The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-10-24


written in hundreds, as she was struck
in the most vulnerable spot and went
under SO swiftly that few could nave
escaped.
Officials are confident that those who
survived owe their lives to the care
ful attention given by the navy de-
partment to the equipping of trans
ports with lifeboats and life RATS.
1t is a fixed rule that enough boats
and RATS shall he carried TO afford
a place for every man aboard, even
though the ship keel over and put
half her boats out Of commission.
The loss of the ships engineer Of
ficers indicates the probability that no
one of the engine and fire room force
on duty escaped Probably most of
them died in the blast of the explo-
sion of the torpedo, which tore its
way into the engine room compart-
ments.
The heavy loss among the army
enlisted men indicated can not be ac-
counted for until further details come
Ia. Probably they and the navy men
were in their quarters below and could
not make their way on deck before
The ship took her final plunge. The
army. navy and ships officers and the
others who were rescued probably
were on deck or ir cabins from which
a step took them TO the deck and a
chance for their lives.
Lacking details of the attack, be-
yond the fact that the submarine was
unseen ana the first warning to
those aboard the Antilles came with
the shock Of the explosion of the tor
pedO, many theories were current as
to how the u-bOat crept through the
destroyer screen, did it's work and cs.
capped unchallenged.
A majority Of the officers who would
comment thought the transport and
her conveying patrols had run di-
rectly over lurking submarine which
saw them coming, calculated the dis
tance and launched her deadly tor
pedo without ever showing more than
her periscOpe. They regard it as |
probable that the u-boat commander
picked his place, lay in wait below the
surface until his microphone told him
the patrols had passed and the trans
port was upon him. then shot his per-
iscope above water only long enough
to sight and fire before he ducked
back to safety.
Any attempt to locate the submarine
was made impossible by the necessity
of rescuing the survivors. The vessel
must have been virtually torn in
half by the explosion to have gone
down in the time she did.
Probably 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
could reach Admiral Sims The sur
vivors are believed to he already safe
ashore somewhere in France or Eng
land
So far as known no high officers OF
a
on the Antilles. There is no definite
information on that point, however.
as only General Pershing knows who
was sent home on the ship. The re-
ports so far received show merely ,
that number of army officers and I
83 enlisted men OF the army were ,
aboard. Evidently Admiral Sims
rushed his tidings off before he COM
nunicated with General Pershing.
The loss of the Antilles marks the :
irst reduction of the transport fleet ,
hat has been operating. A very con- ,
siderable number of American troops I
vorkmen and others involved in the {
OF the war have been car
led safely to France and England
md the unsuccessful attack on the $
lrst contingent is the only recorded /
PREVIOUS instance whore the u-boat~ ;
ave succeeded even in catching sight l.
# the vessel @