The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1915-05-06
j. S. TO WITHHOLD
PROTEST TO BERLIN
President and Bryan Confer on
Ship Attack.
CONSUL SENDS HIS REPORT
State Department at Washington In
structs Ambassadors Page and
Gerard to Investigate Gulf
light Affair.

Washington May 4.-President Will
| son, Secretary of State Bryan and the
international law experts of the de-
partment have decided to suspend
judgment in the case of the American
tank ship Gulflight, which was tor
pedoed off Scilly island, with the death
| of Captain Alfred Gunter and two
| sailors.
The president and Secretary Bryan
| conferred at the White House, and it
is understood that the incident was.
gone into very thoroughly and the
| question of future action, in case
events show Germany to be RESPONSE
Bile, was discussed
The sinking Of the Guldight is re-
garded as an incident of extreme deli,
| cacy, because it Is the most important
| of the attacks on American interests
since the beginning of the German
submarine warfare and the issuance
of the warning by President Wilson
to Germany that she will be held to
strict accountability in case of de-
struction of American life and prop
erty. The preceding cases are those
Of the Evelyn, Carib, Greenbriar,
Falaba and the recent one of the Cush-'
ing, on which bombs were dropped by
German aviators.
President Is Given Facts.
President Wilson was given the,
facts as far as known and Immediate
ly thereafter a cable of inquiry for.
further information was sent to Am
bassador Gerard at Berlin. Similar
inquiries were sent to Ambassador
Page at London and also to United
States Consul Stephens at Plymouth.
All President Wilson had in the
way of official dispatches were two
cablegrams from Consul Stephens at
Plymouth. The first was as follows:
American tank steamer Gulflight
torpedoed off Scilly Island first in
slant. Captain died heart failure. Body
landed Two of crew drowned. Thir-
ty-four saved Vessel ahoat. Patrol
boats attempting to tow her into
Scilly.
The second was as follows:
Gul1ight towed into Crow Sound,
Scilly. by British patrols. Torpedo
struck bluff bow. The vessel down
by head. Freeboard forward about
two feet Forehold full Cargo ap-
parently unchanged Blowing gale
southeast.
German Embassy Silent,
At the German embassy no COM
ment was made on the case, in the
absence of an official report.
Survivors Landed.
Plymouth, England, May 4.-Survi-
vors of the crew of the American ship
Gulfisht, which was torpedoed off
Scilly island on Saturday, left for
Penzance taking with them the body
of Captain Alfred Gunter.
Tells of Attack on Gulflight.
Plymouth, England, May 4.-The
American oil tank steamer Gulflight,
which was torpedoed off the Scilly
islands on Saturday, was attacked
without warning by submerged sub
marine, according to Second Officer
Paul Bower of the Gulfight, whose
home is in Chicago and who arrived
here with thirty-two members of the
crew.
Bower told the story of the torpe-
doing of the Gulflight as follows:
"At noon Saturday we were twenty
five miles west of Scilly. ! saw sub
marine. 1t remained on the surface
for three minutes and then disap-
peared.
twenty-five minutes later we were
struck by torpedo on the starboard
side and there was a tremendous
shock. We Immediately lowered the
boats and left our ship and were
quickly taken on board the patrol
boats.
"At midnight of Saturday, while
still on board the patrol boat, Captain
Gunter summoned me. | found him
in bed and he said he wanted some
one to roll cigarette for him. He
then tossed up his arms and tainted.
From then until the time of his death,
which occurred about $3.50 o'clock Sun
day morning, he remained uncon-
scious."
Confirms Death of Three.
New York, May 4.-The two Ameri-
cans, in addition to Captain Gunter,
who lost their lives when the Ameri
can steamer Gulflight was torpedoed
of the Scilly islands, were Charles c.
Short of Chicago, the wireless opera
tor, and Eugene Chapaneta Of Port Ar
thur, Tex, seaman, according to a
cablegram received here by the Gulf
Refining company. owners of the yes-