The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-08-12
REEF MAY HAVE
WRECKED TITANIC
Part Of Vessels Hull Sighted
at Scene Of Disaster.
PROTRUOED FROM WATER.

Report of Liners Captain Believed to
be Important by Naval offeial-May
Establish Contention That Ship Was
Torn by Sunl<en Ledge as Well as
by Giant Iceberg.
Much of the mystery that surround
ed the sinking of the White Star liner
Titanic ON April IA, 1912, may be dis
PEELED by the discovery of wreck, be-
lieved to be part OF the hulk of the i'll
starred vessel, standing on end in the
Atlantic ocean off the grand banks of
Newfoundland, practically in the spot
where the disaster occurred.
Captain Remnant of the British
steamship Luciline, which arrived at
Philadelphia from Bordeaux some time
ago, reported sighting the derelict, and
the United States photographic office
has begun an investigation to learn
more about the wreck. Lieutenant
Commander 'Landenberger, United
States photographer, stationed in Phil
adelphia, attaches much importance to
the report.
May be Titanic.
Should the wreckage sighted by the
Luciline prove to be part of the re-
mains of the Titanic the story of the
memorable wreck would be rewritten.
The fact that after more than year
the hulk stands vertically in the
waves, protruding eight feet or more
above the surface, would indicate that
submerged ledge of rock had pre-
vented the wreck from going to the
actual bottom of the sea. If such a
ledge exists-and evidences of one
were reported as long ago as 1722-
then it is regarded as possible that the
foundering of the Titanic was caused
by the hidden obstruction ripping open
her hull as much as by her collision
with the iceberg.
Should these theories prove to be
facts, Captain Smith, who was in
command of the Titanic and perished
when his vessel went down, might be
absolved, 1t is said, of the charge Of
lack of vigilance and damage suits
against the International Mercantile
Marine based on the disaster would
fall, admiralty lawyers say, for the
same reason.
Captain Remnant of the Luciline be-
lieves that what he saw was the
wreck of the Titanic or part of il. 1t
was covered with marine growth of
comparatively recent formation, tend
ing to show that it had been in the
water little more than year. 1t had
the appearance, Captain Remnant said,
Of being held down by anchors in shoal
water and Of being buoyed up by wa
ter tight compartments. He is of the
opinion that it was the forward part
of the Titanic, which, it was said, split
in two just before it sank.
Sunken Ledge May Exist.
Mariners say there is every reason
to believe the existence of a submerg
ed ledge of rock at or near the spot
where the Titanic was destroyed.
| Three different distractions of such
character have been reported and
the calculations of the position of the
grave of the Titanic as well as those
of the sunken rocks and of the wreck
reported by Captain Remnant are all
approximate.
| Lieutenant Commander Landenberg-
er, united States photographer, said
in discussing the report that the mat
ter is one of the utmost Importance.
He asserted that the government
should dispatch surveying vessel to
the scene OF the disaster to establish
or disprove at once the existence Of
the sunken ledge and to ascertain If
possible If the wreck seen by the Brit
ish officer was that of the i'll fated
Titanic.