New Britain herald., 1917-03-23
CABINET AT WORK ON PRESIDENTS .l
 ADDRESS ON WAR BEFORE CONGRES

SOME COULD NOT ESCAPE Many We're i'm Engine Room Pene-
 trated by Torpedo Was
 Owned by Standard Oil Company
 Loss Will Be S2, 15O,OOO.
 Philadelphia, March 23.-Thirteen American citizens were among the for ty members of the crew of the Amer ican tank steamer Healdton, sunk by submarine last Wednesday off Ter schelling, Holland, with the probable loss of twenty or more lives. Whether any of them lost their lives has not been learned, but fear was expressed that since the torpedo from the sub- marine was reported to have pene- trated the engine room and to have been responsible for the death of thir- teen men, some of them will be found among the victims.
 The chief engineer and three assist ants were Americans. Most of the other members of the crew were Span iards, Norwegians or Portuguese. The tanker was unarmed, having left this --~.- hefore President Wilson author ized the navy to furnish guns and gum ners to merchantmen.
 As given out here early today by Augustin R. Smith, shipping commis- sioner, the personnel of the crew showed the following had signed ship ping articles as American citizens be- fore sailing on the il1-fated voyage:
 Charles Christopher. captain; I. Will lerup, chief mate, New York.
 w. Chandler, second mate; c. F. Hudgins, third mate, Virginia.
 S. W. Smith, able seaman, Chicago.
 J. Caldwell. chief engineer; c. W. Embrey. first assistant engineer, John Emery, second assistant en- .gineer, New York. s4..v-- c. Johnson, third assistant engineer, Emery Leveaux, oiler, Michigan John w. Steiner, messman, Pitts George, Healey, second cook, San Francisco.
 Held Up at Halifax. 1A0 I1cdlOLOu, -0 tAuASI Ol f,fo0 . gross tons, owned by the Standard Oil
 January 26 for Rotterdam with a car-
 go of 2,137. 700 gallons of refined pe- troleum. She had not been reported
 since February 12, when a despatch to
 the Maritime Exchange in this city from Halifax stated that the ship had been detained there since February 8 for examination. How long she was held after February 13 has never been ascertained here. , 5 According to Joseph c. Gabriel, To-
 cal agent of the Atlantic Refining company where the tanker was load ed. the loss including cargo will ap-
 proximate $2,150,00O.
 Until two years ago the Healdton was known as the Puerilite and sailed under German registry but since then has sailed under the American flag. Built in 1908 in Greenock. Scotland, she was 369 feet long, 27 feet in depth and 51 feet beam. Herman H. Parker, the wireless operator aboard the Healdtoh, was saved, according to 8 cablegram re- ceived here today by his father, Will liam Parker The message was dated Terschelling, Holland. MT. Parker said his son was 19 years old and a native of Philadelphia.
 Recalled Across Atlantic. The Healdton had an unusual voy- age before she was sunk, according to agents of the steamer here. The Healdton picked up wireless off the coast of France ordering her to re- ! turn at once to Halifax and await or ders. She arrived there about Feb. and remained until about Feb. 2S when she sailed again for Rotterdam l by way of the Shetland Islands route, which Is out of the submarine war I zone.
 The decision of the agents to have the Healdton not call at Kirkwall for inspection caused the British author ities to put the ship and crew through
 a rigorous examination at Halifax. l When she left Halifax she had or- ders to call at Bergen and then pro- 1 ceed to Rotterdam.
 l Insured With Government. 1 Washington, March 23-The Amer
 ican tanker Healdton torpedoed and
 sunk off the Dutch coast Wednesday night, was insured by the govern
 inent's war risk bureau for $499,0O0.
 The loss ot the Healdton is the
 greatest yet sustained by the bureau.