Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1917-03-22
GERMANY SINKS 3
AMERICAN SHIPS
CITY OF MEMPHIS, ILLINOIS AND
VIGILANCIA VICTIMS; CREW
MEMBERS MISSING.
WILL FORCE WAR UP TO U. S.
Washington Unofficially Admits State
of War Now Exists Between the
United States and Germany
Overt Act Committed.

overt ACT IoInmitteos
London, March 19.-The sinking Of
the American steamships City of Mem
phis, Illinois and Vigilancia was an
nounced Monday morning. Fourteen
men from the Vigilancia are missing,
as are some of the men from the City
Of Memphis.
The crew of the Illinois landed
safely.
The City of Memphis, in ballast from
Cardiff for New York, was sunk by
gunfire. The second officer and Is
men of the crew have been, landed. A
patrol boat has gone in search of the
other members of the crew.
The Illinois, from London for Port
Arthur, Texas, in ballast, was sunk at
s O'Clock this morning.
The Vigilancia was torpedoed with
out warning. The submarine did not
appear. The captain, first and sec
ond mates, first, second and third en-
gineers and % men of the crew have
been landed at the Scilly islands.
Bore Stars and Stripes.
When the American steamship City
of Memphis left port the vessel had
the Stars and Stripes painted on both
sides. She encountered submarine
about o'clock Saturday evening. The
German commander ordered the cap
tain of the steamer to leave his ship
within Is minutes.
The entire crew entered five boats
and the submarine then fired tor
pedo, which struck the vessel on the
starboard side, tearing a great hole,
through which the sea poured. The
steamer foundered within a few min
utes.
During the night the boats became
separated and at 4 o'clock Sunday
morning three boat crews were picked
up by a patrol vessel and landed
These boats contained 33 men, mostly
Americans.
The. officers believe that the other
boats will be rescued.
Warning Shot First.
Third Engineer Thompson of the
City of Memphis said the submarine
fired warning shot for the steamer
to slow down and subsequently sig
nailed for her to stop and for the
crew to abandon the vessel.
Ten or II shells were fired at the
vessel, which began to sink Then
followed a terrific explosion, which
caused the vessel to tremble all over,
and within 20 minutes she sank, stern
first. The crew suffered a great deal
from exposure during the night
Knowing he was in the danger zone,
Thompson said the captain kept the
American flag, which was yards in
length, flying at the masthead. No
body aboard seems to have expected
an attack
Torpedoed After Smelling.
The statements that the steamer
City of Memphis was sunk by gunfire
and also that she was torpedoed ap-
parently are cleared up by the state
ment of Third Engineer Thompson
that she was first shelled and was
sinking when ga terrific explosion
which caused the vessel to tremble
all over" occurred. This seemingly
would indicate that the steamer was
torpedoed after she had been shelled
State of War Exists Now.
Washington.-Wit the announce
ment of the ruthless destruction of
three unarmed American merchant
ships by submarines it was unofficially
admitted here Sunday that virtually a
state of war exists between the Uni
ted States and Germany.
Technically the United States re-
mains in a position of armed neutral
ity. Whether this shall be changed
before April Is, the date fixed for a
special session of congress, the war
making branch of the government,
President Wilson has not decided
Later Report.
Plymouth, via London.-Fifteen
members of the crew of the American
steamer Vigilancia lost their lives
when the steamer was torpedoed by
a German submarine. The survivors
were in lifeboats from Friday morning
until Sunday afternoon.
Mother-Now, Willie, where was
your father last night? Come, you
must tell the truth.
Willie-I guess not, mother: You