Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-04-20

1
/ the vessel taffidavtis OF Samuel +
Bemis, Henry s. Beer Gertrude w
WARREN
"Onc Of these an American either
named Henry $. Beer. was leaning OF
the port rail about ten feet behind th'
bridge and gazing seward when h'
raw the approaching torpedo about
100 yards away and exclaimed 10 bit
wife and companion: "A tofpedoi' I'm.
mediately following his exclamation
the missile struck The vessel (Depo.
siiions Of Henry :. Beer and Mrs
Henry S. Beer)
I "ln further Confederation II thu
fact that the captain saw the torpedo
coming toward the vessel, is the
sworn statement Of the engineers on
duty that the order 20 port the helm
ana to stop the starboard engine was
received and obeyed report Of Ad-
bairal Grasset). No reasonable explain
alton can he given for this unusual
order other than that the captain saw
something which caused him TO
change his course sharply to star
board
What 4. s. OFFICER Found
I'm addition 10 this evidence. which
would in itself appear to be conclu-
sixe that the agent OF destruction was
torpedo, Is that Of Lieutenant Smith,
L. s. NJ, attached to the American
embassy at Paris, who. accompanied
By Major Logan, &, $. A., Of the en-
lbassy, went to Boulogne, inspected the
| huh Of the Sussex, and personally
found beneath the mass Of water
soaked debris Of the wreck fifteen
pieces of metal which they retained
In their possession, as they ala not be-
lieve the pieces formed part of the
vessel The inspection OF the hun
disclosed that the vessel was wrecked
by an external explosion, the boilers
being intact, and that short distance
forward OF the bridge was a large dent
showing that the vessel mad received
n heavy blow, the direction Of the inn
pact being from ahaft the beam along
a line at an acute angle with the keel
of the vessel (Report OF Lieutenant
Smith, cablod April ~ This evidence
comedies with and corroborates the
statement that the vessel was swing
ing to starboard and away from the
torpedo when struck
The pieces OF metal which the
American Officers had collected were
compared By Lieutenant Smith, Lieu
tenant Commander Sayles ana Major
Logan with mines and plans Of mines
In possession Of the French naval au-
thorities at Boulogne, Rochefort aud
Toulon, and British naval authorities
at Portsmouth. These officers are
positive in their opinion that these
pieces of metal were not parts of
mine. tReport of Lieutenant Smith,
cabled April and 80
Among these fifteen pieces of
metal We're two screw bolts showing
the effects OF an explosion, which
were stamped with "S' ana $50
on the faces Of the head Of one and
"l<' and "5S' ON the faces of the head
of the other. On examining German
torpedoes in possession of the French
naval authorities at Toulon, and of the
English naval authorities at Ports
mouth, the American officers found
that Identical screws with the letter
X and number were employed to
fasten tho war head (liopf) to the
air chamber. lieutenant Smiths re-
ports, cablcd April 2, r and 49,
Not Allies Torpedo.
The screws used In French and
English torpedoes have no markings
and are slightly different size same
reportsl. Furthermore, the Ameri-
can officers were able by comparison
and close examination to positively
identify and locate all the remaining
thirteen pieces Of metal as parts of
u German torpedo as follows:
Fragment 3, part of inner seat of
water relief valve Of engine valve.
Fragments 4 and S. punto bands
OF engine room casing.
Fragments Q to 10, inclusive, and
II. parts of engine cylinders
Fragments II, j 9, IA and Is, parts
of steel warhead still bearing the
distinctive red paint common TO Ger
man torpedo warheads (report of
Lieutenant smith, caEled April lb)
In view of these facts there can be
no reasonable doubt but that the Sus-
sex was torpedoed and that the tor
pedo was of German manufacture. As
no vessel was seen by any person on
the Sussex. the conclusion Is irresist |
ible that the torpedo was launched |
without warning from submarine
which was submerged at the time Of |
the attack and remained beneath the
surface after the explosion
The conclusion thus reached from
the evidence in affidavits (being those |
of American citizenship collected 10y
che department Of state Is substantial |
ed by the statement in the imperial |
government note OF April 10, l9l6 !
According 10 those statements;
A. German submarine torpedoed a |
steamer one and one-half miles south
east Of Bun Rocks bank.
Where Vessel Was Attacked.
Departments comment. The point |
OF attack is exactly in the course
which was taken by the Sussex after |
passing Dungeness and about half n |
mile from The place where the cap
tain of the Sussex states he was tor
pedocd.
y. The attack took place at 1865 |
o'clock p m, central European time.
Departments comment: S;5b y. III,
Central European time would cor
respond to 2!ha y. m. Western Euro
pean time The time of the striking |
OF the torpedo according to the cap
tain Of the Sussex and the stopping |
OF the clocks ON board the vessel was
. nH a. m NeetaVn TINA