The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1917-10-20
SEVENTY LIVES Lost
When American Transport, Home.
ward Bounds, Slnks-All Naval
and Army Officers on Board
Vessel Arc Rescued,

Washington, October 19 - The
American transport Antilles, home
ward bound under convoy, was tor
pedoed and sunk by German sub
marine in the war zone Wednesday
About seventy men are missing and
probably lost.
All the army and navy officers
aboard and the ships master were
among the 167 survivors.
The missing are members of the
crew, three civilian engineers. some
enlisted men Of the navy and seven
teen Of thirty-three soldiers return
ing home for various reasons.
Neither the submarine nor the tor
pedo was seen and the transport, hit
squarely admidships, sank In five
minutes.
This tragedy of the sea, the first in
which an American ship engaged in
war duty has been lost has been the
first of It's magnitude to bring 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 of American lives, and
! marks the first success Of German
submarine attacks on American trans
ports.
That the loss of life was not great
er 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 the
disaster tonight in a statement based
upon a brief dispatch from Admiral
Sims which gave few details and did
not say whether it was a day or night
attack. An accurate list of the miss
ing cannot be issued until General
Pershing reports the names of the
army men on the vessel and the list
of the merchant crew.
Following Is the announcement
"The Department is In receipt Of a
dispatch from Vice Admiral Sims,
which states that the steamship An
titles, an army transport, was torpe-
doed 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 sub
marine which fred it. The torpedo
hit abreast of the engine room bulk
head, and the ship sank within five
minutes. One hundred and sixty-sev'
en- persons out of about two hundred
and thirty-seven on board the Antilles
were saved
"All the navy officers and officers Of
the army who were on board the shiI
. at the time were saved, as were tht
officers of the ship, with the exception
of the following: Walker. third en-
! gineer officer; Boyle, junior engineer
officer, and O'Rourke, junior engineer
officer
1.-THE following enlisted naval per
sonnel were lost: E. l.. Kinney. sea
man, second class, next of kin, Thorn
as M. Kinney, father, Water Valley
Miss; ]. w. Hunt, seaman, secon'
I class, next of kin, Isaac Hunt, faith
er, Mountain Grove, Mo-. R. No.
Box "A; c. L. Ausburn, radio electri
clan, first class. next of kin, K. A
= Ausburn, brother, $500 Louisiana ave
nue., New Orleans, La, and H. F. Wat
son, ardio electrician, third class
S next Of kin, Mrs. w. L. Seeger, moth
: or, Rutland. Miss.
= There were about thirty-three G
8 the army enlisted personnel on boart
o of whom seventeen were saved Tn
names of the missing Of the army en-
y listed personnel and of the merchar
crew Of the ship cannot be given ur
til the muster roll in France Of thos
on board has been consulted. As 500
y as the department is in receipt of ful
ther details concerning the casua
ties they will be made public immed
ately."
Quick upon the wave Of sorrow
the news Of the loss Of the transpo
came a feeling Of distinct relief b.
cause she had met her fate homewal
= bound and not on the way over wit
troops. The only soldiers on boal
were returning to the hospital or
- special assignment.
Had the full complement OF Il
: transport been aboard, the loss VI
doubtedly would have been written
u hundreds, as she was struck in Il
: most vulnerable spot and went und
4 so swiftly that few could have e
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