Evening star., 1917-03-19
VigiIancia Torpedoed Without
Warning and Memphis Shell
ed; No Illinois Details.
AID IN REACHING LAND
REFUSED BY SUBMARINES
Commander of German Craft Tells
Sailors He Hasn't Time to Help
Them Despite Bad Sea.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. March 19.-Eighty-fiv
Americans, comprising large majority
of the crews, were aboard the three
American steamers, Vigilancia. City of
Memphis and Illinois. sunk by German
submarines on Saturday and Sunday in
the blockade zone. The latest informa-
tion here is that fifteen men are miss
ing from the Vigilancia. The crews OF
the Illinois and the City of Memphis
were landed safely.
The City of Memphis left Cardiff,
Wales, Friday in ballast for New York.
She encountered the submarine Satur-
day evening and the crew was given
fifteen minutes to take to the boats.
The vessel was owned by the Ocean
Steamship Company, and valued at
100000. She left New York January
% with a cargo of cotton. which was
delivered at Havre, France. There
were fifty-seven men in her crew.
The Vigilancia was torpedoed without
warning, according to the survivors
story and the submarine did not ap-
pear She carried a crew of forty-five
men, twenty-one of whom were Amer
leans. Thirty-one of these have been
landed at the Scilly Islands. The Wig
ilancia sailed from New York February
2S. with a cargo consisting in part of
provisions and valued at nearly $780,
600. The ship herself was said to be
worth $1,000,000.
No Details From the Illinois.
Beyond the fact that the crew was
saved no details had been received here
early today regarding the destruction
of the Illinois. She was reported merely
as having been sunk" The Illinois
was a tank ship owned by the Texas
Oil Company. She left Port Arthur,
Tex, February II, for London. with a
full cargo. There were sixteen Amer
leans on board, including all the Of
ficers and eight members of the crew.
Her entire crew consisted of thirty five
men. Her home port was New York.
At the office of CASTOR. Williams &
Wigmore, owners of the Vigilancia, it
was said their last word of the vessel
was received in a cablegram Saturday
saying the ship had put into ST Michael,
the Azores, for additional bunker coal.
The cargo of the vessel was shipped
by Barber & Co.. and consisted. in part.
of iron, copper, spelter. machinery and
placed at close to $1,000,000. The ship
was insured for $500, 900 through Ameri-
can underwriters.
A cablegram saying that all but one
boat from the steamer City Of Memphis
had reported safe, and that it was ex-
pected the missing boat. in which the
captain took refuge, would soon be ac-
counted for, was received here today by
the Ocean Steamship Company.
Fifteen Listed as Missing.
LONDON, March 19.-Fifteen men
from the American steamer Vigilancia
sunk by a German submarine, are now
listed as missing. The American err
bassy learns that the submarine firad
! two torpedoes a, the Vigilancia. TIE
first missed by considerable distance
| 1t was followed Immediately by the
second, which found the mark
Given Fifteen Minutes to Get Off.
The City of Memphis encountered a
submarine about o'clock Saturday
| evening. The German commander or
dered the captain of the steamer to
leave his ship within fifteen minutes.
! The entire crew entered five boats,
i and the submarine then fired a torpedo,
which struck the vessel on the star
| board side, tearing great hole.
through which the sea poured. The
steamer settled down quickly and
| foundered within a few minutes
Third Engineer Thompson of the
City of Memphis. in an interview with
! the Central News, said that the SUBJ
marine fired a warning shot for the
steamer to slow down, and subsequent
i ly signaled for her to stop and for the
| crew to abandon the ship Ten or
eleven shells We're fired at the vessel
which began to sink. Then followed a
| terrific explosion, which caused the
vessel to tremble all over, and within
| twenty minutes she sank, stern first
| The crew suffered a great deal from
exposure during the night
Thompson said the ship was on char
| ter to discharge her cargo at Havre
| From Havre she went to Cardiff, and
| the skipper. knowing he was in the
danger zone, kept the flag, which was
yards in length. flying at the masthead
| Nobody aboard seems to have expected
| an attack.
Asked for the Captain.
Capt. Borum briefly consulted with
oEcoro a. ffar ha