“At 5 P. M. I observed the City of Exeter across our bow and she signaled, ‘Have you heard anything of the disaster?’
“At that very moment I saw the periscope of a submarine between the Etonian and the City of Exeter. The submarine was about a quarter of a mile directly ahead of us. She immediately dived as soon as she saw us coming for her. I distinctly saw the splash in the water caused by her submerging.
[Illustration: CHARGING THROUGH BARBED-WIRE ENTANGLEMENTS.
The King’s Regiment of the British Army suffered heavily while trying to penetrate the enemy’s wire entanglement at Givenchy. Three lines of a perfect thicket of barbed-wire lay between them and the enemy. Only one brave officer even managed to penetrate the wire. (_Il. L. News copr._)]
[Illustration: A LAND MINE EXPLODED UNDERNEATH A SECTION OF THE ENEMY’S TRENCHES.
A method which has been known to blow forty men to pieces at once. By sapping and mining the gallery was dug almost to the enemy’s trenches underground and explosives placed, which were then fired by electric wire. The explosion hurled a piece of railroad iron weighing twenty-five pounds a distance of over a mile. (_Il. L. News copr._)]
“I signaled to the engine room for every available inch of speed, and there was a prompt response. Then we saw the submarine come up astern of us with the periscope in line afterward. I now ordered full speed ahead, and we left the submarine slowly behind. The periscope remained in sight about twenty minutes. Our speed was perhaps two miles an hour better than the submarine could do.
“No sooner had we lost sight of the submarine astern than I made out another on the starboard bow. This one was directly ahead and on the surface, not submerged. I starboarded hard away from him, he swinging as we did. About eight minutes later he submerged. I continued at top speed for four hours, and saw no more of the submarines. It was the ship’s speed that saved her. That’s all.
“Both these submarines were long craft, and the second one had wireless masts. There is no question in my mind that these two submarines were acting in concert and were so placed as to torpedo any ship that might attempt to go to the rescue of the passengers of the Lusitania.