The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-06-02
HIT BY SUBMARINE
saw NO SUBMARINE BUT GER
TAIN WAS TORPEDO
NO POSITIVE STATEMENT
Captain Green Sticks to Remark That
it Was Either Mine or Torpedo
But Makes no Suggestion as to His
Belief-Washington Waits All In
Information to Arrive
Information to Arrive.

The American steamer NebraSkan
which was disabled Tuesday night b.
an explosion off the coast Of Ireland
arrived at Liverpool Friday shortl!
before midnight, The captain said
Il saw no submarine, but am Ger
tain it was a torpedo which hit u.s.
Moreover a submarine could no
have failed to see our name and ma
tionality, which was outlined IN huge
letters on our sides.
Members of the crew of the Nebras
kan were agreed that the explosion
was caused by a torpedo. The for
ward part of the ship is wrecked.
Lieut.. Powers, the attache, was &C
companied to Liverpool by Nava
Constructor Mcbride, who is expect
ed to make an examination with the
hope of ascertaining dehnitel!
whether the Nebraskan was damaged
by mine or torpedo.
The captains affidavit will be for
warded to the state department as
soon as Lieut.. Powers reaches Lon
don, but any decision as to action by
the American government probably
will be delayed until the construc'
tors report is received.
In his first report to Consul Cen
eral Skinner, at London, by tele-
graph, Capt. Green said his ship
either struck mine or was torpe'
doed, and officials think his affidavit
may not be more definite.
The United States government had
received Thursday night several mes
sages from Ambassador Page and
Consul General Skinner in London
and a statement from Capt. Green OF
the American steamer Nebraskan,
but from all information thus far
available it has been impossible to
determine whether the explosion on
the steamer Neoraskan Thursday was
caused by mine or torpedo.
Many officials are inclined to be-
lieve the ship struck floating mine
Naval officials say the upward explo-
sion as described by Capt. Green is
OF a character more likely to nave
been caused by a mine than a tor
pedo.
Ambassador Page cabled the state
department that Capt. Green had
given the naval attache OF the en-
bassy o sworn statement at Liverpool
concerning the explosion on his snip
off the Irish coast Tuesday and that
the attache was returning to London.
: Any diplomatic action as 4 resu:.
OF the incident will be deferred until
there is definite proof OF the cause
of the explosion.
Should it develop that the Vessel
was to1pedoed the fact that her flag
had been lowered few minutes be-
fore, at sundown, would have no
bearing on the action of the Amerl-
can government, which always mas
insisted upon the exercise of the rlgnt
of visit and search before an attack
upon any merchantmen.
II it is proved that the Nebraskan
hit mine, the case would be similar
to the mishaps to the American cot
ton ships Evelyn and Carlb, whlch
struck mines, the responsibility for
which has never been fixed:
There is no international conven-
ton in force relatives to the laying OF
mines.
Count Won Bernstorff the German
ambassador, presented a memoran-
dunn to the state department stating
that mines laid by Germany become
harmless when unloosed. Previous
II the British government had given
the United States similar assurances.
Berlin reports: No information is
available here regarding the topedo-
ing Of the American steamer Neoras-
kan off the Irish coast Tuesday night.