New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-06
S|XTY-FOUR DROWN IN
GERMAN NAVAL CRASH
Cruiser Yorck Cuts Torpedo
Boat Destroyer in Two in
North Sea Maneuvres.
SIXTEEN MEN ARE SAVED
Captain of Little Graft Mis-
judges Distance While the
Fleet Steams at
Full Speed.
PREVIOUS NAVAL DISASTERS
THROUGH COLLISION.

HeIgoland, Germany. March 5.-SiXty-
four of the crew Of the German torpedo
boat S. lis were drowned. together
with their commanding officer, Lieu
tenant Koch, and the first officer, after
the little vessel had been rammed by
the cruiser Yorck off this island in the
North Sea last evening. The surgeon
and engineer and fifteen men of the
crew were saved. The torpedo boat
sank Immediately
Torpedo boat destroyer s. lis was
oneaof the most modern destroyers in
the German feet. She displaced 636
tons and carried a complement of
eighty-four officers and men.
SITS was returning during the night
from man9uvres in which she had
taken part with the German battleship
fleet, the cruiser squadron and sixty
four other torpedo boat destroyers.
The destroyers attempted to pass
through the intervals in the column OF
warships while they were steaming
ahead II full speed. The commander
Of the s. us calculated the distance
incorrectly and his boat was cut in
halves by the cruiser Yorck and sank
instantly.
The Yorck signalled the accident 10
the other vessels of the fleet, which
slowed down and cruised around in the
vicinity. flashing their searchlights in
all directions. Small boats were
lowered from all the vessels, and sue
ceeded in picking up two of the officers
and fifteen of the crew of the sunken
destroyer.
Similar accidents TO torpedo boat de-
stroyers of the German navy occurred
on July 10, 1912. when the battleship
Hessen rammed destroyer during
nanPuvres at Kiel. killing three men,
and again on September A. when the
Zaehringen rammed destroyer G.. III
off Ifelgoland, causing six of her crew
to lose their lives. Eleven torpedo
boats of the German navy have been
sunk i'm accidents since 1919.
Berlin. March J.-JoSeph I. Grew,
Secretary Of the American Embassy.
to-day went TO the Ministry of Marine
TO express TO Admiral Won Tirpitz the
condolences of America in connection
with the disaster to torpedo boat de-
stroyer S. lis, which is the worst that
has happened in the annals Of the mol
ern German navy.
Mr.. Grew afterward called on For
eign Minister Won Jagow on a similar
errand.
The cruiser Yorck belongs 10 that
type OF the German warship to which
the cruiser Room gives the name The
vessel was laid down in 1903. 1t car
rles four S.2-inch guns, ten 6-inch guns
and four torpedo tubes. The displace-
and the turbine engines are driven by
1900 horsepower.
The Yorck was launched in May.
1904, though work on her was begun
in April of the previous year, and she
was not finished until May, 1906. She
is Triple sCIeW CTuIbci, fVo4 icct i'Hb
at the water line, with a beam of Go
feet. Her maximum draft is 2oa4 feet,
and she is heavily armored with Krupp
steel plate. She carries thirty-two
guns in all and has crew of 551. She
was built by Blohm & Voss at cost Of
about S4,500,00O.
The torpedo boat s. lis. which was
OF the so-called Schichau type, had a
displacement of 636 tons and her speed
was 81 knots. She was turbine boat,
the turbines being made by the Mills
Pfenniger (SchichaW Company. Sac
could carry $50 tons of coal and was
fitted with guns ranging from two To
twenty-four pounds and torpedo tubes
from four 10 eighteen inches.