New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-01
Lloyds Message Indicates
Loss of 2I on the Vacuum,

The American oil tanker Vacuum
sailed from London for New York on
April 26 in ballast, commanded by Cap
tain S. s. Harris, OF Lempstcr, \. II.
At the local Office of the company the
following cable message confirming tho
report of the sinking was received from
Lloyds insurance agent at London:
Vacuum torpedoed 2sth l40 miles
west OF Barrs "a small town on the
north coast of lreland). No. life
boat with captain and others, drowned.
No. ,, with chief officer and following,
saved: Simpson and Williams, engi-
neers; Lindgren, carpenter; Letes,
quartermaster; Witzen and Gisses, oil
ers; Byl. Singres and Vimegapham. sea-
men; Dia and Andrews, stewards; /;
Haton. wireless; William 0rell, Mich
olas Hilson and Lasker naval gum
ners)."
The United States Shipping Commits
soner at the Barge Office supplied the
names Of Americans who signed on
the Vacuum before she sailed from
New York on March 80. In addition tn
Captain Harris, they were Oscar Gales,
New York. drst officer; Frank Years
ney, New York, second officer; Edward
Hustled Mount Vernon. y. Y, third of
ficer; John Kirk, New York, chief en-
gineer; John Simpson, New York, first
assistant engineer; Francis DAWSON.
New York. second assistant engineer;
Il. Williams. Milwaukee, Wis, third as
slstant engineer; J. Wilson. New York,
oller; W. II. Crane, Brooklyn; Thomas
Ellis, Albany, mess boy; L. J. Hstton,
Milwaukee, wireless operator.
Had Thirty-four in Crew
When the Vacuum sailed from New
York the crew numbered thirty-four,
so the London cable message would
indicate that twenty-one were lost.
Among the latter is believed to bs
Lieutenant Clarence erase Thomas,
L. S. ", in charge of the naval gun
crew aboard the Vacuum. Lieuteans
Thomas was born in California in 1886,
and entered Annapolis in 1904
Leslie ]. Hstton, wireless operator OF
the Vacuum, reported 70 have been
saved, is one of the youngest operators
in the country. He is only nineteen.
Between voyages Hstton makes his
home at the Williamsburg Young Mems
Christian Association, Marcy Avenue
and South Ninth Street. Brooklyn. A
trunk containing his belongings is in
the custody Of Secretary Kendall thsye.
Had Been In Algonquin's Crew
William Crane, steward on tina
Vacuum, lived at ALA Eighteenth
Street. Brooklyn. Friends said last
night that he had sailed on the Algon.
quin until shortly before the trip on
which that vessel was sunk, when hs
got the berth on the tanker. lie i,
forty-fve years I'D and unmarried.
Thomas Ellis. OF Albany, one OF ths
crew of the Vacuum. is twenty-four
years old, and is the sole support OF
his widowed mother and a sister. On
April 2l his mother received an un.
dated letter from him. stating that |,
was expected the vacuum would sail
soon from the other side under sealed
orders and by a southern route.
The tanker was formerly the steamer
Baymon. owned by the Vacuum oil
Company, of California. She was bull,
in 1912 at Eeorse. Mich. and for two
years piled the lake ;raffc. At the
outbreak Of the war she was brought
into the xtlantie. She was Of 2SSl
tons gross, carried oil in bulk and wal
247 feet long. With . 4S-fest beam