"SILAS Q. SWING."

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 209, 15 September 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

"SILAS Q. SWING."

miS OWN VERSION OF A KIPLING STORY.

By HENRY SIYDAM,

/Special Correspondent of the Brooklyn "Eagle.")

Mr. Rudyard Kiprng s account of the exploits of E 11 in the Sea of Marmora contains a British version of an .exceedingly entertaining encounter between a British submarine and a Turk ish transport laden with munitions. Mfr ■ vers'on is the Turkish aspect of the ■same incident. 1 have a somewhat wide personal knowledge of the act'vity of British submarines in the Marmora (he says in tha "Daily Mail"), gained through several voyages through dangerous Turkish waters during the Galli. poli campaign, and my first information regarding E 11 came directly from Admiral von Usedom, who commanded the entire Dardanelles defence. What he told me jn the cultivated English he had learned while entertaining English guests on l>oard the the imperial yacht Hohenzollern, which he comanded, is necessarily privileged information. What Raymond E. Swing, of the "Chicago "Daily News," told zne about E 11 js fair game. I returned tto Constantinople from Gallipoli at midnight on May 30, 1915 Immediately I had retired there was a bud disturbance outside my door, and t»wing burst into my room. He was excited, and with difficulty controlled his voice, although his experience of Brit ish submarines was six days old. "I've heen torpedoed," ha exclaimed. "In ihe Sea of Marmora by a British submarine. Lost everything. N'ce young lieutenant ordered lis off - quick. We obeyed. Here I am." Swing, although Mr. Kipling labelled him as "Silas Q." is not that sort of American. He began his voyage from Constantinople in the Turkish transport Nagara discussing Wagner with a young German physician who was his fellow-passenger. "At midnight I got into my sleeping • '■'t>ag, with a life preserver under my .head for a pillow, and tried to snatch some sleep," said Swing. "The talk i had heard in Constantinople i&bout "British submarines in the Marmora Jiept running thVough my head. I "-xhoughti I'd make an experiment. 1 said to myself suddenly:—" Submarines!'' I quickly unbuttoned the bag, .-leaped out, strapped on the life-belt and ran to the rail, ready to jump overboard. After a few rehearsals I found I could probably get into the sea within ten seconds.

"Our engines stopped at two o'clock the following morning, and I ran up to the bridge, where a young naval officer -who had once spent three days in Ost<end studying English was in command " 'Why are iwe stopping?' I asked. " 'We make soundings,' lie said "Perhaps you go back sleep.' " Swing ate a hearty breakfast and explored the Nagara. He d : scovered :» £in. gun and other jtems of cargo whoso purposes were obviously belligerent The German physie.in heeame poiturbed when Swing informed him that sfchey were aboard a floating arsenal "But I never lose sleep over mere supposit : ons," said Swing. "I do not -Relieve there there are any Britsh sul>marines jn the Sea of Marmora. iMero hazaar chatter, mere . . ." ' The water of the Mhrmora was sud--■tJenlv churned greenish white. A black submarine rose to the surface confidingly close to the Nagara, and on its bow was painted the rnite symbol E 11 Somehow, some time later —minutes *or hours, Swing has forgotten which - he found himself on the jlower deck participating in an impromptu Mohammedan prayer meeting. The Nagara -ivas still forging ahead and the crew were listening intently to a curious sound: ping . . . ping . . ping. ... The Turkish lieutenant leaned over Tthe bridge rail, shouting to Swing:---"They fire on us! . . . They tire! . . . Speak English. . . You must ■talk with them. . . Speak nicely to -the English. . ." ' The upper half of a British sailor projected from the conhng-tower He held a shining rifle in his hands and was joyously sniping [various persons on board the Nagara with Brit : sh -mpartialitv. The Nagara came to an abrupt halt/the sniping stopped, the Turk'sh crew were furiously bumping foreheads against the deck in devout supplication toward Mecca. Berlin, New York, Tok, io. and London. - Submarne and transport lay s de bv motionless, quiet. But only for a moment; the German physician, strapped to a life-belt, leaped overboard with a thumping splash, and a loud sound like an indignant porpoise arose. A British naval officer (either Iveutenant-Comm.ander M. E. Nasinith or Lieutenant D'Oyloy Hughes) appeared from the bowels of Ell " Hereminded me of an American football plaver," Swing said. "He wore a dirty white jacket and no hat. and he was rather pleasant." The young officer Jiad a natural curiosity to learn what ship he ha doverhauled. Employing a solid nautical phrase in its most teclnr<:al sense, and expectng only a Turkish gibberish in reply, he shouted to the Nagara : —" Who are you?" "Swing, of tm? Chicago 'Daily New?,"' came a quavering"reply.

EM GOING TO SINK YOU " The British officer returned Swing's :-,alutat ; on. "It's delightful to meet you, and all that." said the Briton, •' hut I'm really rather keen on learning more about yom sli'p." "This is the Nagara, from Constantinople," said Swing. "What cargo are you carrying?" asked the officer.

"I'm not quite cartain," said Swing who felt that it was no part of his dutp .as a neutral correspondent attached to j belligerent army to give information to the enemy. "Sorry, I'm going to sink you," saul the British officer, after slight deliberation. "I'll give you time to get off, •nit he (iir'ck." When Swing regained the upp.or dock only one lifeboat remained unlaunehod. Turkish and Moorish sailors were clustered about it, each man pulling a different rope in a different direction and ;u hVvinji absolute immobility. El' watched the confusion with mounting impatience. An enemy destroyer lurking in those green Thracian coves might scoot out at any mom/Hit. The must lie destroyid without fuitTier pario;.

ORDERS- VIA SWINO. And there is something which Mr. Kiping overlooked, probably because Lit-utenant-Comander Nasmith, regard, ing tho circumstance as routine, failed to record it in the, hu of E 11. The British officer on Ell's deck atualiy gave diretions to the Turks, through -Swing, how to lower their last boat ii safety. Lieutenant D'Oyley Hughes went aboard the Nagara, performed certain mvsfcerious rites, and returned to F 11 • For an instant there was silence.'' -aid Swing. "Our boats lav clustcre I ioiif-ther a few hundred yards off. \V • suddenly felt very lonely. A thin v sp of smoke was drifting from Hie Tfaaara's funnel. . . ." Thora was a tremendous ovp 1 ■)••. Amidships the Nagara burst into flnr.ior.nd smoke shattfjyfng ' l . l". :l thousand fragments, which fell ' i« h • tnto tho water. Ell had disappeared.