The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-28
PRAYERS ID BE SAD TODAY FOR SUCCESS . OF AMERICAN ARMS Pastors of Birmingham to Observe the Presidents
 Proclamation RELATIVES OF DEAD
 TO BE REMEMBERED Roll of Honor of Officers and Men Who Have Lost Their Lives in
 the Service Against the
 Enemy Prepared

| | Prayers for the success of American
 arms will be offered up in Birmingham
 churches today, in accordance with the proclamation of President Wilson calling
 for the nationwide observance of a day
 of prayer.
 1 While some ministers have chosen spe- cial war topics for their sermon themes, the observance in the majority of
 churches will consist mainly in ap-
 propriate prayers to be delivered. l The United States army and navy re- I cruiting service has been cooperating l in the plan for a national observance of the Presidents proclamation, and Lieut.. Montgomery has sent letter to all min isters urging that special prayers be
 from the Tucker Hymnal, Eternal
 Father, Strong to Save" be sung by the congrega tons.
 The officers and men of the navy request that prayers be made for their safety, for help to. perform their duty and for success ending in final victory" writes Lieutenant Meredith. Prayers
 for the relatives of those who have al-
 ready lost their lives in their country S service are also requested Our men at | sea face danger both from the elements ] They need the help of your prayers and on October B they will all bow their heads in humble submission to our Heavenly Father
 ] The roll of honor of officers and men who have lost their lives in service against the enemy has been prepared by the bureau of navigation in the follow l ing memorandum:
 STEAMSHIP AZTEC
 Steamship Aztec--Naval losses, l; first l, United States merchant vessel, carrying i a naval armed guard, to be sunk. Sunk | April 1, 1917, by mine or torpedo, presumably the former. Lieut.. William ] F. Gresham commanding guard Rough sea. gale of wind. Dark night. Intense cold, unable to see any submarine One ships boat lost. After some hours in heavy sea, boat under charge of Lieuten- ant Gresham was sighted by French pa trol vessel and all of armed guard ex- | cept one and part of merchant crew saved John I. Oopolucci, boatswain' s mate, second class, lost his life while as- ! sisting another boat in getting clear of 1 the ships side Neither this man nor those attempting to launch boat were saved Eopolucci was the first member of either the army or navy of the United States to lose his life in naval operations in
 the danger zone.
 s. s. VACUUM
 I Naval losses 5. Sunk by German su5- | n a1,ira ,t,.r ~c no 1 C. c. Thomas commanded armed guard
 immediately following explosion, Lieu tenant Thomas and after guns crew manned gun. Two minutes after explo- 1 sion stern of Vacuum plunged throwia n Q 1 Thomas and his crew into water Very rough seas, intense cold. Thomas and | his crew were rescued by ships master The second lifeboat nearby. took four men from first boat to equalize the load First and second boats each contained | IS men. Third lifeboat partly swamped disappeared from view, contained eight men. At noon, after capsizing and De- ing lighted, first and second boats in company. sailing to eastward. During afternoon first boat separated twice 1 losing four men. Shortly thereafter frsi and second boats separated, leaving k men in first boat, including Lieutenant | Thomas On the same afternoon, be- tween go and 6:30, Il of these IA died and bodies swept overheard, among them Thomas and several of his men I At noon of the next day third lifeboslt containing eight men, fell in with the | first boat and rescued the three survi. vors. This made but three survivors of l Is originally in first boat. Lieutenant I Thomas, first officer of the navy (and I the first of any United States service,
 to lose his life in operations against the enemy, since the declaration of wal against Germany
 1 The dead were listed as follows: I Lieut.. Clarence c. Thomas; Alexander Donald, seaman, second class; Charles J. Fischer, coxswain; Charles F. Luckan 1 seaman; Frank Hazelton LoRee, sea- man.
 s. s. MOTANO
 | Naval losses g. The Motano was sunk l evening of July 31, 1917, by German sub marine. Torpedo struck ship abaft en- zine room and blew up entire stern l Ship sank in less than one minute. Noi possible to launch any of ships boats and nearly all on deck were swept over 1 board by sea. Naval guns crew were I at guns when blown up. Only survivors were those who were picked up by de- stroyer. The after gun and two of the naval guns crew were blown overheard | by the explosion. Those who manned the forward gun remained at their sta tions, searching for the submarine until l the very last moment-they had no time even to put on their life jackets, but leaped into the sea shortly before the ship plunged. Eight bodies have never l been recovered.
 | The dead: Sidney Horwig, seaman, sec ond class; Don Walton Barmore. sea man; Joseph Frank Carlin. coxswain James Anthony Sokle. seaman, second class; William Whelan. seaman, second class; Cornelius Oliver Torjusen, seaman second class Albert Henry Vogel. sea man, second class; Andrew Lawrence second class.
 1 Steamship Platuria-Naval loss 1. Int l Steamship Platuria was sunk by Ger. man submarine on September 15. 1917 l The details are not at hand. One mem. l Der of the naval armed guard was lost