The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-02-25
U. S. Ship Evelyn, Laden Witt
Cotton For Bremen. Sunk
BY Mine Near Coast Of
German Empire.
MEMBERS OF CREW SAVED
Claim For Damages Will Be
Filed--Uncle Sam to Stand
Firmly BY Warning Sent
to Warning Powers.

Further reports concerning the
sinking OF the American ship,
and In the North sea, shows that
only one man of the crew lost his
life. This man was frozen to death
in a small boat after the sinking or
the steamer The Evelyn, which
sailed from New York, January %
with a cargo of cotton for Bremen,
struck two mines, but the crew had
time to get into the life boats.
Some members OF the vessels crew
were taken by a German ship to
Helgoland, while the others were
landed in Holland. ."..
Washington, ID. c.. Feb. 23.-Sinking
of the American steamer Evelyn, on
the German coast, presumably by q
mine, although the crew was saved,
brought vividly before official wash
ington today the dangers to which
American vessels are exposed In the
waters adjacent to the belligerent
coasts OF Europe.
The American note to Germany
warning that country against attacks
on American vessels in the sea zones
OF war applied only to submarines.
Since the outbreak of the war, the
North sea has been mined by both Ger
many and Great Britain, and an adueo
warning was given to neutral COM
merce by the German reply to the
American note last week in announc-
ing that mines would be strewn In the
waters surrounding Great Britain and
Ireland and in the English channel.
Washington in Dark.
Hitherto, in the notification OF areas
mined, pilots have been offered Tor h s
trail vessels Whether the Evelyn mad
an opportunity to obtain a pilot or
whether she struck a mine with pi-
lot aboard, were questions on which
officials expected to receive definite in
formation tomorrow from Ambassadors
Page at London and Gerard at Berlin.
to both OF whom the state department.
had directed inquiries.
The only message before the depart
ment early today was from American
Consul Fee at Bremen, who reported
that the Evelyn had been blown up,
hut did not give the cause. His cable
gram stated that the ship and cargo
had been lost, but that the crew was
safe. Officials believed the crew had
been landed in Germany, as BorKum
is near the German coast.
II was considered unlikely that there
would be any diplomatic action re-
sulting from the loss of the Evelyn,
beyond claim for damages, inasmuch
as there is now no international con-
vention in force for prohibiting the
laying of mines either for offensive or
defensive purposes. In the Russo
Japanese war, the Japanese streWed
mines across the harbor and entrance
to Port Arthur waters across Peter
the Great bay for a distance OF 40
miles While the laying of mines In Of
fensive operations such as the recent
German note proclaimed, has not been
acquiesced in ASIA belligerent right, II
is believed in official quarters that this
and other precedents would make 1t
difficult for the United States to make
further diplomatic protest.
Firm to 5elligsrents.
The prevailing opinion in admins
tration circles today was that the
United States government would stand
firmly on its warnings to Great Brit
ain and Germany respectively, con-
corning the misuse OF neutral flags
and possible attacks on American yes
sells or lives by submarines. This policy
was regarded as significant Of pos
sible critical turn of affairs, should
any violations of the warning ensue