Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1915-02-26
AMERICAN STEAM SHIP EVELYN,
LOADED WITH COTTON, SUNK
IN NORTH SEA.
CAPTAIN AND CREW SAVED
Nationality of Mine Which Did the De-
struction Not Established-Ger-
many Disclaims Responsibility,
as She Needs Cotton Badly.

many OiscIaims Responsibility,
as She Needs Cotton Badly.
Bremen The American steamship
Evelyn which sailed from New York
on January 20 with a cargo of cotton
for Bremen, struck a mine Sunday off
Borkum island, in the North sea. The
vessel sank. Her captain and 81 of
her crew were saved. The nationality
of the mine which destroyed the Eve
Ign has not been established.
The Evelyn is the first American
vessel to meet with disaster as a re
suit of the sea warfare of the Euro
pean nations. 1t did not sink within
the war zone included in the German
admiraltys decree of February A.
which went into effect Feb. IS. Bor-
KUN island lies directly off the Ger
man coast, at the mouth of the Ems
river, and is German territory.
Maritime records give the compile
ment of the Evelyn at 25 men, so that
it is probable that all on board the
vessel were rescued.
The Evelyn was a single screw steel
steamship and was commanded by
Captain Smith. 1t was owned by the
firm of Harriss, Irby & Vose of New
York and carried a cargo of cotton to
Bremen. 1t was 252 feet long and 1885
tons net. 1t was built in Southampton,
England, in 1888. Its home port was
Philadelphia.
The Evelyn was last reported as ar
irving at Rotterdam on February II.
While the extent of sea zones of war
proclaimed by Germany was never de
fined exactly, the Borkum islands are
considered far distant from the danger
areas of submarines, although the wa
ters of that vicinity are filled with
mines for defensive purposes, through
which Germany always has piloted in
coming ships At the German embassy
it was pointed out that the accident
must have been caused by a mine, as
Germany, sOrely i'm need of cotton
would have no object in torpedoing a
vessel laden with such a cargo fol
German consumption.
Early press dispatches from Berlin
announcing the loss of the vessel by g
= mine caused somewhat of sensation
in this capital where the tension has
been more or less pronounced over the
situation in the war zones since the
dispatch of warning notes by the Uni
ted States to both Great Britain anc
| Germany 1t was conceded informal
~ that if the cause of the accident was
mine there probably would be nc
ground for diplomatic action by the
United States, as the laying of mines
is not prohibited by any international
convention now in force.
Berlin BIames England.
Berlin to advices receiv
ed here Captain Smith of the American
steamer Evelyn has informed the Ger
man authorities that his ship came tC
grief through the advice of British
naval boarding officer, who instructed
him to follow the course on which he
struck the mines, instead of the north
erly course, as laid down in the Ger
man instructions. The disaster occur
red at 4 o'clock Friday morning anC
the Evelyn sank seven hours later
Captain Smith, Dutch pilot, and l;
men drifted in a row boat initial Sat
urday afternoon when they We're res
cued by a German patrol boat
TWO MORE SUNK.
Another American steamer the
Carib, has been destroyed by mine
off the German coast, while thirC
Norwegian steamer, the kegin, has
been torpedoed or destroyed by {
mine off Dover In the case OF the
, Regin all the crew were saved by
b British destroyers, and although no
, stated in the dispatches from Berlin
it is believed that the crew of The
) Carib also escaped. The governmen
collier Branksome is reported to have
, struck mine or was torpedoed il
, the English channel Tuesday after
, noon The crew is reported safe.
passed by the Idaho legislature toda,
was the Johnson act, house bill 50
putting on the statute books the nee
essary machinery to put into effec
the initiative. referendum and recall
The act applies to the state, counties
ond citiac