South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-10-20
SEVENTY MEN LOST
WHEN TRANSPORT SINKS
CCoNTINUED FROM PAGE ONE)

transports with Hfe boats and life
RATS. II IS a dxed rule that enough
boats and RATS shall be carried 10
afford q place for every man aboard.
even though the ship keel over and
put half her boats out OF commits
sion
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
explosion OF the torpedo which tore
its way into the engine room COM
partments
The heavy loss among the army
enlisted 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 before the ship took her final
plunge. The army. navy and ships
officers and the others who were
rescued probably were on deck or
in cabins from which a step took
them TO the deck and q chance for
their lives.
Many Theories on Attack
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
the shock OF the explosion OF the
torpedo. many theories we're current
as TO how the L boat crept through
the destroyer screen, did its work
and escaped unchallenged
A majority of the officers who
would comment thought the trans
port and her conveying patrols had
run directly over a lurking sub
marine which saw them coming.
calculated the distance and launch
ed ner deadly torpedo without ever
showing more than her periscope.
They regard il as probable that the
L boat commander picked his place.
lay in wait before 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 70
sight and fire before he ducked back
TO safety
An attempt 10 locate the sub
marine probably was made impossi-
bic by the necessity Of rescuing the
survivors. The vessel must have been
virtually torn in half by the explo-
sion TO have gone down in the time
she did
Probably Well Out at sea.
Probably the attack was made
well out at sea. II took two days
I for the news 10 reach Washington
/ and the dispatch shows the time that
must have elapsed before definite
word could reach Admiral Sims.
/ The survivors are believed 20 be al
ready safe ashore somewhere in
France or England.
So far as known, no high onicers
OF the army or the navy were due
TO return on the Antilles There is
TO definite information on that
point. however. as only Gen. Perish
ing knows who was sent home on
the ship The reports so far re-
ceived show merely that a number
of army officers and 80 enlisted men
of the army were aboard. Evident
ly Admiral Sims rushed his tidings
off before he communicated with
Gen Pershing.
The loss OF the Antilles marks the
] first reduction Of the transport fleet
| that has been operating. A very
/ considerab bic number of American
troops, workmen and others involved
in the prosecution OF the war have
| been carried safely 20 France and
/ England and the unsuccessful at
/ tack on the first contingent is the
only recorded previous instance
where the U-boats have succeeded
even in catching sight of the vessels
NEW YORK, Oct. 2O.-The An
| titles was Withdrawn from the coast
wise trade mporarily in Septem-
/ Der, 1914, 70 make a trip TO Genoa
| Italy. 10 bring home about 400
! Americans who had been stranded
/ in Europe at the outbreak Of hostili-
| ties. The party modified at Genoa
/ under the leadership OF L. r. Loree,
president of the Delaware & Hud-
/ son Railroad Co. 10 await the ar
/ rival of an American vessel The
/ Antilles sailed from Genoa on Sept
i, under the command Of Capt
Boyd. and arrived in New York on
/ Sept %.