The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-10-24
AMERICAN TRANSPORT SUNK.
GERMAN U-BOAT SENDS SEVEN.
TY TO THEIR DEATH.
The Reality of War Brought Home to
Aincricans-Armya ami Navy Off
Gers and Ships Captain Among Sur
vivOrs.

"afu pOCnd under convoy, was tor
pedoed and sunk by a German sub
marine in the war zone on Wedncs-
day. About 70 men are missing and
probably lost
The army and navy officers aboard
and the ships master were among the
167 survivors. The missing are mem
bers of the crew, three civilian engi-
neers, some enlisted men of the navy
and 16 Of 33 soldiers returning home
for various reasons. Neither the sub
marine nor the torpedo was seen and
the transport, hit square amidships.
sank in five minutes.
This tragedy Of the sea, the first
i'm which an American ship engaged
in war duty has been lost, is the first
of it's magnitude to Ering home to
the people of the United States the
rigors of the war in which they have
engaged against Germany. 1t carries
the largest casualty list of the war s.
far Of American lives and marks the
first success of German submarine at
tacks on American transports.
That the loss of life was not
greater is due to the safeguards with
which the navy has surrounded the
transport service and the quick rescue
work of the conveying warships.
Secretary Daniels announced tho
disaster tonight in a statement based
upon brief dispatch from Vice Ad-
miral Sims which gave few details
and did not say whether it was day
or night attack. An accurate list OF
The missing can not he issued until
General Pershing reports the names
OF the army men or the vessel and
the list Of the merchant crew. Fol-
lowing is the announcement:
Tho department is in receipt Of n
dispatch from Vice Admiral Sims
which states that the steamship An
! TILES. an army transport, was tor
pedoed on October II while returning
to this country from foreign service
This vessel was under convoy OF
American patrol vessels at the time
THE torpedo which struck the An
titles was not seen, nor was the SUBJ
marine which fired it, The torped ?
MT abreast Of the engine room bulk
head and the ship sank within five
minutes. One hundred and sixty
seven persons out of about 237 on
board the Antilles were saved. Abou.
~ men are missing. All the naval
| officers and officers Of the army who
were on board at the time were saved.
as were the officers of the ship, with
the exception of the following:
Walker. third engineer officer; Boyle,
junior engineer officer, and O'Rourke.
junior engineer officer. The followin:
enlisted naval personnel were lost: f.
L. Kinney, seaman, second class, next
Of kin, Thomas M. Kinney, father.
Water Valley, Miss: j. W. Hunt, sea
man. second class next of kin, Isaac
Hunt, father, Mountain Grove, Mo-. r.
+. -. No. 2, Box A; z. L. Ausburn.
radio electrician. first class. next OF
Kin. r. Ausburn, brother. $500 Louis
lana Avenue. New Orleans. La. and
IL. F. Watson. radio electrician, third
class, next of kin, Mrs. w. l.. Seger
mother, Rutland, Mass There were
ABOUT 50 of the army enlisted person
mel on board Of whom IS were
saved. The names of the army
enlisted personnel and of the mer-
chant crew of the ship can not be Civ
en- until the muster roll in France OF
those on board has been consulted.
AS soon as the department is in re-
cept Of further details concerning
the casualties they will be made pub
lie Immediately"
upon receipt Of the cablegram from
Admiral Sims, the government kept
its promise not to withhold bad news |
from the public. The issuance of the |
statement was delayed only until the
navy could telegraph to the families |
OF the men known to have been lost
Secretary Daniels carried word OF |
the loss Of the Antilles to the White
House when he went there late i'm tn, |
day with Admiral Mayo, who made
his report to President Wilson on his
visit to England at tho direction OF
the president The news added 10 tn,
gravity of the hour that the secretary
ence with the president
Quick upon the wave Of sorrow o.
the loss of the transport came =
feeling Of distinct relief booon,o cbn |