Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1917-03-23
8 AMERICAN SHIPS
sunk BY U-BOATS;
% MEN MISSING
VigiIancia, City of Memphis and
Illinois Destroyed.
ATTACKED WITHOUT WARNING
Dispatch From London Declares Four
teen of Crew From the Vigilancia
and Several from the City of
Memphis Have Not Been
Landed-Washington Gets
Report.


London, March 19.-The sinking of
the American steamships City of Mem
phis, Illinois and Vigilancia was an
nOunced here.
Fourteen men from the Vigilancia
are missing, as are some of the men
from the City of Memphis.
The crew of the Illinois was landed
safely.
The City of Memphis, in ballast
from Cardiff for New York, was sunk
by gunfre. The second officer and
10 men of the crew have been landed.
A patrol boat has gone in search Of
the other members of the crew.
Illinois in Ballast
The Illinois, from London for Port
arthur, Tex, in ballast, was sunk at
eight o'clock Sunday morning.
The Vigilancia was torpedoed with
out warning. The submarine did not
appear. The captain, first and second
mates; first, second and third engi-
neerS and % men of the crew have
been landed at the Scilly islands. The
fourth engineer and 13 men are miss
ing.
Carried Crew of Fifty.
The City of Memphis carried crew
of about fifty officers and men, vir-
tually all American-born citizens or
Americans by naturalization.
The captain, three mates and chief
rCriY %c,' %I,a
steward were Americans by birth.
Most of the crew were born in Nor
way and the fireman in Portugal or
Spain, but had taken out final citizen
ship papers in the United States.
The cook was an American negro.
Captain Borum of the City of Mem
phis was Virginian.
The vessel was owned by the Ocean
Steamship company of Savannah. 1t
left here on January % for Havre,
France, with cotton. 1t arrived there
on February and word was received
here by owners of the departure for
Cardiff to take on bunker coal for her
voyage toward New York.
The City of Memphis was of 5,252
tons gross. 1t was 377 feet long, 40
feet of beam and was built in Ches-
ter, Pa, in 1902.
Washington Told of Attacks.
Washington, March 19.-The official
Information of the sinking of three
American vessels by submarines in the
barred zone reached the state. depart
ment from Consul Frost at Queens
town and told of the sinking of the
City of Memphis. 1t read:
American steamer City of Mem
phis, Cardiff to New York, sunk by
German submarine 4 p. M, 18th inst.
IS miles south of Fastnet.
Fifteen survivors landed at Hull,
"a a. m. today.
"Thirty-four additional survivors are
ON admiralty vessel, which continues
search for eight missing.
'Will land Baltimore, Ireland"
Consul General Skinner at London
cabled the department a meager re-
port on the sinking of the three ships
in which he said:
American steamer City of Mem
phis, Cardiff to New York, reported
sunk. Some of crew landed. Patrol
boat gone to pick up rest. American
steamer Illinois, London to Port Ar
thur, reported sunk. American steamer
tVigilancia reported torpedoed without
warning"
Consul General SINNERS report was
believed to refer 10 the Vigilancia
Nu..
s. New York, March 19.-rhe Illinois
was tank steamship owned by the
Texas company of New York. 1t sailed
from Port Arthur February II for Lon
don. Marine records do not chronicle
the arrival or departure from London.
The Illinois was of 5,225 tons gross.
1T was 800 feet long, 30 feet of beam,
and was built in Newport News, Va,
in 1913. Its master was Captain Iver-
sen.
The steamship Vigilancia, owned by
Walker, Armstrong & Co. of Savan-
nah, sailed from New York for the
Azores and Havre on February %, ac-
cording TO latest marine records. 1t
was 4,115 tons gross, a freighter, 800
feet long and 40 feet of beam. 1t was
built in Chester, Pa in 1890.
In Transport Service.
The City of Memphis had an inter-
testing career. In May, 1914, during the
,risis in the affairs between Mexico and
the United States it was hurriedly pre-
pared for transport service while at
lBoston and was chartered by the gov
eminent. On May IA 1t sailed from
New York under orders to proceed to
Galveston to take on stores for Ameri-
can troops occupying Vera Cruz.
After the war began the City of
Memphis was ordered fitted out for
transatlantic transport service, with
orders to proceed to Europe to bring
home Americans stranded there.
The City of Memphis was formerly
in the service of the Savannah line.