Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-10-25

] to bring home about 400 Americans who
had been stranded in Europe by the out
break of hostilities. The party mobi-
lized at Genoa under the leadership of
L. F. Loree. president of the Delaware
& Hudson Railroad company. to await
the arrival of an American vessel. The
Antilles sailed from Genoa on September
II under command of Captain Boyde and
arrived in New York on September 2s
GOVERNMENT KEEPS PROMISE.
Upon receipt of the cablegram from
Admiral Sii1s, the government kept it's
promise not to withhold bad news from
the public. The issuance of the state
ment was delayed only until the navy
could telegraph to the families of the
men known to have been lost.
! Secretary Daniels carried word of
the 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
20 England at the direction of the
President The news added to the
gravity of the hour that the secretary
and Admiral Mayo spent in conference
with the President
NIGHT HAVE BEEN WORSE.
| Quick upon the wave of sorrow at
| 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
complement of the transport been
aboard. the loss undoubtedly would have
been written in hundreds. she was
struck 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
ment to the equipping of transports
with life boats and life RATS, 1t is a
fixed rule that enough boats and RATS
shall be carried to afford a place for
every man aboard, even though the
ship keels over and puts half her boats
out of commission.
The loss of the ships engineer Off
GERS indicates the probability that not
one of the engine and fireroom force
on duty escaped. Probably most of
them died in the blast or the explosion
of the torpedo which tore it's way into
the engine room compartments.
The heavy loss among the army enlisted
men indicated, cannot be accounted 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 Of
, ficers and the others who were rescued
probably were on deck or in cabins from
which a step took them to the deck and
chance for their lives
l /, U-BOAT SLIPPED IN UNOBSERVED.
Lacking details of the attack beyond
the fact that the submarine was unseen
!, and the first warning to those aboard the
. Antilles came with the shock of the en-
= p,osion of the torpedo many theories were
, current as to how the U-boat crep
through the destroyer screen, did it's worl
and escaped unchallenged.
A majority of the officers who would
n comment thought the transport and he
r conveying patrols had run directly over {
S lurking submarine which saw them com
e ing, calculated the distance and Launched
e her deadly torpedo without ever showing
It more than her periscope. They regard l
y as probable that the U-boat commando
d picked his place. lay in wait below tn
j. surface until his microphones told hin
s. the patrols had passed and the transpor
II was upon him, then shot his periscop
| aDOVe water only lOHs eHouBI " Si6h
= and fire before he ducked back to safety
e Any attempt to locate the submarn
probably was made impossible by tn
necessity of rescuing the survivors. TIL
= vessel must have been virtually torn II
- half by the explosion to have gone dow
,s in the time she did.
V Probably the attack was made wei
n out at sea. 1t took two days for tn
,e news to reach Washington and tn
,e despatch shows the time that mus
Ell have elapsed before definite wor
could reach Admiral Sims. The sur
vivors are believed to be already saf
ashore somewhere in France or Eng
er land.
" SO far as known. no high officer
~ of the army or navy were due to re
'k turn on the Antilles There Is no def
~ ~ mite information on that point. how
W ever as only General Pershing know
.,' .o who was sent home on the ship. Tn
-, reports so far received show merel
~, that a number of army officers an
." 33 enlisted men of the army wer
he aboard. Evidently Admiral Sim
he rushed his tidings off before he CON
"a municated with General Pershing.
NV The loss of the Antilles marks til
e. first reduction of the transport flee
en- that has been operating. A very cor
en- siderable number of American troop
workmen and others involved in til
ps prosecution of the war have been cal
et ried safely to France and England an
tn the unsuccessful attack on the FRI
contingent Is the only recorded pr,
he vious instance where the U-boats ha,
n succeeded even in catching sight
aly he yessels