Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-10-20

SHttluh ktidStu WITt.D
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 in tho
day with Admiral Mayo. who made
! his report to President Wilson on his
visit to England at the direction OF
the president. The news added to the
gravity Of the hour that the Secretary
and Admiral Mayo spent In confer
ence with the president.
Quick upon the wave of sorrow at
the news OF the loss of the transport
came a feeling of distinct relief be-
cause she had met her fate homeward
bound and not on the way over with
troops. The only soldiers on board
were returning to the hospital or on
special assignment. Had the full
complement of the transport been
aboard, the loss undoubtedly would
have been written in hundreds, as she
was struck in the most vulnerable spot
and went under so swiftly that few
could have escaped.
Plenty of Safety Devices.
Officials are confident that those
who survived owe their lives TO the
careful attention given by tho navy
department to the equpping of trans
ports with lifeboats and life RATS. IL
Is a fixed rule that enough boats ctF
RATS shall be carried to afford r'aea
for every man aboard. even tho ash
the ship keel over and put half
her boats out of commission.
The loss of the ships engineer
ficers indicates the probability that
mono of the engine ard fire room
forces on duty escared. Probably
most of them died in che blast of tho
explosion of the torpedo, which tore
its way into the engine room COM
partments
The heavy loss among the army en-
listed men indicated cannot be ac-
counted for until further details come
in Probably they and the navy men
were in their quarters below and
could not make their way on deck be-
fore the ship took her final plunge.
The army. navy and ships Of
fcers and the others who were res
cued probably were on deck or in
cabins from which step took them
TO the deck and chance for their
lives.
Details Arc Lacking.
Lacking details of the attack be-
yond the fact that the submarine was
unseen and the first warning to those
aboard the Antilles came with tho
shock of the explosion of the torpedo.
many theories were current as to how
the U-boat crept through the destroy
unchalenged.
a majority of the officers who
would comment thought the transport
and her conveying patrols had run
directly over n lurking submarine.
which saw them coming, caIcu-
lated the distance' and launch
ed her deadly torpedo with
out ever showing more than
her perscope. They regard IT as
probable that the U-boat commander
picked his place. lay in wait below
the surface until his microphones
told him the patrols had passed and
the transport was upon him. then
shot his periscope above water long
enough to sight and fire before he
ducked back to safety.
! Vessel Torn in Half
| Any attempt to locate the subma-
rne probably was made impossible by
the necessity of rescuing the surviv-
ors. The vessel must have been vir-
tually torn in half by the explosion to
have gone down in the time she did
| proha hlv the attack was made we'll
out at sea. 1t took two days for the
news to reach Washington and the
dispatch shows the time that must
have elapsed before definite word