The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-07-21
TRAGIC MOMENTS
At SEA WHEN US.
CRUISER IS LOST
MEN OF WARSHIP SAN d.
EGO CHEER THEIR COUN-
TRY AND OFFICERS.
THIRTY TO FORTY PERISH
Men Remained at the Port Gun,
Until They Were Awash, and =
the Starboard Guns Until They
PointSl Up in the Air.

New York, July ZO.--Betwecn 81
and 10 men lost their lives when tn,
u. S. cruiser San Diego was SUM
ten miles off Fire Island Yesterday
according to a semi-ofticial estimate
made here tonight
Most OF those who perished arr
believed to have been members o
the engine room crew who were
killed outright or who were SO Sc
riously njurd in the explosion
which wrecked the cruiser that they
were unable to save themselves be
fore the ship went down.
1t has been established also THAI
several OF the crew struggling i:
the water were struck by TIE smok
stacks of the cruiser when they fcll
These men were stunned an;
drowned before help could react
them.
Others lost their fivcs when they
were caught under the life raj
which was being launched just a
the warship turned on its side be
fore going down. The men hand
ling the raft lost control Of it ant
it went over the side on top o
men in the water
Survivors Total LAG.
The survivors from the san d.
ego were kept all day on the ARM
docks at Hobokcn to b. checke,
up by officers of the ship. An OF
iicial list OF survivors given out to
night contains l,l49 names. Il
would be impossible to determine
exactly the loss OF lie until thi
list IS sent to Washington and com
pared with the navy department
lists. 1t was believed, however, tha
the men on board the san Dieg,
numbered nearer l,2OO men tina,
1,l5O. The exact complement Wa
not obtainable here tonight.
Belief that the San Diego was
victim Of a mine grew among nava
officials after the commander of th'
American patrol boats operating OF
Fire Island reported that his cral'
had picked up several mil,S OF ior
eign design.
Among the survivors opiniot
seems to be equally divided as tc
whether a submarine or 4 mine wa
responsible for the loss OF the
cruiser.
! How She Went Down.
Rear Admiral Palmer. ..rting sec.
retary OF the navy tonight gayl
out the following description O,
the sinking OF the vessel:
Fuller particulars received re
garding the sinking OF the l. ). )
! san Diego show that the explosio,
took place on the port side JUS
aft OF the forward port engine room
bulkhead. The feed tank and cir
culating pump were blown in. anc
the port engine wrecSed ful
speed ahead was rung, and the star
board engine operated urtil ii wa.
stopped bv water rising in the Ell.
CINE room. MachinistS Mat,
Hathorne, who was at tie throttl,
in the port engine room. was blowr
/ four fe,t under the engine room
desk. lie got up, closed he throt
tie on the engine. which had al
ready stopped. and then escaped nj
the engine room adder. Lieuten.
ant Millen. on watch in the star.
board engine room. closed the Wa
tertight door to the engine room
and gave the necessary Instructions
to the fireroom TO protec, the boil.
crs.
Vesse, Lists Heavily.
The ship listed to porT heavily
so that the water entered the CUR
ports on the gun decks. The vesso
listed eight degrees quickly. ther
hung for seven minutes: .Hen grad.
ually listed. the speed increasing
until IS degrees was reached. Al
this time the port quarterdeck wa'
three feet under water. The Shil
then rapidly turned turtle and sank
Capain Christy went from tn,
bridge down two ladders to th'
boat deck. slid down a line to the
armored belt. then dropped down
four feet to the bilge keel. ani
thence to the dock keel, which al
that time was eight feet above wa.
er. From there he jumped into the
water. The ship was about iiv,