The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-05-05
AMERICAN VESSEL
WAS TORPEDOED
BY a German Under.Sea
Raider.
THE CAPTAIN DIED OF SHOCK
Two Of the Victims Crew
Jumped Overheard and
Were Drowned.
SOME STIR AT WASHINGTON

London, May 2.-The American
oil tank steamer Gulfight, which
sailed from Port Arthur, Texas, APP
ril 10, for Rouen, was torpedoed by
German submarine at noon Satur-
day off the Scilly Islands, according
to a dispatch received to-day by the
Central News Agency.
The Captain of the Gulfight. ac-
cording to the same advices, died of
heart disease as result of shock.
Two seamen jumped overheard and
were drowned.
The other members of the crew,
4, numbering 33, were taken off by
patrol boat and landed. The yes
sci was towed into Crow Sound and
beached.
The Gulfiight was a steel vessel
of 3,2O2 tons net and was built at
Camden, N. j., in 1914. She was
owned by the Gulf Refining Com
pany. The vessel was 3S3 feet long.
81 feet beam and 80 feet deep. She
was equipped with wireless teleg-
raphy apparatus.
Stir At Washington.
Washington, May 2.-Press re-
ports of the torpedoing of the
American steamer Gulflight and the
loss of her Captain and two men,
bers of the crew created a stir to-
night in official circles here, where
the seriousness of the occurrence
was admitted.
In the absence of President
Wilson, officials made no comment
as to the probable action of the
United States Government beyond
saying that thorough inquiry as
to the manner of the torpedoing
and the responsibility for it would
first be required before decision
could be reached as to the kind of
representations to be made.
If first reports are borne out. the
attack on the Gulfiight constitutes
the first case of an American ship
struck by torpedo with the conse-
quent loss of life.
Two American vessels have been
sunk by mines. the responsibility
for which never has been fixed, and
an American, Leon c. Thresher,
was drowned when the British ship
Falaba was torpedoed.
The United States Government
has just completed its investigation
of the Thresher case, bat in view of
the direct attack on an American
vessel now reported it was thought
to be probable that both incidents
will be dealt with in whatever dip
lomatic action is taken.
IL was generally recalled tonight
that In the note sent by the United
States to Germany in answer to
Germany's proclamation of war
zone around the British Isles and
ireland, the Washington Govern
ment stated that 1t would hold the
German government ito strict &C
countability" for the loss of any
American lives or vessels. the phras-
eology being SO drawn as to cover
attacks on belligerent vessels on
which Americans We're travelling.
Ofhcials said at the time that the
purpose of the document was to in
sist on the right of Americans to
voyage on the high seas even on
belligerent merchantmen. and upon
the observance Of previous rules of
international law. which provide for
the transfer to places Of safety of
non-combatants aboard unarmed
merchantmen.
The course OF the United States
in the case of the. Gulhight is not
likely to be determined for several
days. Some time probably will be
required TO get the facts.
In diplomatic quarters the attack
on the Gulhight recalled similar ex-
periences Of other neutral craft with
German submarines. A Norwegian
and Dutch steamer were torpedo
ed recently. but SO far as could be
recalled by ofhcials here, no lives
were lost.
In these cases the German Gov