Newspapers / Lenoir News-Topic (Lenoir, N.C.) / Aug. 9, 1918, edition 1 / Page 2
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1? f .1 I i-h' 1 ' I I TIE Mi Oil . BDARDASUBMARiiiE A British Merchant Skip CpUlm . Sob of Tham While Dapta v Bnbl Wara Being Dis charged Overhead ." Sensations experienced in a Ger man submarine while depth bombs were being discharged overhead were f described recently by a British mer chant ship captain who was a prison er for fifteen days aboard a U-boat, according to the Associated Press. In an interview the English com mander, captured by the Germans af ter his vessel had been torpedoed, re lated how the depth bombs shook the undersea craft and created conster nation among the sailors. In one in stance the faces of the Germans be came white with fear and all stood trembling after the first shot, which was not near enough to destroy the submersible. All were expecting a second discharge, The English commander reached his native land after having been im prisoned for months at Brandenburg, where, he said, he and otfier ship offi cers at times had been harnessed to carts which were used to haul mail and packages from the postoffice to te prisoners' camp. Seven vessels were torpedoed by the Germans while the British cap tain was aboard the U-boat. Pre viously the English officer had been in command of a merchant vessel which had also met its fate at the hands of a submarine crew. "On the third day after I had been taken prisoner," said the captain, "just after the midday meal, I gath ered that the submarine was about to carry out an attack on a convoy which had just been sighted. The U-boat approached submerged for 4ome distance and torpedoed a large steamer. Our whereabouts appar ently was detected, I was told, by an allied light cruiser, for we dived rapidly to a great depth. "Hardly had the submarine reach ed an even keel when we heard and felt a tremendous explosion which caused the U-boat to vibrate from -Stem to stern. It was a depth charge from the cruiser. "The effect on the crew was evi dent All stood trembling, with faces blanched with fear, not attempting 4o speak, expecting a second charge, the result of which might mean the destruction of the boat and without the slightest chance for us to escape. "There is no doubt in my mind of he mental attitude of the crew, for it was not the first experience of the men with a depth charge, and they had learned from others in the ser vice what terrible weapons depth Jbombs wer ein the hands of skillful aeamen. "For some moments we waited; engines were stopped and all means . were taken to prevent giving indica tion of our position. Minutes seemed like hours in such a situation. I'll admit that I was turning over in my mind whether I should see my family again. , no additional explosions wok place, However, and after re maining some eighteen fathoms deep for a long period we continued our oyage, "A few days later we had another experience with a depth charge, or -wasser DomDen,' as the German sail ors call them. A sailing vessel had just been sunk by shell fire when two allied destroyers were sighten, and dOWn We Went. Bv thfl mifrnnhnnoa the propellers could be heard, and as me vessels came nearer and near er we in the submarine could hear tnr thudding quite distinctly. To and fro the destroyers went searching for us. iwiaently tney picked up a clue, for there were two explosions ahead, ba tnot so near us as that from the nuser, but quite close enough to cause the submarine to tremble and then roll about as though in a heavy Prison camp conditions in Ger many were described by the British captain as being deplorable. "We were compelled to harness ourselves a .to carts which we had to draw tnrough the streets to the station or postoffice in order to fetch our par cels and any other commodities to camp. It was at this camp also that I saw three hundred Russian era working, all of whom were in the list stages ol tuberculosis. The poor fel lows could not get enough to eat, and they would eagerly gcrape dis carded tin cans in the hopeof finding particles of food. I have even seen Germans soldiers do the same thing. We were glad to search the cinder paths at any opportunity m antici pation of finding bits of coke or coal with which to cook our food." The captain said his ship was tor pedoed without warning and that af r Je and all his men were afloat in lifeboats the submarine appeared on the surface and he was taken