Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-02-14
Two Hundred Citizens Of Unit
Cd STATES Perisheu at Sea.
TENSION WITH GERMANY

At least 200 Americans and probably
more lave gone to their deaths through
submarine operations. The first Ameri-
can of whom there b record to lose his
life In submarine attack was Leon T.
Thresher, a passenger on the British
liner Falaba, bound from Liverpool for
West Africa, which was torpedoed and
sunk March q, 1915, off Milford, Eng
land.
The first American ship attacked was
the Gulfight, an oil tanker, from Port
Arthur, Tex, for Rouen, France.
The next attack was the one that
shocked the CIVILIZED world and brought
the United States and Germany for the
first time to. the verge Of war. 1t was
the destruction Of the Lusitania on
May Z, 1915. Unarmed, with 1857 pas
sengers, Of whom 159 were Americans,
with crew Of 7O2, she was torpedoed
without warning and sank in twenty
three minutes off Old Head Of Kinsale
as she was nearing Liverpool. In all,
1,198 lives were lost, Of which 124 were
Americans, many Of them men Of ma
tional prominence.
Twenty American negro muleteers on
the Leyland liner Armenian were killed
June %, 1915, by shell fire and drowning
when the Armenian failed to escape
with her cargo Of army mules from a
submersible near the Cornwall coast.
The Armenian was warned and invited
her destruction by flight. The Ameri-
can muleteers suffered by the action Of
the British captain.
The Case Of the Orduna.
The next submarine attack in which
Americans were endangered was I'M
successful, but only because the Cunard
liner Orduna was too speedy for her
pursuer.
On July %, 1915, came the first COM
plete destruction Of an American ship
by submarine. It was the Leelanaw
of New York, bound from Archangel to
Belfast with fax, which is contraband.
The American sailing ship William P.
Frye had been previously sunk in the
war, but under different circumstances.
A new crisis and the first suspicion
that German submarines were operat-
ing in the Mediterranean or that Aus
trfan submarines were being manned
by German officers and crews was de-
veloped by the destruction of the Brit
ish liner Persia on Dec. 80, 1915, south
east Of Crete while on her way to the
orient. American Consul McNeeley, on
his way to his post at Alden, was
among the 1856 persons who lost their
lives, of which two or more were
Americans. The wake Of torpedo
was seen, but no submarine was visi-
BILE. ~
The Crucial Sussex Case.
The next great passenger ship de-
stroyed was the Dutch liner Tubantia.
While she was in the North sea, bound
for Rio de Janeiro an explosion rent
the ship asunder, and she sank. Three
Americans were passengers All per-
sons on board were saved, except one
Russian.
On March "a, 1916, came the culmi-
nation of a long list Of submarine at
tacks, which caused President Wilson
to lay the situation before congress
and to notify Germany that unless
such methods of warfare were discon-
tinued the United States would break
of diplomatic relations. This was the
destruction of the French channel
steamer Sussex between F0lkestone
and Dieppe. All the evidence went to
prove that the ship was torpedoed
without warning, and, although Ger
many at first disclaimed responsibility.
the statements which the Berlin for
eign Office made in its disclaimer went
to prove that submarine destroyed
the ship.
Visit of the U-53.
The next development came when
Germany carried the submarine war
to the American side of the Atlantic.
On Saturday, Oct. Z, 1916, the German
war submarine U-53 entered Newport
harbor unannounced. delivered pack
age Of mail for the German embassy
and departed as swiftly as silently,
as she had come Within forty eight
hours afterward she sank six ships
within sight of the American coast
four British, one Dutch and one Nor
wegian. With the assistance of Amer
lean destrOyers, which witnessed the
operations. all lives We're saved. In
each case the submarine commander
gave legal warning and permitted the
escape Of passengers and crew.
On Oct. 20, 1916, the British mer-
chant ship Rowanmore was attacked
by a German submarine. She fed, but
was overhauled and destroyed by gun
Ore.
On Oct. 80 the British ship Marina,
bound for the United States, was tor
pedoed, and six Of the fifty Americans
On board were lost.
Then followed the attack on the
American steamer Chemung, the loss
Of seventeen Americans on the steam
er Russian and finally, ON Jan. 81, q