Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-15
STEAMER TEXAN
: WITH BIG CARGO
SINKING AT SEA
United States Vessel Loaded
With NitrateS Believed TO
Have Been Rammed Amid
ships. o, S. Call Flashed

An ATLANTIC PORT, Jan IA
Agents of the American Steamship Tex
as. a vessel of 14,o0U tons, today re-
ceived advices from naval authorities
that she was sinking at sea- The loca-
ton of the ship was not given
The naval authorities did not state
the cause OF the Texans distress. but
reports reaching shipping circles here
from other sources were that the YES
sci had been rammed amidSfip in COL
lision with another ship.
1t was said a steamer which had pick
ed up the Texans S o. s. calls was
hurrying to her assistance and that the
crew of - had taken TO the boats.
The Texan left here recently with a
cargo of nitrates bound for a French
port, agents of the vessel stated
In the absence of definite word re-
garding the accident, shipping men ex-
pressed the opinion that the Texan may
have encountered an iceberg. Efforts
were made by government radio stations
to communicate with ships with which
the Texan might have been in collision.
The fact that the Texan apparently was
sinking soon after being rammed, with
out word as to assistance by another
vessel in saving the crew, made the &C
cident puzzling, naval authorities said
Indirect information reaching the ma
w department said the Texan had been
in collision with another ship which had
gone to the rescue of the Texans crew.
So far as is known, no lives were lost
in the collision. An ofncial report on
the accident is expected at the navy
department
Messages reaching here from another
port said that steamer arriving there
today reported that at a. m. she picked
I'D an as. o. s." from the Texan, report
ing that she had been struck amidships
and was sinking. The last message from
the Texan said. "Good-bye-no more"
The messages did not give the loca-
ton Of the ship, nor did they say now
she was damaged. There were 4S men
aboard. The Texans wireless operator
reported that the starboard boats had
been lowered, that the aft boat was lost
and that an attempt was being made to
lower the forward boat. Oil from the
ship's hold was poured on the starboard
side in an effort to make sea conditions
better for launching the lifeboats
The ship which brought word or the
Texans plight reported that she had en-
deavored TO get in touch with the latter
direct. but had not been able to do so.
The vessel picked up a message to OF
from the steamer Willamette saying;
go to assistance of Texan"
A government radio station picked uT
a message later from the steamer VIII
jeanette sent to an unidentified ship
saying: viii YOU escort me back q
The answer was not Ineligible
Naval authorities who got the MESSAGE
said they were unable to determine
whether the Willamette had been ia
collision with the Texan or had beer
I DANA ged by the same agency that sent
the Texan to the bottom. Nothing more
had been heard from the Texan at noon
Fragmentary wireless messages sug'
gest that the damaged steamers be
lOnged 20 a fleet passing north. That
none Of the messages indicated what
I had struck them aroused some concern
as to the actual cause of their trou-
BILE