Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-10-20

vessel had met her fate while homeward
bound and not on the way over with
large numbers of troops aboard. Had
the successful attack been delivered
while the Antilles was on her trip to
France the loss of life probably would
have been appalling. She was struck in
a vital spot and plunged below SO
swiftly that but comparatively few
Interest is intense IN the manner the
submarine managed to elude the pro-
tecting convoy and discharge the tor
pedo that hurtled directly into the yes
sci. Naval ofncers are OF the opinion
meath the surface till the rowing de-
stroyers passed overhead and then
waited for the big troopship to come
into easy range before releasing the
deadly missile.
that the ship went down in I'VE minutes.
This fact. coupled with the necessity
Of rescuinE survivors, made impossible.
1t is believed, any attempt to locate the
U-boat.
Little Chance to Escape.
The'heaviest loss Of life. 1t is thought,
was among the engine and fre room crew.
Stunned or MANNED by the explosion
that virtually broke the ship in two,
these men must have had but little
time to gain access to the deck with its
ties among the Army and Navy officers
aboard Is attributed to the fact that
their staterooms lay along the decks,
from which they could jump to the wa
ters below in hope Of being picked up.
1t Is believed that the attack was
made well out at sea. since 1t took two
days for news Of the disaster to reach
Washington. Survivors are thought to
be safe ashore in France. England or
Ireland.
The loss Of the Antilles marks the
first impairment of transport service
that has operated successfully since
Americas active entrance into the war
Since the unsuccessful attack on the
convoy Of the first contingent. large
numbers Of troops and vast quantities
of supplies had been forwarded over
seas with complete immunity from the
menace Of undersea warfare.
Antilles "Mardi Gras" Steamer.
The Antilles. a freight and passenger
steamship of 6,878 tons gross. owned by
pany Morgan line). was one of the
crack American coast liners. She piled
between New Orleans and New York.
and had carried thousands of persons
| to the Mardi Gras celebration in the
southern city. The vessel was taken
over by the government as transport
early in the war.
Capt. H. F. Boyde, master of the An
titles. retained his command when the
| vessel entered the government service,
as did most of his officers. The crew
as recruited by the quartermasters de-
partment included many of the men
who had served on the steamship when
she was in the merchant service The
Antilles was built by the Cramps, at
Philadelphia, in 1907. She was 421
feet long, with a beam of So feet and a
depth of 81 feet.
The Antilles was withdrawn from
No ocfx rtoo tr1I In ill,
tember. 1914. to make a trip to Genoa,
Italy. to bring home about 400 Ameri-
cans who had been stranded in Europe
at the outbreak of hostilities. The
party modified at Genoa under the
! leadership of L. F. Loree, president of
the Delaware and Hudson Railroad
Company. to wait the arrival of an
American vessel. The Antilles sailed
from Genoa September 12 under com
mand of Capt. Boyde and arrived In
New York September 26.