pris oner, the mates and seamen being permitted to start in the direction of 12", . , Describin?r the submarine, the British captain said : "Sne was a fairly large craft, of recent numbering, having three tor pedo tubes, two in the bow and one aft, and carried ten torpedoes. She was also armed with a gun for shell fire just forward of the conning tower. "My first meal aboard the U-boat consisted of a stew made with stringy meat; probably horseflesh, supple mented by small portions of sausage with black bread. As the voyage progressed this bread became mil dewed and uneatable, an dthen some bread of lighter color, which had been kept in hermetically sealed re ceptacles, was served, but was even more unpalatable than the black , bread. The coffee was made of hum. t.' ah nariuiT o n h aAAwn Tk . , V er and officers of the U-boat fared as " ' eh !vu,o k..j. .li w "" uui were aDie to supplement their allowances with , ... -.... M.A.-u UC-llA BUU VUiCJT CttflJieU IOOQ. 1 "As the submarine was forced to keep below the water's surface a peat deal or the time life aboard the , submarine was anvthinsr but , J,Ie"antV- ' . rvr " . i', . .. , 2he okt nn : dotMnbmaatatodlrtthmola. cams fool and breathing difSenlt.' be asserted. "While we wars sub merged the crew would start the gramophone. That machine sunnlied the music which was played trium phantly when the U-boat got another victim. Keauy, the sin long of any innocent merchantman caused that crew as much Joy as if tie members naa sunk a war ship. 1 v "One night there was more than the usual amount of rejoicing and the gramopnone's liveliest airs were play ed. The Germans had torpedoed an oil tanker, which, according to the commander, sank in thirty seconds. I could not help wondering at the mentality of men who could rejoice at such a thing, knowing that with out giving them the slightest chance of defending themselves or escaping tney naa sent innocent sailors to their deaths. "The next day we seemed to be out of the track of steamers, and I went into tre conning tower and saw the officers amusing themselves by shoot ing at gulls or empty bottles. "By this time the submarine evi dently had reached the extreme out ward point of her voyage, and we started on our return trip to Helgo land. Three Norwegian shins were stopped for the purpose of obtaining iresn iooa. soon alter tnis there was much excitement when it was ascer tained that there was a British sub marine in our vicinity. By listening the crew could hear the enemy sub marine, and the Germans feared she was going to attack us. We sub merged and eventually dodged the British vessel. "The U-boat was equipped with powerful wireless apparatus and each evening, providing the weather and other conditions were favorable, the German commander remained on the water's surface in wireless communi cation with his base. The British captain finally arrived in Helgoland, and afterward was transferred to Brandenburg. Even tually he was taken to Switzerland and released, reaching England on tune id. And now the captain is getting reaoy to go to sea again. SERGEANT IS THE PINCH HITTER OF THE OUTFIT Capt Robert C. Young, with the American army in France, writes his brother, Adjutant General Laurence Young, that the whole American out fit in the fighting over there is "bat ting a thousand," says the Raleigh News and Observer. With his letter Lapt Young encloses a highly inter esting account or the individual brav ery of Sergeant J. F. Brown, also with the American army, whom he designates as a "pincn nitter for one ol tne American units. The story, from a staff correspond ent of the London Daily Mail on duty wiui me American army, is nere re printed: American troops have again today been fighting valiantly with the French. No details of what has pened are yet available, but that they were engaged is certain. The Americans have also been fighting east of Rheims durinir the past few days, and from all the re ports I have seen -have conducted themselves with the customary dis tinction oi tne American army, But it is still the story of the American resistance to the German attack across the Marne on the open ing day of the offensive which holds a premier place in the interest of the day. I have already told of the French appreciation of the work of this unit It appears when the Ger mans came across the Marne the Americans refused to leave their po- anions, ana tne uermans went oil in the endeavor to reach their object