The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1916-10-11
SHIPS Crew
STILL MISSING
U. S. Destroyers Seek Victims
Of German Raid.
THE U-BOAT HAS VANISHED
Over Fifty Men Are Adrift in Small
Boats, Without Adequate Food OF
Clothing.


Clothing.
Newport, r. l., Oct 1.-THE crew Of
the British freight steamship Kings
tonian, missing since Sunday when its
members abandoned their ship at the
order of the raiding German subma
rine in the waters off Nantucket Shoal
lightship, has not been heard from.
Eleven torpedoboat destroyers are In
the vicinity of the lightship to continue
the search.
No further report of the submarine
or submarines which destroyed six
steamships Sunday on the trans-Atlan
tic line that rounds the lightship
came to hand. There has been no
trace of the submersible since its last
victim went to the bottom, Sunday
night.
Search for the missing crew, said
to number more than fifty men. was
halted after reports that some of them
had been found. Later this was Off
cially denied. AS the men had been
afloat more than thirty-six hours in
open boats, probably without food or
adequate clothing, the anxiety of the
destroyer fleet to find them has be.
come more intense, especially as the
weather was extremely cold.
It was reported that the sea in the
vicinity of the lightship was strewn
with the wreckage of the ships torpe-
doed on Sunday.
Since midnight Sunday nothing has
been heard of the U-53. While the
number of vessels known to have been
sunk in Sundays foray still stands at
six, the Nantucket iightship sticks to
its belief that at least nine went down.
In spite of the testimony to the con.
trary, American naval officers believe
the wholesale raid was the work of
one submarine. Rear Admiral Albert
Gleaves, commanding the torpedo boat
destroyer flotilla, which has done such
remarkable rescue work, said the re-
port of all his officers agreed that to
the best Of their observation one raid
er only was concerned.
The opinion would seem to be borne
out by statements of many refugees
that the submarine had more business
on hand than she could take care OF
at once, and was obliged to request
one steamship to wait her turn while
another was being put out of commits
sion.
Lieutenant Commander Miller, of
the destroyer Ericsson, who saw the
destruction Of the Stephano, said he
was positive only one submersible was
in the vicinity at the time.
Rear Admiral A. NJ. knight, COM
mandant of the station, agrees with
this. He has up for consideration also
several statements from persons who
saw what they believed to be Ger
man supply ship lying beside the sub
mersible which sank the Stephano.
These come from officers, sailors and
passengers.
That such mother" ship could
have escaped from German port to
accompany submarine fiotilla is
doubted in navy circles. But that one
might have been fitted out in port on
the North American or South Ameri-
can coast they admit is possible. OF
this possibility Washington has taken
cognizance.
Just what steps have been taken by
the entente allied patrol fleet to check
further ravages on their shipping is
not known. The British naval officials
in Canada would not amplily their
previous statement that every neces-
sary means had been taken.
For all that the general public knew,
the U-53 might either be on her way
to the eastward to seek once more to
penetrate mine fields and hostile nets,
to get back to her home port Of Will
helmshaven, or might make her ap-
pearance soon off the Chesapeake
capes, where she might find more rich
prizes.