The Washington herald., 1916-03-01
$40 REPORTED SAVED
Ministry Of Marine Refuses to
Give Details of Disaster.
Secret Three Days.
TORPEDO BOATS SEEK VICTIMS
Big Vessel Formerly Was Known as
Queen of Seas" and Was Fa-
vorite With Americans.
SrscisI Cable to The Washington Herald.

= eclal Cable 10 Inc " Washington Herald.
Paris, CD. 29.-La Provence. the former
transatlantic liner. but recently an
auxiliary French cruiser, was sunk last
saturday in the Mediterranean. The loss
OF life is estimated at $50. although it may
reach 1000.
With more secretiveness than usual
the ministry of marine is guarding the
details of the disaster, which was an
nounced for the first time this morning
An official statement said that at the
time Of the accident there were 1sC0 per-
sons aboard the cruiser.
Later another statement said that there
were so survivors. At Malta 296 were
landed. while 4CO others were landed on
the Greek island of Melos.
Search for Survivors.
Ten torpedo boats and other craft are
securing the vicinity of the scene Of the
accident for others who may still be
alive. 1t is believed they have picked up
a number sufficient to account for the
difference between those who have been
landed and the reported survivors.
Not a word is forthcoming from the
ministry OF marine as to how La
Provence met her fate. 1t is generally
accepted as a fact. however, that she was
sent to the bottom by a torpedo, as Ger
man and Austrian submarines have been
operating recently in Mediterranean wa
tors.
One report states that two SUBMARINES
attacked tbs. crgisers. Eefa7o- tbc. could
sbEnaGHF Aid. she had been turpedoed,
and Immediately began to sink At the
time Of the attack she was in the middle
Of the Mediterranean, midway between
Malta and Melos. which are about 600
miles apart.
Was Carrying Troops.
The signals Of distress sent out did not
bring aid until after the former liner
had sunk. From the large number of
persons aboard at the time. it is evident
that La Provence was carrying troops
either from or to Saloniki.
The troops and members of the crew
had taken to the boats and. as rapidly
as they were picked up they were hur-
ried to Melos or Malta The first Of
the survivors reached MeIos on Sunday
morning.
announcement Of the disaster was with
held in the hope that all of those aboard
would be picked up. This hope finally
had to be abandoned, however, by the
officials.
FaYorfte of Americana.
New York, Feb. 29.-I4a Provence was
almost as dear to the hearts Of Ameri-
cans as she was to Frenchmen. For
number of ears she was Queen of the
Seas" the largest. finest. and fastest
OF the Transatlantic liners IeBrom the
time she was built at St Nazaire in
1905 until the outbreak of the war she
vas engaged in the New York-Havre
service Of the French line, the Com
pdgnie Generate TransatIantique. She
was built for speed and luxury. Dis
placing 1873 tons. she made twenty
five knots on her maiden trip to New
York, covering the distance between
Havre and Sandy Hook in days, 20
hat time and for long afterward rec
ord.
Constant EerviCe decreased her speed
until, at the outbreak of the war, she
could make little better than twenty
one knots. Sne remained. however, the
crack ship Of the line until La France
took her laurels from her.