The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1915-06-19
MyESTIGa7E HURT
Of NE8RASNAN
Naval Attaches 10 Fix Blame
on Mine or Torpedo.
WILL EXAMINE SHIPS HULL

American Vessel on Way Henle In Bal
last Meets Mishap Off Irish Coast, but
Whether She Hit Mine or Was Tor
pedoed by Submarine Has Yet to Rs
Decided by Experts.
Whether the American frelghter hit
a mine or was deliberately torpedOed
Dy German submarine will probably
not be decided until an expert ex
animation OF her hull after her arrival
back at Liverpool, Even then the
point may remain IN doubt
The question is one Of gravest i'm
port and therefore will not be settled
huriedly All the facts obtainable
will have TO be considered The de-
cision, If one IL possible. is awaited
by the entire country with patience.
but anxiety.
The NebraSkan carried crew OF for.
ty-one hands all told. She had no pas-
sengers. Besides Captain Greene her
officers are: III. Gillespie. first: W. NJ.
Fralie. second and W. III. Senior. third
stiicer. Il. j. Dean is the wireless Op.
orator. and the engineers are +. c. Yam
dell, L. Williams. III. l.. Margay and l.
Parker.
Carried American Crew.
The Nebraskan. which belongs to the
American-Hawaiian line. left Naw
York May with a general cargo for
Liverpool. arrived there May 10. dis
charged and started back in ballast So
Delaware breakwater May -. DiSaS-
Ter overlook her the evening or the
next day. The cable message from her
master. Captain J. S. Greene OF San
Francisco. said:
Struck either by mine or torpedo
forty eight miles west OF FaStncl Am
steaming under convoy TO Liverpool.
Water in lowe hold. No one injured.
Greene"
-Four dispatches concerning the Ne.
braskan were received at the state de
partnent in Washington from
Walter ii. Page. the American ambas-
sador in London. and two from Rob
ert p. Skinner the United States con-
sui general in London The dispatch
from the ambassador said:
urgent. Report at midnight last
night TO British admiralty from Lands
End states that American steamer Ne
hraSkan toTpedoed forty-fve miles
south by west of Southcliffe crew tax
Ing to boats British trawler standing
hv- Nnl cit aHA
and making for Liverpool with four
holds full OF water. no lives reported
lost"
British Say Torpedoed.
The first dispatch from Consul Gen
eraI skinner was as follows:
Admiralty reports American steam
er Nebraskan. Liverpool for Delaware
Breakwater, torpedoed forty miles
south by west Of FaStnet Crew in
boats Standing by. Weather fine
Later the following cablegram came
from the consul general:
'Nebraskan proceeding to Liverpool
under own Stcam about eight and
half knots. CROW having returned on
board. Apparently no lives lost. Ex-
tent Of damage unknown"
The fact that the Nebraskan YVES
damaged while she was forty miles AT
sea in water OF a depth OF about 800
feet. as shown by the British admiral
ty chart. at Il place supposed to be re
mote from any Of the British mine
fields and with the water too deep 10
plant mines. created the distinct i'm
preston that she must have been
struck by Il torpedo
Dispatches from Ireland say that
submarine was sighted near Barley
cove. about ten miles from Fastuet,
between Q and 10 o'clocl, at night. The
NebraSkan was strucl, between and
o O'Clock.
Irish People Saw Submarine
Several residents Of CrCoEhaven turn
ed out and went along the shore. keep
Tag q sharp lookout. They sighted
submarine of the cove near the mouth
Of 4 little creek. one Of the men on
shore fred two shots with a rifle at the
men in the coming tower of the sub.
marine. The submarine diyod immedi-
ateiv. but soon rose again farthe out
Three more shots were fred at her.
gnd she again disappeared.
The American embassy in London
will send one or more of its naval at-
tarhc< 10 examine the Ncbraskan. as
was done in the case Of the ship Cuff
light. reported torpedocd by the Ger
mans. They will make every effort to
establish how the injury was inflicted.
Such examinations are not always con-
elusive. although = Is believed tnnr the
charge made by President Wilson i'll
his nc5e to the German government
that the Gulfignt was attacked by a
German subma rne was based on the
report Of the naval experts after eY
amining the nature Of the damage.
The Nebraskan was returning to the
United States In ballast 10 carry $500
tons OF coal for the United States navy