Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-05-03

News Agency
The captain of the Gulflight. accord
ing TO the same advices, died of heart
failure as a result of shock. Two sea-
men Jumped overheard and were
drowned
The other members of the crew were
taken off by a patrol boat and landed.
The vessel was towed into Crow sound
and beached.
Reported by First Officer.
NEW YORK. May S-Confrmation of
the death of Capt. Alfred Gunter. when
his American oil tank steamer Gulflight
was torpedoed off the Scilly Islands. was
received here Yesterday by the Gulf Re-
fining Company. owner of the vessel. in a
"a blecram from First Officer Smith, which
also told of the loss of two of the crew.
Capt Gunter was fifty-two years old
and one of the oldest captains In the en-
ploy of the company Mrs Gunter, upon
receipt of news in her home in Bayonne.
n. J., said that her husband. although
born in Germany. was naturalized
American She declared he had ex-
pressed greater fears for his safety on the
preceding trip across when his vessel took
a cargo of cotton 10 Bremen.
Gulfieht a New Vessel.
The Gulhieht was a steel vessel of
3,20c tons net and was built at Camden.
N J.. in 1914 She was 3S3 feet long. 81
feet beam and 30 feet deep. She was
eouipped with wireless telegraphy appa-
ratus.
Capt. Gunter was commander of the
steamship Oklahoma. which went down
in a gale in January, 1914. off the New
Jersey coast. With several members of
the crew he escaped from the vessel in a
lifeboat and was picked up eventually
by another steamer.
Other Americans Lost.
The two Americans, in addition to
Cant. Gunter. who lost their lives were
Charles c. Short of Chicago. the wire
less operator. and Eugene Chapaneta
Of Port Arthur, Tex, a seaman. ac-
cording to cablegram received here
TODAY by the Gulf Refining Company.
owners Of the vessel.
The message. brief one. was signed
by First officer Ralph Smith. 1t said
that Capt Gunter died of heart dis
ease, and that Short and Chapaneta
were lost These were the two men. it
is believed, reported yesterday to have
Jumped from the vessel after she was
struck, and who were lost because of
lne 1OE THAT pi
Thirty-Eight Men Aboard.
Shorts home address, according to the
company's records, was 70S West 103d
street. Chicago. He was taken aboard
the Gulflight at New Orleans April I.
This was his first trip aboard the ves-
sci. Chapaneta shipped at Port Arthur.
Including her officers. the Guliight
had thirty-eight men aboard, most of
them hailing from Gulf of Mexico ports.
Shin and cargo, according to James
Kennedy, marine superintendent of the
were valued at $1,00o,o00.
Mr.. Kennedy said he was waiting
further advices giving full particulars
of the attack on the Gulf1ight before
with the State Depart
ment. A claim for the loss sustained. !
;ncluding damages for the lives lost.
would be filed with the |
state Department. he thought.
The Gulfights cargo. Mr.. Kennedy |
said. consisted of gasoline and oil in
bulk and in cases. 1t was consigned to
firms doing business in France and not |
to the French government. he asserted. |
Gulfight Was Insured.
PITTSBURGH, May at is not the |
,urpose of the Gulf Refining Company, |
whose steamship Gulflight was tor
,.doed off the Scilly Islands by a Ger
man submarine, to press any claim
throueh the United States government /
At this time. according to George S.
Davidson, president of the company.
.T will he in Washington tomorrow
and will call at the State Department"
said Mr. Davidson. Our property was
covered by Insurance in no way con-
nected with the government marine
insurance That, of course, will be
paid, and the only matter to he taken
CONTINUED on Second Pase.) ]