The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-10-20
Torpedo Strikes .Amidships
and Vessel Goes Down
in Five Minutes.
RETURNING SOLDIERS
ARE AMONG MISSING
Government Promise Not Ia
Withhold Bad News Rig.
idly Adhered TO.


Washington. oct. l9--The American
transport Antilles. homeward bound
under convoy. was torpedocd and sunk
by German submarine in the war
zone Wednesday. About 20 men arc
missing and probably lost.
All the army and navy officers
aboard and the ships master wero
among the l6, survivors. The missing
arc members Of the crew, three civil
ian engineers, some enlisted men OF
the navy and i6 of SS soldiers re-
turning home for various reasons.
Neither the submarine nor the tor
ped. was seen and the transport, hit
sQuarcly amidships, sank in five min
,tes.
First Success Against America.
This tragedy of tho sea, the first IN
which an American ship engaged III
war duty has been lost. Is the first of
its magnitude to bring home TO tho
eople OF the United States the riSors
| of the war In which they have en-
| gagged against Germany. 1t carries
! the largest casualty list of the war of
| American lives and marks the. first
| success of German submarine attacks
| on American transports.
| List Not Available.
That the loss OF life was not greater
| is due to the safeguards with which
the navy has surrounded the trans
port service and the quick rescue
work of the conveying warships.
Secretary Daniels announced tho
disaster tonight in a statement based
upon a brief dispatch from Vice Adj
| n, ,aI, Inta u
and did not say whether it was a day
or night attack. An accurate list of
the missing cannot be issued until
General Pershing reports the names
: of the army men on the vessel and
the list of the merchant crew. Fol-
! lowing is the announcement.
Department Statement.
The department is in receipt OF
II dispatch from Vice Admiral
Sims, which states that the steam
ship Antilles. an army transport.
: was torpedood on October II,
while returning to this country
e from foreign service. This vessel
was under convoy of American
: patrol vessels at the time.
: The torpedo which struck the
n Antilles was not seen, nor was the
submarine which fired it. The tor
= pcdo hit abreast of the engine
room hulihend and the ship sank
within five minutes. One nun
drcd and sixty seven persons out
of 90, on board the Antilles were
:, saved. About 20 men are missing.
Few Officers Lost.
"All the naval officers and of
ficiais of the army who We're OH
i board the ship at the time were
. saved, as We're the officers of the
J. ship with the exception of the
following:
Walter, third engineer officer.
y Boyle, junior engineer officer amt
O'Rourkc, junior engineer officer.
>" The following enlisted naval
persons were lost:
III "E. l.. Kinney. seaman. second
IS, class, next of kin. Thomas NJ. Kin
s. zey, father. Watervalley, Miss: j.
W. Hunt seaman. second class.
OF next of kin. Isaac Hunt. father.
IL Mountain Grove, Mo-. r. r. No.
box 4. c. l.. Aushurn, radio
nd electrical, first class, next of kin.
In. r. Ansburn. brother. $500 Louisi-
ana avenue. New Orleans, La. and
II. +. Watson, ado electrician
;hird cinss. next of kin, Mrs. w. l..
S,cer mother, Rutland Mass.
IN " Soldiers Saved.
There were about 23 of the
A. array enlisted personnel on board
en- | of whom l. were saved. The
mt names OF the missing of the army
er. enlisted personnel and of the
,ad merchant crew of the ship cam
To- not be given until the musterNDol
ME in France of those ON board has
as been consulted. AS soon as tho
of department Is in receipt of further
..r details concerning the casualties
r.. they will be made pnnlic immedi-
atcly.''
Makes News Public.
Upon receipt of the cablegram fl
Admiral Sims. the government i
it's promise not to withhold bad n
from the public. The issuance Of
statement was delayed only until