New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-19

London, March 1S.-Thc sinking
OF the American steamships City OF
Memphis. Illinois and Vigilancia was
announced to-day. Fourteen men
from the Vigilancia are missing, as
arc eight from the City Of Memphis.
The crew of the Illinois was landed
safely.
The Vigilancia was torpedoed
without warning The submarine
did not appear. The captain, first
and second mates, first, second and
third engineers and twenty-three OF
the crew have been landed at the
Scilly Islands. The fourth engineer
and thirteen men are missina
The City Of Memphis, which left
Cardiff Friday in ballast for New
York. was sunk Saturday. When
she left port the City Of Memphis
had the Stars and Stripes painted
on both sides. She encountered a
submarine about o'clock Saturday
evening. The German commander
ordered the captain OF the steamer
to leave his shin within fifteen min
utes.
Ship Is Torpedoed
The entire crew entered five boats,
and the submarine then fred a tor
pedo, which struck the vessel on the
starboard side. tearing a great hole
through which the sea poured The
steamer settled down quickly. and
foundered within a few minutes.
During the night the boats became
separated, ard al / o'clock Sunday
morning three boat crews were
picked up by a patrol vessel and
landed at Queenstown. Fifteen men
from the fourth boat have been
landed at Schulz, and it is believed
that the fifth, with eight men, will
soon be picked up.
The Illinois; from London for Port
Arthur, Tex, in ballast. was sunk
at 8 o'clock this morning.
Third Engineer Thompson. Of the
City of Memphis. said tonight that the
submarine fired 2 warning shot FOR the
steamer 20 slow down. and subsequent
iy signalled for ner to stop and for the
crew to abandon the ship Ten or
eleven shells were fired az 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 great deai from
oposuie during The night. Thompson
said The ship was on charter % dis
charge her cargo ~ Havre From Hayrc
She went 20 Cardiff. and the skipper.
moving DC was IN the danger zone,
kept .he flag, which was yards in
length. flying at the masthead. No
body seems TO have expected an attack.
NoyhHh NOHrItAr Outtf>
Captain Borum briefly consulted with
ple officers after the Germans ordered
him by megsphone 20 leave the ship
because n was intended 20 sink her.
said Thompson. All agreed that there
was no alternative. After describing
the sinking Of the steamer Thompson
continued:
"When the ship had been destroyed
the German commander steared 10 our
boat and asked FOR the captain. but
none Of our lads answered him. He
,hcn went from boat 10 boat Until be
found Captain BOrum. who briefly con
yersed with him. / do not know what
was said.
The weather was not too bad but
there were heavy swc!s. Vt kept the
boats together. and during the evening
we rowed together toward the coast.
The night closed with biting wind
and some Of our young chaps were very
sick Our farelights were seen be-
tween and o'clock in the morning
by the patrol vessels. which rescued
two boats crews. The other two had
become separated. We lost everything
we possessed
The following American officer, are
known to have been landed: Chief OF
,icer c. C.. Laird, Chief Engineer ". !.
Percy. Assistant Engineer +. Bevill.
Third Engineer W. ". Thompson. Third
Officer NJ. Dierland Wireless Operators
J. Weich and p. J. Donahue and Elee-
trician Philips.
Queenstown. March lS.-The Ameri-
can steamer City o. Memphis was tor
pedoed. according 20 information re-
ceived here. bv A German submarine a,
o'clock yesterday afternoon. Inc
crew. numbering ffty-seyen, took 70
five boats. Three Of the boats with
thirty-three survivors, were picked up
by steamer at o'clock in the. morn
ing. and the men have been landed,
The other boats. with twen'y-io"'