ives. But soon the enemy was in great distress. ine American machine gunners and riflemen fired into the backs of the enemy, who was quickly compell ed to retreat to the opposite bank of the Marne. At several places the Germans found it impossible to cross tne river so terrible was the artillery nu macnine gun nre or the Ameri cans. One German regiment, a gren adier regiment, was shattered and on eof its battalions had very few men left indeed. All around lay German dead piled up in heaps, both nanus oi tne Marne being covered with bodies. Then as the Germans retreated the action transformed itself into a free for-all fight. Individual Americans would go out with their rifles hnnt.ino- ior uermans. many authentic sto ries are told today of acts of individ ual bravery and initiative which are "nr'zinir. The storv of iSpraonnf T F. Brown proves an interesting spec- mp" He wis wandering around looking for Germans with his can- t.-in whon he lost his pack, which was strucK Dy a piece of shrapnel. This did not aoparently worrv him for, with his officer, he attacked nest or rour machine guns and cap tured two. his officer bei ncr lrille4 in the fight. Then, armed with an au tomatic rifle, he seized a third and. vuumimus me services or a corporal, niutcKea tne iourtn. He shot a Ger man private dead and when the ar. man officer who was there reached for his knife to attack him, he killed him also. The fourth machine gun mug leu mm nis nanas. He then brought in some orison. ers, mans and other suitable SftllVP, nirs and handed them over to n mil. ;4r- noliceman and asked, as he says u" report, ior a receipt. Then lie went out again and with a nam Vr of comrades hunted for Germans. Soon he found just over 1 00 in o Iniii.l. 1 a, 'emu iii which mere were manv oeaa and which was cut off by artil- er v nre. With his automatic rifle mot; his arm, for it was so hot he could scarcely noid it, he 'covered the Ger mans, who threw un their hanH. in surrender. Then, with his comrades, he marched fourteen miles with his of his iournev IBs unuiiing a i. uie ena , - f .vaaw v, IUWUU 6 a uciuiau major, n nis way vral of the prisoners fell out and died. Puhii,. 1T " VI T1LWI V IOr IDC was said Sunday throurhont '"es was said Sunday throuffhont m'iwhmi aaas, 10 provide me i France on the occasion of tte fwrth Qnthtaktoi Uttlt American with I anniversary of the decIairJonrf,onvenir''. CL1TII (HO m i ARE SEEMLll Robert Dnclratt, Nwippr Ma of Raleigh, Writes Intormtiof Let: ' Ur Saw His First Shell Bunt oa July 4th : , The f ollowing letter, printed in the News and Observer, will doubtless be of interest to our readers, as a num ber of local boys are in the 80th. di vision, among them being Battery E. of the 113th artillery: Raleigh boys of the 80th division, which is composed of the old North Carolina britrade and the 11. 1th artil lery, are now taking part in actual fighting on the front in France, and, according to a letter received here by a friend from Bob Duckett, a for mer newspaper man, now a member of brigade headquarters, they are "seing big sights" there. The letter was written July 15, the date of the aiiiiid onesive. In telling of events which are han- pening every aay in nis sector, the itsieign ooy is proud that he saw the first shell burst on July 4th. "I was watching one of our observation bal loons lounging leisurely in tin later aiternoon sunlight when suddenly there was a swish and a crash. The explosion was some distance away. out i Droxe au records on ducking. "All the Raleigh boys with our or ganization are enjoying the very best of health and are taking things as they come, which is the only way to go into the free-for-ajl scrap being staged irom Switzerland to the sea,' he writes. His organization is com manded by Maj. Gordon Smith. Believe me, we are seeing big signts out nere. History moves be fore one's very eyes like a vast cin ema and the realization of the history-making happenings that occur daily almost at your very feet is im possible. People at home read' about the square-head, the intrepid allies an dthis or that raid or offensive, but 1.1 i .A.a a "iey are ignorant oi tne real game of war as it is played nowadays. An opinion may be had from the press and periodicals, but the real thinr is a picture that cannot be painted. Only the spectator or participant sees or realizes the vast effort that is being put forth by two-thirds of the world to crush forever the murderous syndicate of bandits