The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-12-09
HUNS FIRST HIT :
SCORED AGAINST
! FLEET j. s, Navy
Jacob Jones Sent to Bottom
While on Patrol Duty in
War Zone.
DETAILS OF SINKING
NOT RECEIVED HERE
Seven Officers, Sc Men Saved
by Presence Of Life
Rats Aboard. -

Washington. Dec. S.~-Three officers
and ~ men were believed tonight to
have gone down with the American
destroyer. Jacob Jones. torpedoed and
sunk in the war zone by n German sub
marine at s o'clock last Thursday
night.
Vice Admiral Sims. up to a late
hour. had been able to supply only
meager details In reply to urgent mes
sages from Secretary Daniels. whose
brother in law. Lieutenant Command
er David w. Bagley. commanded the
lost vessel and was reported among
the missing.
A later report however. stated Lieu
tenant Ragley and Lieutenant Norman
Scott, together with two warrant Oft
GERS and two enlisted men. not pre-
viously reported, had been saved. This
leaves one line officer and 6s men
missing.
First Lost to U-Boats.
The Jacob Jones' OF the largest and
newest American submarine chasers OF
her type. was the first American war
ship to fall victim to a German sub
marine. but was the second American
destroyer to be lost In foreign waters.
The chauncey sank with her COM
mandei, ~lsieutenAsst Commander Wal
| ter u. Reno. two other officers and IL
enlisted men. after being cut In two
by the transport Rose early on the
| morning of November 90.
Admiral Sims message did not state
how the attack was made. 1t Is known
that the Jones was between 400 and
800 miles Oft shore. What vessels nc
| eompanied her was not revealed, but
Admiral Sims report showed that one
| vessel rescued 30 men and another II.
They sent this information by radio
and II was Immediately transmitted
| to Washington.
Navy officers and officials took
pride In the fact that the Jacob Jones
and her crew had written new honors
into navy records before the vessel
fell victim To an enemy torpedo. In
October the Jones went gallantly to
the rescue OF the British converted
cruiser Drama, accompanied by an
other American destroyer, when the
former = and q liner was torncdoed.
They attacked and put the submarine
out of commission and then when the
| cruiser began to settle. transferred all
on board to their own decks without
accident.
The Jones carried 3O3 British sea
| men to safety. letter from the COM
mander of the Drama TO the senior
American officer of the two destroyers
gave high praise to the courage and
skill of the Americans.
/ III, .lnt.
which the Jones was lost. officers as-
snmed that the destroyer either STUN.
bled upon "a submarine and was struck
by Il lucky shot. or was surprised Will.
on patrol duty. As the watch main
tained by American destroyer crews IL
| notably keen. the last explanation
seemed improbable.
! Rats Prove Value.
| The survivors undoubtedly owe
their lives to the forethought OF the
navy department in having provided
every destroyer sent abroad with
complement OF life RATS sufficient for
the entire crew. They are dashed on
deck in such fashion that they release
themselves and come to the surface II
the ship sinks. Destroyera cannD,
carry enough life boats for their com
| plement without masking the fire OF
| their guns and torpedo tubes.
| Apparently the Jones went down al
most at once. This was taken to mean
that the torpedo had scored fair hit
amidshins. possibly tearing the swift
craft in two when 1t exploded II
this is true. there can be no question
that many OF the crew died In the blast
OF the explosion Or were carried down
| with the shattered hull without "a
chance to escape. Officers here felt
that such fate was preferable to
hours of exposure and final death from
cold on life ratts
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| Ma - R> Ma..;>L