The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-05
U-BOat Fires on Crew Being
Lowered in Boats.
Trevier Sunk After Being
Guaranteed Safe Conduct.
RELIEF SHIP HITS A mine
Almost at Goal, the Feistein
Sinks in North Sea.
British Charge Sinking of Six
Hospital Ships.

London, April 5.-The Belgian re-
lief ship Trevier has been torpedoed
and sunk by submarine off Scheven-
ingen, according to Ymuiden dis
ratch received here -oday.
Twenty-four members of the crew
have been landed safely, eight of them
wounded.
While the boats of the Trevier were
being lowered the submarine fired on
them, severely wounding the captain.
the mate. the engineer and cook.
The Trevier was a steel screw vessel
of 3,006 tons, built in 1907 and reg
istered at Antwerp, she was owned by
Antwerpsche Zeev Nfaats. of Antwerp.
Another Relief Ship Lost.
New York, April 5.--The Belgian
relief steamship Feistein has been
sunk in the North sea while approach
ing Rotterdam, according to q cable
gram received here today by the Bel
gian Relief commission. 1t is believed
she struck a mine.
217 Lives Lost on Hospital Ships.
London, April Six hospital ships
have been torpedoed Or mined by the
central powers since the beginning of
the war. Thomas J. Mcnamara, field
secretary of the admiralty stated in
sequence, he added Eat lives had been
lost and 73 persons injured.
Guaranteed Safe Passage.
New York, April 5.-The Trevier
sailed from New York for Rotterdam
February 20 with assurances of safe
conduct thru the submarine danger
zone, it was stated today by the COM
mission for relief in Belgium. She
was laden with a general food cargo.
The commission had received no
word from the London headquarters
which sent the message about the
Feistein regarding the torpedoing of
the Trevier. Both vessels carried
crews made up mostly of Belgians and
Hollanders and it is believed no Amer
leans We're on either vessel. The
cablegram did not state how or when
the Feistein was sunk or whether any
lives were lost The assumption she
was mined was based on the fact that
all other commission vessels lost near
Rotterdam, met disaster in that way.
1t was believed if she had been tor
pedoed, the fact would have been
mentioned.
Both the Feisten and the Trevier
carried solid cargoes of wheat for peo-
PIE starving in Belgium and northern
France.
The Feistein, a Norwegian vessel,
left Philadelphia February %. Her
cargo was valued at $354194. The
ship was of 2,991 tons gross. The
Trevier of 3,001 tons gross, left New
York March 5. Her cargo was worth
$315,961. Members of the commission
here were unable to credit the news
that the Trevier had been torpedoed
without warning. 1t was said the
commission had abided by the German
restrictions that it's ships take the
northern route after stopping at Hall
fax instead of putting in at Falmouth
or Kirkwall, under assurance that u
boat commanders had been instructed
not to molest the relief ships if they
conformed to the prescribed regula-
tonS.
No Americans Aboard.
1t was stated definitely by A. w
Duckett & Co, agents for the Belgium
commission, that there were no Amer
leans on the Trevier. If twenty-four
men were landed at Ymuiden, as re-
ported, then the entire crew was
saved. The ships safe conduct pass
was signed by the Swiss consul in
compliance with the German arrange
ments, the agents stated