The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-03-19
Two of the Vessels in Bal
last en- Route to This
Country.
CREWS FORCED TO
TAKE SMALL BOATS
Vigilancia Torpcdoed With
out the Submarine Be-
ing Sighted.
MANY RESCUED BY
A BRITISH PATROL
Illinois a Tanker From
Texas; Others Sailed
From New York.

LONDON, March 1S.-Three Amer
lean steamships, the City Of Memphis,
the Illinois and the Vigilancla. have
been sunk by German U-boats. Four
teen men from the Vigilancia are MISS
ing. as are eight of the men from the
City OF Memphis. The crew of the
Illinois was landed safely. The gross
tonnage Of the vessels sunk was
1857
The Vigilancia was torpedoed with
out warning. The submarine did not
appear. The captain, first and second
mates. first, second and third en-
gineers and twenty-three men Of the
crew have been landed at the Scilly
isiands. The fourth engineer and
thirteen men are missing.
The City of Memphis. which left
Cardin Friday in ballast for New york
was sunk Saturday. When she left port
the Memphis had the Stars and Stripes
painted on both sides. She encountered
submarine about o'clock SATURDAY.
evening. The German commander or.
dered the captain of the steamship to
ieave MS ship within fifteen minutes.
Inc entire crew entered five boats. and
the submarine then fired a torpedo ybict,
struck the vessel on the starboard side
tesrihg great hole through which tho
sea poured. The steamship settled
quickly and foundered within a few min
utes. "'''-
Boats become Separated,
During the night tho boats became
separated, and at o'clock Sunday morn
ing three boat crews We're picked up by
patrol vessel and landed These boats
contained thirtythree men, mostly
americans. All of the officers were
Americans. The men in one Of the other
ooats were landed at Schulz They num-
oered fifteen. including seven Americana.
one boat Is still missing
Ine Illinois is reported merely as hay-
ing peen sunk The crew of the Illi-
nos was saved
Ihe City OF Memphis and the Illinois
were bound respectively from Cardiff
and London for the United States in
ballast. The Nigilancia was bound for
Havre.
Third Engineer Thompson OF the city
OF Memphis in AN interview with the
Central News said the submarine fired
warning shot Tor the steamer to slow
down and subsequently slgnaned for her
to stop ami for the crew to abandon the
snip, Ten or eleven shells were fired az
the vessel, which be'an to sink. Then
followed terrific explosion. which
~"'V'' Ah'- HtSS'l W lTtllDle All over, ana
wilh!n twenty minutes she sank, stern
first. The crew suffered great deal
from exposure during the night
Thompson said the ship was on char
ter To discharge her cargo at Havre.
From Havre she went to Cardiff and the
skipper. knowing he was in the danger
zone. kept the flag. which was yards in
length. flying at the masthead Nobody
seems 10 have expected an attack
some In Boats Very Sick.
Capt. Rorum briefly consulted with
the officers after the Germans ordered
him by megaphone to leave the ship be-
cause IL was intended to sink her said
Thompson All agreed that there was
no alternative. After describing the
sinking of the steamer Thompson con-
tinued:
When the ship had been DESTROYED
the German commander steamed to our
boat and asked for the captain, but none
OF our lads answered him. He then went
from boat to boat until he found Capt
Borum who briefly conversed with him.
| do not know what was said.
The weather was not too bad but
there were heavy swells. We kent the
boats together and during the evening
! We rowed together toward the coast.
The night closed with biting wind. and
some or our young chaps were very sick
our Mare lights were seen between 3 and
O'Clock In the morning by the patroI
vessels. which rescued two boats crews
The other two had become separated
| We lost everything we possessed"
the following American officers ara
known to have been landed Chief OIL
Ger c. G. Laird, CHIEF Engineer W. l.
Fercy. Assistant Engineer T. Reyin
! Third Engineer W. NJ Thompson. Third
, Officer NJ. Dierland, Wireless Operators