contrary. I find that be always keeps his bat close enough to.do damage to all kinds of pitching, and os for timing a ball and making, bls swing count there is no loom for criticism. He is what I call a wicked hitter and should fit in fine oh the sort of team play at which I had been told be was weak. I must say. too, that I like his work in the field. It is strange what ideas a person has .of a player be never has seen in action, I surely got an agreeable surprise in tais case.” I ’ ..."