The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-07
Alcedo Sinks Within Four Min
utes After She 10 Struck
While on Duty.
ATTACK IN THE NIGHT
REPORTS ADMIRAL SIMS
Two Alabama Men and Two
From South Caorlina Among
the Missing-Details OF E =
counter Are La cking.

Washington. Nov. 6.-~An American
patrol vessel has been sunk In the dan
ger zone with the loss Of one officer and
twenty men.
The navy department announces
that the converted yacht Aicedo was
tcrpedoed al 1880 a. NJ. November 8.
The announcement reads;
The navy department has receiv-
ed report from Admiral Sims stat
ing that at 1880 A. NJ. November 5,
the American patrol vessel Alcedo.
converted yacht was torpedoed and
sunk by a German submarine in the
war zone.
One officer and twenty men are
missing. The ship sank within four
minutes after she was struck Several
vessels were searching for possible sur
vivors AT the time the report was
made. The Alcedo carried seven Of
Acers and eighty-fve men"
Beyond the bare announcement that
tho Alcedo had been sunk by a subma-
ffne with the loss Of probably twenty
ore lives the navy department is with
out further Information The tonnage
Of the vessel. her name before going
into the service OF the United States
navy or any other facts of the previous
history of the vessel were net in III
possession of the department tonight
II was inferred and generally believed
about the committee or public infor-
nation that the patrol boat was one
of the numerous yachts that had been
turned over to the United States gov
eminent by members OF some or the
New York or Philadelphia yacht clubs
One report had it that ii was owned
b.. George ". Drexel, OF Philadelphia.
ard another that she was the property
of Vincent Astor -oTs syew TbrR. Ser6~e
going into the United States service
II 1s taken as much more probable THAI
che was the latter, or at least a New
York converted yacht from the fact
that most OF the rnen lost were from
New York. Brooklyn and vicinity.
The fact that SO many OF the lost
were seamen Of second class and from
the same locality would make this all
tho more probable. as in many cases
the original crews that were serving
aboard all the auxiliary vessels had
h.en retained In the service of the gov
efnment with the taking over IF the
privately owned vessels
The suddenness OF the attack I'm the
night. the quick sinking of the injured
ship within four minutes and the fact
that only twenty men OF the ninety
two aboard were lost attest Ia the
quick and efficient work Of rescue bv
the vessels. which accompanied the
yacht on her patrol
No opinion would be given by any
of the naval officials who could he
reached hut they accepted the d,sas-
ter 2s ene OF those situations that
this country must steel itself for. The
waters of the war zone, since the
American sea forces began their work
OF patroliinE in conjunction with The
British and French, have been swarm
ing with American vessels OF All sizes
from the small submarine searchers.
picket boats. yachts and destrovers on
up to the larger vessels. Hundreds OF
thousands of miles have bean patrou-
ed and the fact that no more vessels
have been lost Is due to the vigilance
OF the scouting vessels
The missing are:
John T. Melvin. lieutenant Il. G..
father, Bishop Stewart Melvin Church
ST. Selma. Ala
f. r. Gozzett, seaman second class
mother. Mrs. A. G. Gozzett. 100 Van.
deVenter avenue, Astoria, L. L
James T. Cleary. seaman. second
class, raother. Aibertina Cleary 90
oren Ridge avenue, White Plains
n. Y.
n. Wesche. seaman, second class
mother. Mrs F. wesche, III Jefferson
avenue, Brooklyn. n. Y.
X. W. Ryker. seaman, second class
mother. Mrs Harriet F., Ryker, SIS
franklin avenue, Brooklyn, n. Y.
w X. Holler, seaman, second class
mother. Mrs. X. Holler, T40 Bedford
avenue. Richmond Hill, n. Y.
j. w. Rrunkhardt. seaman. second
c.a<s. mother. Mrs. f. Brunkhar6t
81 Garfield street. Brooklyn, n. Y
IMther .. Weaver. seaman. father.
F. w. Weaver, IS jefferson avenue
Brooklyn, N. Y.
John Whine, Jr,, seaman. wife. Mrs
John j. Whine. s34 West te4th street,
n. Y. city.
e. e. Harrison, mess attendant
uncle, Henry Pool. Tyler. Ala.
+. w. Ffnseriing, fireman. second
class. mother, Mrs. g. Tembu-in. ESQ
Pacific avenue, Jersey City. n. r.
Allen IT. Edwards seaman second
class, mother. Lydia NJ. Edwards.
Jackson. n. Y
G. T. Gauz. seaman. second class.
mother Mary Gauz 65 I.ongfelloN
avenue, Jamaica. J.. l.
- "a Il ffiisafzt or seaman SECOND
class, mother, Mrs. Maud Harrington,
Ashland. Okla,
W. L. Surratt. seaman. second class.
mother. Mrs. w, u. Witt, Northfolk.
West Va.
". W. Smock seaman. SECOND class.
father. u r. Smcck. fAs SEE. Fifth
street, Des Moines Iowa
}. Towle. seaman. second class,
mother Mrs. Mary nerwall teG Union
Hill street Jamaica, l. L.
j Fl. Daniel, seaman, second class.
father. J, r. Darrell. Darlington = c.
J. r. Pace. hoilermaker. mother,
Mrs. Teresa Paciano. a2p avenue. I'm.
dicott, n Y
Frank w. Higgins, United States re- |
serve. mother. Bertha r.. Higgins, 9S7