Macon Beacon

U.S. WARSHIP GOES
TO AID OF VESSEL

AMERICAN STEAMSHIP ARRIVES
AT FRENCH PORT AFTER
HARD BATTLE.

U-BOAT ABANDONS ATTACK

A French Seaport. - Escaping from a German submarine after a bitter fight lasting nearly four hours, and with seven of her crew wounded, two of them seriously an American steamer has arrived here from an American port.

The timely intervention of an American torpedo boat alone saved the ship from being sent to the bottom.

A few hours after the vessel had entered the danger zone a lookout sighted a submarine on the port bow, but before he had time to report its presence the submarine fired a shot which missed the stern of the ship by but a few yards. The captain immediately sent out a wireless call for assistance as the position of the submarine was such that escape was nearly impossible.

The chief gunner of the steamer opened fire at a range of 9,000 yards, but all the shots fell short. The submarine kept maneuvering to keep out of the range of the steamer's guns, at the same time maintaining a running fire in an effort to disable them. The merchant ship, after altering her course, started at full speed in an attempt to escape.

The stubbornness of the battle is indicated by the fact that the submarine fired 234 shots at the steamer, which responded with more than 260 shots.

After the fight had continued for about two hours and several shots had struck the ship, wounding four men, one shell hit the vessel and exploded in the engine room, putting the engines out of commission and rendering the ship helpless. The German commander then approached nearer and the submarine continued to rain shells upon the disabled craft.

A high sea was running and there seemed little hope of saving the ship, when a low streak of black smoke was sighted on the horizon. It proved to be an American torpedo boat destroyer, which had heard the steamer's call for help, and, coming at full speed, running right into the sea, and at times nearly disappearing from view.

The destroyer immediately made for the submarine, which dived and disappeared beneath the surface. The American warship circled about the spot, dropping a few depth charges, but no more signs of the U-boat were seen.

The engineers had great difficulty in repairing the steamer's engine, and during the night the destroyer and the merchantman lost each other, but finally the steamer made port in safety.