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Show U-BOAT ATTACKS ! UNKNOWN Si OFF NANJUCKET British Steamer Arriving at an Atlantic Port Receives Wireless Call From Submarine Sub-marine Victim. VESSEL SHELLED BY THE GERMANS Place Indicated in Message Is Same Where the U-53 Made a Cleanup of English En-glish Merchantmen. AN ATLANTIC PORT, Sept. 15. Evidence that an enemy submarine has begun depredations in American waters was brought here today by two steamships steam-ships which yesterday morning picked up wireless "S. O. S." calls indicating that a ship was being shelled by a U-boat in the vicinity of Nantucket lightship. One ship receiving the distress calls was a British freighter and the other an American tanker. Both reported the scene of the attack as about sixty miles east of Nantucket and the time about 8 o'clock yesterday morning. The identity iden-tity of the submarine's victim was not learned by either vessel, as far as is publicly known. According to tho commander of the British vessel, the messages received by his wireless operator from the ship said she waB being shelled and reported her position, but only a part of her name could be heard the word " abby," which is the last Dame of soveral ships in Atlantic trade. Followed New Rule. The American tanker captain eon-firmed eon-firmed the British skipper's report, but 1 added no details. Following the new rule of the sea established since German submarine warfare, began, neither vessel ves-sel went to the assistance of the submarine sub-marine 's victim. Reports of the sighting of submarines or periscopes in American waters have been frequent since the United States entered the war, but the fact that in this case wireless messages telling of an attack by shell fire were picked up by two steamships gave today's reports the color of truth, in the opinion of shipping men. Furthermore, the captain of a third incoming vessel reported he had been instructed to watch out for submarines in western Atlantic waters. It was realized, however, that it was possible the messages were a hoax. Where U-53 Worked. The place where the attack was reported re-ported is in the steamship lane of trans-Atlantic trans-Atlantic ships calling at New York and in the vicinity of which last October Octo-ber the German submarine U-53 sank five steamships, sparing an American ship, as the United States was not then in trie war. Confirming the statement of the captain cap-tain of the British ship that the "S. O. S." call had been receiver!, a representative representa-tive of R. Iawrence Smith, Inc., agents of tho vessel, announced that the captain had stated that an American tank ship which arrived today and an American radio station alao received the signals of distress. Herd Wireless Call. "Captain Goodwin reported to us," the representative of the a pent s paid, "that at S o'clock yesterday morning when the ship was about thirty miles off tlie coast of Nantucket she heard a wireless call in the British code from a ship about thirty miles away that the ship was being- attacked by a submarine. Tlie messages mes-sages continued for several minutes and then was followed by the S. O. H., after which no further calls were received. Owing to a ruling by the British admiralty ad-miralty that no ships may (jo to the aid of a ship under attack by a submarine as protection to herself, the captain continued con-tinued on his course. "The captain further stated that an American tank ship, which nrrived at an American port today, also received the calls, as did an American radio station. At the time tlie mepsapea were received the vessels were about thirty miles apart, but the captain was unable to give the name of the vessel signalling: distress." Statement Is Confirmed. The captain of the American tanker, interviewed by a naval lieutenant, confirmed con-firmed the statement. It was learned that his ship also heard the distress calls. His vessel, he said, was less than twenty miles from the ship that wan bHni; shelled, but he, likewise following the new ruie of thf sen, did not ko to hr aid. A British steamer arriving today reported re-ported that she had received wirelfss warning fro?n the Cape Rare, Newfoundland New-foundland station, on Sept rmli'-r 13, of the presence of a submarine that "had been reported previously by another steamer. The exact location where the submarine whs sighted was not given. (ifficfrs of the stainr-r were of th opinion that the und-rwatr craft had been lurking in the Ft '-am ship );ne be-tw'-cn Halifax. St. Uwrnc rivr ports and Europe. They thought It likely also tha t ihe FuhmTsib'.e v-ported tod';i y as attacking a steamer off Nantucket might have ben th- one sighted previously in northern waters. It was pro t,j, !,. "they said, that she had 'f n driven Gf f t he northern course and ha d worked to the I southward in hope of catrhing unawares1 j vessels from American ports. ' I Hoax Suggested. I WASHINGTON, .Sept. l.V The navy department tonight had no confirma- ' tion of reports of a ho? ti le su bma ri net 1 (Continued on Page Two.) I U-BOAT ATTACKS Ml Sf (Continued from Page One.) off the north Atlantic coast. The only information it had was the statement of a British merchant captain that his ship had received a " S. 0. S. " call from another vessel saying she was attacked at-tacked by a U-boat, as forwarded by naval officers' to whom the captain reported. re-ported. Naval stations and patrol boats were instructed to keep a close watch for any raidpr. In the absence of confirmation, navy officers were inclined to think the wireless wire-less call might have been a hoax sent bv some amateur operator. |