New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-19
Steam Hurriedly, as If
or .Prearranged
Signal
BEAR $4,000 TONS
WORTH S25,O00,O00
Nav Meet Escort OF Allied
WarshipS-AmeriCan
Vessel in Line

belief that they were acting IN con-
cert, nine steamships, one of them
an American, left New York yes
terday bound for the submarine war
zone of the Central Powers. They
made by far the richest fleet that
has yet sailed from this port &c
dare the U-boats, the combined value
Of their 10000 tons of freight being
estimated at $25,OOO,O00. With
them went three other deeply laden
vessels bound for less dangerous
South American waters.
Many of the sailings were sudden,
and, since all fell on the once
avoided Sunday, there seemed rea-
son to believe that the rich argosies
might be bound for some rendezvous
where they would be knit into a con-
voy that would be escorted by
speedv war vessels of the Allies.
Practically every ship in this east
bound fleet had been ready to move
seaward for the last two or three
DAYS. and it is generally believed
that. with the exception OF two
under the American flag, they had
been awaiting secret orders from
the British Admiralty. Inability to
get coal was the general excuse Of
fered by the ship owners for the
failure of these steamships to leave
port Immediately after clearing.
Hurried to Get Under Way
As if by magis yesterday the work OF
coaling was rushed on several OF the
steamships, and with others that had
: n-ready they lost little time in gee7
ting out TO sea.
Unusual precautions were taken by
the eCunard and Fabre (French) lines
to conceal the identity and number of
messengers carried on the Laconia and
the Roma. These were the only steam
ships that carried travellers.
No passenger lists were printed and
the agents declined to state whether
there wese any Americans OIL either
vessel. The alien slips filled out by all
Messengers in compliance with the
United States immigration law Tor sta-
tistical purposes. were caretully gualuI
ed, and only the s1eamsnip agents anu anu
tho Department Of Labor know II there
are any Americans in the passenger
complements of either steamship.
Laconia Leaves at Daybreak
A. davbreak the Cunarder Laconia,
bigoest of the fleet. filled with munl-
lions for the British government,
steamed out of the Narrows. She had
second cabin passengers aboard, but
D the Cunard officials declined to state
fbe number. IF you say about one
hundred YOU won't be far from wrong,
said one of the company's represent
atlves. ,,..
Ambrose Channel Lightship when the
. Lamport e. Holt liner Verdi weighed
/ anchor OF Stapleton and proceeded on
/ ber way TO Rio de JaneirO, Buenos
Avres and the River Plate. The Me-
dina an American vessel under charter
"a tho same company and destined Tor
/ tba samo ports. followed the Verdi to
sea Later there steamed seaward the
+ Woorish Prince for La Pallice, the Dan
. isb notorship Chill for Copenhagen,
tho Cunard freightcr Filtria for Lon
don the Norwegian freighter Bjorn-
I stierne Biornson for Cette, the Japan
csc freighter kawachi Maru for 1oko-
hama via the Panama Canal and the
Citv of Pueblo, an American cargo yes
sci. bound for Hayre, in the heart OF
the war zone.
Marine observers AZ Sandy Hook
chroniced another departure at . p. m,
when the Roma. of the Fabre Line,
turned the Scotland Lightshp in a
southeasterly direction on her way 10
Marseilles via the Azores.
Carried About $50 Passengers
Il was said that she had "about $50
second cabin passengers, of various
nationalitics.' but that 10 was uos
known whether there were Americans
among them.
Much interest had been displayed in
the preparations Of the City Of Pueblo
20 get under way FOR Hayre. one 80
commanded by Captain John +. Nillett,
self with a staff of thirteen American
officers. The crew includes Russians.
japanese, Swedes, NOrWegians and
Scotchmen.
While the outbound nect was on its
way 70 brave the danger zone DSed by
Germany, there arrived IN por- three
cargo carriers that had evaced suo.
marines In practically the same area.
The FIRST 70 arrive was the American
rroichtcr Morcui, from Mediterranean
ports. followed by the British steam
shin Penistonc, from Bordeaux, and tne
Belgian frcighter Licge, from kotter-
dam and Cardiff.
The first American steamship 20
leave this port after Gcrmany's dec
laration of a new war zone and thus
far not renorted is the Dochra, which
left New York on February Tor Genoa.
Her exact course Is not known, but
IL is thought that in the seventeen days
she has been on her journey she should
have logged a distance that would now
bring her close 10 Gibraltar.
The American steamships Rochester
and Orleans, which left New York for
Bordeaux on February 10, presumably
took the same course as the Dochra and
arc probablv about two thousand miles
southeast of Sandy Hook. Their agents
do not expect either vessel 20 reach
Gibraltar much before next Thursday.
The American freighter Owega, bound
for Genoa. left port a day later than
the Rochester and Orleans, and theo-
retically she should be about two or
three hundred miles astern OF them.