from Berlin. "To my intense delhrht I todav gazed upon the first batch of German prisoners whom I have seen. There had been a quick drive into the en emy's territory somewhere 'up the line,' a flash of cold steel and the in evitable cry of 'Kamerad' had follow ed. As they straggled down a wind ing road that circled through the quaint houses and shacks of the dis trict they were a war-worn and weary lot. The uniforms were irregular and stained with the dirt and muck of battle. Some wore the big, cum bersome Teuton helmet, but the ma jority wore the German service cap, 1 m nil . ; maae oi a neia green neavy cloth and closely resembling the distinguished headgear worn with such pomp and ;iory Dy a Bland Hotel bell hop. lome were only boys, others old men of the type that vou mieht see an the proprietor of a butcher shop or a side street grocery in any of our big cities. All wore the familiar German trench boot, and with their unshaven and hatrirard face t.hev looked more like animals of the un conquered wild than human creatures with a heart and soul. "The nerve displayed bv the neo- ple of this section is something won derful. You find them old women, old men, children and many pretty girls operating cafes and, coffee shops almost under the mouths of the big guns. They refuse, as a rule, to desert their homes, shells or no shells, and only evacuate when forced to do so by the military authorities. Here is an instance: The other evening I talked to a very pretty Belgian girl who, for three years, had continued to live in a town that was shelled every day and frequently bombed from the. air at night. She had been ordered out several weeks previous ly, and attempted to argue with me that she had been imposed unon. I didn't argue because I wanted to pre serve peace and continue my very pleasant conversation, but I could Hardly agree at Tieart that a shell- swept town was the place for a young lady. It is a grand and pleasant sight to watch our planes soar over Jerry's lines, iney are continually in the air and soar about among hostile shrapnel puffs without taking the least notice. It gives one a thrill to watch them dive and duck. Jerry comes dangerouslv near sometimes. but he never daunts the nerve of the allied flyers. They play about over the enemy's lines with apparently no thought of themselves. Young, strapping and fearless, I believe that the allied flyers are the bravest bodv of men in the world. Thev are all youthful and do not know rear. The weather is clear and warm this afternoon and I just stepped to tne aoor or tne hut to wntrh the Archies popping at our observation balloons. The Dutchman's shrapnel is bursting all around the big, lazy looking bags, but thev 'carrv on' without the least notice. There are about one million jobs in this war that I prefer to being a balloon ob- server. LITTLE AMERICAN BLEW . UP A LARGE GERMAN A little American, "a shrimp of a man," outwitted a huge German in a deadly grapple on the Marne battle- iel(i, shj-s neuter's corresDondent at American headquarters. ihe German wa3 about to finish the American with his bavonet. The American grabbed a grenade from his belt, fumbled with his fingers un till he loosened ihe safety catch, and then thrust the grenade into the Ger man's pocuet. With sudden terror the German realized the American'! intention, but before he could coun ter it was too late. There was not enough left of his equipment, the correponaent aaas, to provide the quick-thinking little American with a souvenir. - .' ; . , ,, f SLIGHT 1NCSEASI IN ' FR1CES C7 WIISAT . Nona Carolina farmers will re ceive from 15 to 20 cents per bushel mors for this year's crop of wheat man uiey aid ior last year's, accord ing to a statement from food admin istrators. The 'whole policy of the food administration grain corpora tion for the stabilization of the flour and wheat industries has been chang ed and under the new permanent plan maximum prices are, in effect, fixed for flour and for mill feeds. Each mill in the state has its own individual basis and the average prices in the state are approximately $10.85 per barrel for flour and 132.50 per ton for mill feeds. These prices are bulk, car lots, at mills, and mills are allowed to add cost of bags and, where the products are sold to retail ers or consumers, they are allowed to aaa one dealer s profit. According to the permanent plan of the grain corporation, the average "fair price" for wheat in North Car olina is