Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-28
TORPEDO SINKS
A FRENCH Liner;
many SHIPS LOST
Seventy-Nine Killed When Pas
senger Steamer is Sent to Bot
tom by Shell of Sub
marine Vessel.
VARIOUS CRAFT ARE DESTROYED
Boat with American Owned Cargo
Worth Two Million Dollars
One of Victims.
NO AMERICANS ON BOARD SHIP


WASHINGTON, ID. c.. Dec. 27.--
Seventy-nine persons were drowned
In the destruction of the French line
Vile e la Citoat, the American con-
sui at Malta reported today to the
State department. No Americans
were aboard. The ship. he reports,
was torpedoed without warning at
1915 o'clock on December "a and
sunk in fifteen minutes.
The American consul reported
further that the rescued we're picked
up by Moss liner after they had
been in small boats two hours. The
torpedoed ship, the consul reported,
was on its way from Japan, China
and Hawaii. to Marseilles.
The lost included one woman. a
first class passenger, a stewardess
and two children.
sunk without warning.
PARIS. Dec. 27--The French steamer
Villa DE La Ciotat. with passengers on
board was torpedoed without warning ana
sunk In the Mediterranean by a suh-
marine on December "a, the ministry
Of marine announced today. Most OF tho
passengers and members OF the crew
have been rescued.
The statement follows:
The steamer villa De Ia Ciotat was
torpedoed and sunk on the gath I'm the
Mediterranean by an enemy submarine
without warning A majority o. the pas
sengers and crew were picked up by AZ
English steamer Details have not been
received"
The villa De La Ciotat was one OF
the largest steamships sunk recently in
the Mediterranean. Its gross tonnage was
6.S7S. II was 4s7 feet long and so feet
beam 1t was built at la Ciotat. France
in 1S94 and was owned by the Messageries
Masitines of Marseilles. II was last
reported on its arrival at Saigon, Indo-
China. on December 1. on a voyage from
Yokohama. TO Marseiries.
belgian Steamship sunk.
LONDON. peo. 27.-SsinlSing of the Bel
CLAN steamer Ministre Beernaett Is an
nounced. The crew left the steamer In
boats. two OF which are missing.
The British steamer Cottingham of 5ls
tons has been sunk. Tho crew was saved.
The $500 ton British steamship Yeddo
from Calcutta. November "a. for Boston
and New York has been sunk. The crew
was saved.
The British steamship Hadley has been
sunk and the steamer Umbia beached Mt
the mouth OF the Thames with fire for
ward The vessels crews were saved.
Cargo Worth $4,000, 900.
BOSTON. Dec. N.-The cargo OF the
steamer Yeddo bound for this port and
New York from Calcutta. was valued by
A C. Lombard q Co.. the local con-
signees at more than s2.OOO,OOO, although
its exact nature was not known as the
bills of lading have not yet arrived. When
last here. six months ago, the Yeddo was
commanded by Captain Brennant and
carried fifteen officers and a crew OF
sixty men,
Steamship Stockholm Held.
NEW YORK, Dec. z.-The Swedish
steamer Stockholm reached New York. re.
porting that on It's way from Gothen-
burg Sweden. 1t was taken into Kirkwall
by a British cruiser. December ls. and
held there three days, while flfty-eight
sacks OF suspected German mail were re-
moved by the British authorities.
The Stockholm formerly was the Pots
dam Of the Holland-American line.
American ship Condemned.
WASHINGTON. Dec. s7.-The steamer.
solveig. owned by the American Trans
atlantic company. has been condemned
by the French prize court. The owners
will appeal.
Flying a Norwegian flag. the solveig
was seized while in French port. Its
American papers reached its commander
a few days later. Suspected German
ownership is given as the cause for de-