Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-09
SONOMA Is SAFE IN PORT
Left New York Several Hours Ahead
of the Repair Ship.
ANXIOUS INQUIRIES ARE MADE
Missing Vessel, It Is Thought, Was
Blown Out of Course by
Recent Gales.

The arrival of the tug Sonoma at Guam
tanamo at an early hour this morning
has confirmed the naval officials here in
their view that, so far from being over
due. the repair ship Panther probably
will not arrive at her destination before
tomorrow.
This view is based on the fact that the
Panther is a slower vessel than the more
modern Sonoma and on the further fact
that the latter vessel cleared from New
York several hours ahead of the repair
ship So it is regarded as improbable
that he vessels were in sight of one an
other at any stage of the voyage, espe-
cally in view of the thick weather that
prevailed during the first few days.
Probably Met Gales.
Although no word had been received
from the Panther. Navy Department Off
cials today still protested their convic-
tion that the vessel had been blown out
OF it's course by the gales that recently
have lashed the Atlantic coast, and that
ii would report only when it had Joined
The battleship fleet off Guantanamo.
cuba The ship was due there Thursday
Throughout the night the operating Off
GERS of the Navy Department were be-
sieged by anxious inquirers. however. and
the uncertainty seemed TO nave mad It's
effect on them.
Commander Louis r. de Steiguer COM
mands the Panther. whose other OFF,
GERS are Lieut.. Louis p. Davis, Ensign
John b. Staley. Ensign Ernest w. Nc
Kee. Ensign William III. Stiles. jr.. En-
sign Walter W. Webster, Assistant Sur
geon George r. w. French, Passed As
sistant Paymaster Fred f. McMillen
chief Boatswain John Law. Chief Ma
chinist George X. c. Thompson. Machin-
,fyni- a RI a
Swanberg. Chief Carpenter Louis Haase
Paymaster's Cler' Joseph A. Rebentlsch
and Paymasters Clerk Maurice T. Scan
ian. She carries ia men.
Commander of Sonoma.
The Sonoma is commanded by Chief
I:oatswain William Darlington. with
whom are Chief Machinist John r.
I.ikens and Boatswan Dallas Wait, be-
sides thirty-fve men.
The Panther formerly was the Vene-
Zuela Of the Red u line and was purchas-
ed by the navy for S375.0OO during the
Spanish war. She conveyed the first de-
tachment of American marines to be
landed on Cuban SOIL She is an iron
schooner-rigged steamship 800 feet long:
40 foot beam, of 1880 tons displacement
and was built by the Cramp Shipbuilding
Company at Philadelphia In 1850.
he Sonoma is a steel tub built by the
New York Shipbullding Company Oh lam
den, N j., and turned over to the gov
eminent last August. She is 1l5 feet
long, 70 beam and of about LILO tons
displacement
Memorandum Is Issued.
To allay apprehension for the safety OF
the Panther. the Navy Department has
issued the following memorandum:
The Panther left New York at noon
January . 1t is 1,34o miles to Guantan-
amo. Under favorable weather conditions
the Panther would make about nine knots
an hour making her due at Guantanamo
a. : pm January :. Bad weather was
undoubtedly encountered, which would re-
suit in reduced speed or change or
course making the route longer.
Last year at this time. when heavy
weather also was experienced. the Pan
ther took exactly seven days for pas
sage from Hampton roads to Guantan-
amo. New York is 235 miles farther dis
ant from Guantanamo than is Hampton
roads Therefore. II is fair to allow about
eight days on this occasion for the pas
sage making the Panther due at Guam
tanamo on this basis on the afternoon OF
January TO-"