approximately $.45 per bushel on a basis of No. 1 red winter wheat. The price for No. 2 wheat would be $2.41 and the nrire for N 3, into which most of the wheat in North Carolina this year will fall would be approximately $2.38, with poorer grades ranging lower. These prices of wheat are not fixed. The mills are allowed a defi nite "spread" on their milling opera tions, and they will naturally pay such a price for wheat as is warrant, ed by the prices they receive for flour. This year, to a greater extent than last, prices of flour and feeds will be regulated by the law of sup ply and demand. In all probability wheat will sell at the mills in North Carolina at $2.35 to $2.40 per bush el, although a considerable portidn of light wheat will sell -at l r level. GOVERNOR PROCLAIMS AUG. 1 AS JEWISH RELIEF DAY Gov. Bickett has proclaimed Mon day, Aug. 19, as Jewish relief day in North Carolina for the people of the state to be given an opportunity to help stricken Jews in the war zone. Daily Jewish babies tug frsntlcal 7 areagt that are withered and dry, reads the proclamation, "and above the din of battles is heard once more the voice of Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be com forted because they are not. xr ' cai1 uPon &0d People of North Carolina to hearken to rhi cry, to rally to the help of the help-1 loan o v a ' a . I 'co again to snow them selves worthy of the high service they are privileged to render. The hounded, hungering Jew can well of ford to die. We cannot afford, by indifference and inaction, to have his blood on our hands," the governor says. The past can never be undone. The food you should have conserved will never reach a hungry mouth. The only tear we can shed with a smile is the profiteer. Buy LENOIR " v . ' . KIJTr.:CTICN3 AFFECTING ' WAX CONTRACT WCAXmS Ths United States department of labor has issued a bulletin to all state labor commissioners setting forth the restrictions applicable to child labor employed on war contracts. The bul letin reads: . "Laws and restrictions relative to labor: All work required is carrying oat this contract shall be performed in full compliance with the laws of the state, territory or District of Co lumbia where sucn labor is perform ed. The contractor shall not directly or indirectly employ in the perform ance of this contract any minor un der the age of 14 years, or permit any minor between the ages of 14 and 16 to work more than eight hours in any one day, more than six 4y in any one week, or before 6 a.m. or after 7 a.m. This provision shlal be of the essence of the contract" RELATIVES OF SOLDIERS 1 SUE RAILROAD COMPANY ' Twos.uits for $50,000 each have' been filed in Asheville against the A. C. L. Railway Company on ac- i count of the death of Privates Phil- I eas C. Swann of Asheville and Wal ter C. Bryson of Candler, who were killed in the wreck of a troop train near Camp Jackson May 10 of this year. The suits are brought by A. P. Bryson and Mrs. Emma V. Swann, mother of Private Swann. The Chinese .government has ap propriated $100,000 to finance the sending of a Chinese regiment to Vladivostok, says an Associated Press dispatch from Peking. The date of the departure of the regiment has not been fixed. Wash the Woolen Soda Ym Knit with Grandma GRANDRU'S Powdered Soap Your Grocer Has It! Paint is High BUT is Going HIGHER PAINT NOW USE STAG TRADE MARK War Savings Stamps BernhardtSeagle Co. Wholesale and Retail HARDWARE AND FURNITURE - - NORTH CAROLINA Keep Your Tires In Good Condition We era now able to five you the beat of sarvica the kind that will make auto ownership a real pleas ura BRING YOUR TIRE TROUBLES TO US THE LENOIR VULCANIZING CO. J. H. Gilbert R. L. hb.ll Proprietor BUY WAR SAVINGS STAMPS. sting" Sisii BIG, "tot", babbles," dirt-chaetnf sods! RaaL honest, cleatdaff rods vtp la cold water. GMoes MdB tads taaTcleaa ttte awgfe Soa, BtiUteas of 'ens taat sarf tares the dotaes end siatBiv trim eat every pettide oV dM. Water tefteav ere, wataiaf powders and bar seas raey aeoarewa away wkea GRAND MA eoaaes te year bease. 'Taw patwto'tae aatftaeeest GRANDMA claaas ewythiaf, area the flaest cfefea. witaeot iejery. Had eat abewt GRANDMA try her ea year aest wash day, Yoa'a aevet waste bar sospagimeamyaaaaeGRANDllA. 3 . Hi. I f .;em Bsy more War Saviaei Sinaap.
Lenoir News-Topic (Lenoir, N.C.)
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Aug. 9, 1918, edition 1
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