The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1917-06-20
AMERICAN ship SUNK
BY GERMAN U BOAT.
Tank Steamer Moreni Sunk After
Two Hours Running Battle
With U-Boat.
GERMAN PRAISES SKIPPER
One Man Reported Drowned and
Wireless Operator Dies of
Heart Failure.

Washington, June 15.-Ameriean
naval gunners have met their first
defeat in open fight with German
submarine. Official dispatches today
announced the destruction of the tank
steamship Moreni, abandoned ablaze
June IL by her crew and armed guard
after q desperate running fight in the
war zone, which cost the lives of four
Of her crew.
Half an hour after the tanker had
been sent to the bottom her forty
three survivors, including all of the
members of the armed guard, were
picked up with their life boats hy a
passenger steamer. The con- mander
had set them adrift after congratu-
lating the American skipper upon his
game fight and having the wounded
men treated by the submarines sur
geon.
AT Long Range.
The submarine began the action at
range Of 5000 yards, four nautical
miles, when she hardly was visible
to the steamer without glasses. Pre-
senting virtually no target herself,
she sent 200 shells at the big tanker,
making many hits, while the Amcri.
can gunners wasted 15O shots without
harming the speck from which the
deadly hail came.
Naval officials assumed that the
submarine was armed with the six
inch rifles mounted by most of the
newest undersea boats. No statement
was available tonight as to the arma-
ment of the Moreni, nor as to whether
she was one of the vessels that sailed
without waiting full equipment, in
cluding range finder. The failure
of the gunners to get the submarine
was attributed generally to the long
range and small target.
The action of the submarine con-
manderin treating his vanquished op
ponents with such unexpected cour-
tcsy was the subject of much com
ment. Germany has proclaimed her
intention to treat British armed n.er-
chant crews as pirates. In this case
even the naval blue jackets and their
officers, properly prisoners of war.
were set free, along with the merchant
crews.
The story is told in this statement
by the State Department:
"The Department of State is in
formed Of the sinking fthe Ameri-
can tank steamer Moreni, about 6
o'clock on the morning of June IL,
after two-hour running fight with
German submarine.
"An oiler, Edward Cunningham. of
Brooklyn, was drowned while escap-
ing to boat. Wireless Operator G..
Curran, Jr., of New York, died of
heart failure in the life boat, and one
seaman, E, Moustner, was injured by
gunfire and died in life boat. Fire
man A. Geeisen also died of wounds.
These last two were treated by the
surgeon Of the submarine.
Praised by Germans.
"The German submarine captain
congratulated the American captain
upon the splendid fight he had made.
"Half an hour after the vessel was
sunk the crew was picked up by
passing steamer. Forty-three of the
original crew of forty-seven were
landed. Six of these were slightly
hurt and placed in hospital. All
the gunners were saved.
"The vessel was first fired upon
from an estimated distance of 5000
yards at a o'clock. The steamer,
which was armed and carried a gun
crew, returned the shots, and at
tempted to escape. There was
light breeze and smooth sea. The
submarine was hardly visible. After
$50 shots in reply to some 200 shots
fired by the submarine, the crew
abandoned the vessel, which was all
ablaze, taking to the life boats in a