Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-03
ELEVEN MEN LOST
OF AzTEC'S CREW
Naval Guard Aboard Sunken
Armed American Freighter
Probably Saved.
NO CHANCE TO USE GUNS

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, April 3.-Eleven men of
the crew of the American steamship
Aztec probably were lost when the ves-
sci was sunk Sunday night by Ger
man submarine near Brest, France.
The crew numbered thirty-nine. of
whom seventeen were Americans.
Twelve American bluejackets, COM
manded by Lieut. William F. Gresham.
detached from the crew of the gunboat
Dolphin and placed aboard the Aztec
as an armed guard. were saved, accord
ing to dispatches from the French ad-
miralty.
The Aztec was the first armed Ameri-
can merchant vessel to fall victim to
German submarine warfare. She left
New York for Havre March is with a
cargo of foodstuffs and general sup
plies valued at more than 100000.
Chance to Use Guns Unlikely.
No informal tion as to whether the
vessel was able to use her guns against
the submarine has reached her owners,
the Oriental Navigation Company. The
fact that she was sunk at night. with
a heavy sea running. leads to the belief
that, ike tne SuNdFu liner LdCoHid, Siie
did not even catch sight of her assail-
ant.
The Aztec was armed with two five
inch guns, one forward and one aft
The vessel, formerly owned by the Pa
cifc Mail Steamship Company, was of
was built In Newcastle. England. in
1894. She was $50 feet long, with a
beam of 43 feet.
dispatch from Paris last night
Ut,
teen of the crew of the Aztec
Naval Men Probably. Safe.
French admiralty dispatches to the
French embassy here last night an
nouncing the sinking of the first armed
American merchantmen. the freighter
Aztec, by German submarine, said
apparently Lieut.. William F. Gresham
and twelve American bluejackets con-
sttuting the armed guard of the ves-
sci had been saved, but that eleven
of the crew were reported missing.
The admiralty report said the Aztec.
bound from New York to Havre was
torpedoed without warning Sunday off
Ouessant. The torpedo struck squarely
amidships. emitting powerful gas
and putting the wireless out of COM
mission.
After hearing of the French admi-
ralty dispatch indicating that all of the
members of the naval guard were safe.
Secretary Daniels made public the
guards personnel 1t was composed of
Lieut.. William +. Gresham and twelve
enlisted men, detached from the crew
of the gunboat Dolphin. stationed here.
Members of Naval Guard.
Following are the enlisted men, with
ST hat nf III
James A. Blevins boatswain's mate,
second class. Carter county, Tenn:
Thomas e. Dillon. quartermaster first
class, Jersey City. N. j.: William H.
Douglass, coxswain, Terre Haute, Ind: !:
John 1. Eopolucci. boatswain's mate,
first class. Washington. d. c.: Adolf
HendricKson. coxswain, Minneapolis:
Jacob J. Hlf1ker. electrician. third
class. Baltimore; Samuel Earl Israel.
seaman, Helleman. Ala; Clarence H
Kelly. quartermaster, Trenton, n. j.;
sHssph sisss Nexsurg " vs Wsm ss'
Rominger, gunner's mate. second class
Elizabethton. Tenn; Joseph A. Rucker.
seaman, Roanoke, Ala. and Clarence w.
Whitney. quartermaster, second class
Cincinnati
Onicials said the disaster would not
affect the policy of arming ships, which
will be continued in the most efficient
manner possible.
Reports Nineteen Landed.
A dispatch from Ambassador Sharp.
dated at Paris pm. yesterday. said
nineteen survivors from the Aztec
ware landed yesterday afternoon at
Rrest and twenty-eight persons still
were missing. and their rescue was