Norwich bulletin., 1917-10-20

I loss of the Antilles to the White
 House, when he went there late in the day with Admiral Mayo, who made his report to President Wilson on his visit president The news added to the gravity of the hour that the secretary
 and Admiral Mayo spent dn conference with the president.
 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 com plement of the transport been aboard, the loss undoubtedly would have been in the most vulnerable spot and went
 under so swiftly that few could have escaped.
 Officials are confident that those who
 survived owe their lives to the careful
 attention given by the navy depart
 men to the equipping of transports.
 with lfeboats and life rafts. It is fixed rule that enough boats and rafts shall be carried to afford 2 place for ship keel oyer and put half her Hfe- boats out of commission.
 The loss of the ships engineer of hcers 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 explosion of the torpedo which tore it's way, into the engine room compartment.
 Those Lost Probably Were Below.
 The heavy loss among the army en- listed men indicated cannot be ac- in. Probably they and the navy men were tn their quarters below and could not make their way on deck before the ship took her final plunge. The army, who were rescued probably were on deck or in cabins from which a step took them to the deck and 8 chance for their lives.
 yond the fact that the submarine was unseen and the first warning to those aboard the Antilles came with the shock of the explosion of the torpedo, many theories were current as to how the U-boat crept through the destroyer screen did it's work and escaped un- challenged.
 A majority of the officers who would comment thought the transport and her conveying patrols had run direct ly over a lurking submarine which saw them coming, calculated the dis tance and launched her deadly tor pedo without even showing more than her Periscope. They regard it as 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 only long enough to sight and fire before he ducked back to safety. Vessel Must Have Been Torn in Half
 Any attempt to locate the subma- rfne probably was made impossible | by the necessity of rescuing the sur vtvors. The vessel must have been virtually torn in half by the explo- sion to have gone down in the time l! sde nhe did e, Probably at st the attaca e was days for the news to reach Washing 1 ton and the despatch shows the time | that must have elapsed before definite | word could reach Admiral Sims The 1 safe ashore somewhere in France or | England.
 So far as known. no high officers of the army or navy were due to return | on the Antilles. There is no definite as only General Pershing knows who was sent home on the ship. The re- ports so far received show merely that | 3 number of army officers and 33 en- listed men of the army were aboard. Evidently Admiral Sims rushed his tldfngs off before he communicated | with General Pershing.
 First Reduction of Transport Fleet,
 The loss of the Antilles marks the first reduction of the transport fleet that has been operating. A very con- siderable number of American troops, workmen and others involved in the prosecution of the war have been car lied safely to France and England l and the unsuccessful attack on the first contingent is the only recorded previous instance where the U-boats lave succeeded even in catching sight | )f the vessels.