The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-11-16
hNCUNA KNOWN
AS RESCUE SHIP
First Passenger Liner Tor
paacSa Since tho Arabic.
WENT TO AID OF SAINT ANNA

For Several Months Before Itaiy's En-.
trance Into War Ancona Was En-
gagged In Carrying italian Reservists
From This Country and Supplies For
Italian Government.
Following the sinking by a large sub
marine of the Italian liner Ancona, Il
was recalled that recently Count Won
Bernstorff, the German ambassador,
announced that he had received an Of
hcial communication from Berlin to the
effect that German submarines had re-
Gently sunk tweDty-three vessels, in
cluding four transports. belonging to
the allies in Mediterranean waters.
The Ancona is the first passenger liner
torpedoed since the Arabic.
The Ancona was comparatively
new steamship. and since the entrance
Of Italy into the war she had carried
large quantities Of munitions, horses
and reservists from this port She last
left New York on Oct II and arrived
on Oct. 20 at Naples, where most Of her
cargo was unloaded.
The Ancona was a twin screw ves-
sci Of 5000 tons displacement. She
was 4S2 feet in length. So feet in beam
and had depth of "a feet. She was
built ut Belfast, Ireland, III 1908.
The AncODa had been In the Italian
line service for six years and without
her cargo was valued at more than
$1,OOO.OOO.
Rescued SAINT Annals Passengers.
The Ancona played prominent part
In the rescue of passengers from the
burning Fabre liner SAINT Anna in mid
Atlantic Oh Sept. II. She went to the
SAINT Annals aid and took off more
than 600 passengers. The SAINT Anna
carried more than 1000 passengers,
but succeeded in checking the fire and
proceeded to the Azores without fur
ther assistance.
For several months before Italy's en-
trance into the war the Ancona was
engaged In carrying home Italian re-
servists from this country and supplies
for the Italian government. On one OF
her trips from New York to Naples
! late In August last year the Ancona
was stopped by the British at Gibral-
tar, and twenty-four Germans and one
Austrian were taken off.
Late last summer the Ancona left
here for Italy with $4,000 bushels Of
wheat. 1000 tons Of hay and 500
horses for the italian government. On
the same voyage she carried 800 Ital-
fans in the steerage. who went back
because it was said at the time that
they could not get work on the New
York subway.
All Her Crew Italians.
When the ADcona left New York on
her last voyage from there. Oct. II,
she was In command of Captain Pietro
Massardo. All Of her officers. engine
room force and members of the crew
were Italians, who shipped from Italy.
Next to Gibraltar. Bizerta. Africa.
where the survivors were landed. is
probably the best lair in the Mediter-
ranean for y boats to prey on the mer-
chant ships and troop ships of the al
lies. Lying opposite the southeastern
point Of Sicily. where the African coast
swings out until channel Of scarcely
200 miles is left between the main
land and the island. IT offers an ideal
scene for submarine operations.
Largely because OF its strategic sit
uation Blzerta. next TO Toulon. IS the
greatest French naval base on the
Mediterranean. 1t has large bay.
protected by Cape Blanc. from the
storms that blow in from the strait.
while about fifty miles to the eastward
lies the great French commercial port
of Tunis.