Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-07-20
U-ROAT WAITED FOR RIG
GAME. WASHTNGTON'S VIEW

Washington Iulv % u many quar-
tors here fherc was feeling that fne
rrfisrr San Dego Has furk nv drifting
gntne IN h- an Internal explosion dopI'7
reported statements If Survivors mat
.ehat appeared ~ he a perls"opn vas
sighted On no other hand many offs
erals wrre Inclined ~ think t'ernan
Submarines again have rros@Hd TIE
Atlantic and becoming boder have heen
RIng tu waIt III %ew nrk harhor foT
4 richer prize than be frclght snd tank
steamers sunk during the previous Nl-it
nero Ia Iay and june
Information reserved bv The %qv1
Beuartmcnt earlv today that two steam
shllss we're cnroute to port With l.'b
Survivors n the san Diego 1board, vas
fakcn to lndirate he number q iiFes
Iast .ynuid hc small anv The landng
III thirty-onc survivors previously had
lcon reported winch would account i"r
the saietv of 1877 The cnnser ss not
considered ~ have had more than that
number IF men aboard whcn she ieif 'hc
Portsmouth, y H. navy lard for Ecw
ark
It vas reiterated today hat he mii-
I tars .89- Id be sinking lI t1c ~au Diego
I xas small. the cruiser pcung one IL A
/ comparatively old ype, having been
! built 1900
/ However he san Diego was he 1rst
/ major aarsnIp tp Dc lost since ne / nited
states entered the var
l3.hcl that he san Diego Ha- suns
! bv 1 torpedo i expressed ~ dispatch
/ ,o,lat from nd rnlef II taft ot cruiser
forces II .hc Navy Department
The dispatch follows
The e1ptaln d the san Diego report
ha. he i snclued o fhc belief nat 'ac
-hIp vas sunk al . torpedo There arc
10 conclusive facts however, ~ Fnien r.
base q definite opinion IL present, 2
view 3f following circumstances
No torpedo wake Ha> seen.
NO convincing evidence that perl
scope was seen.
No submarine appeared -ptte ..
be fact that threc 4aarmcd rescue aii7
we're in the vicinity Tor about Two hoHfs.
Ship vas struck On port -'le aha1t
beam. when discouragcs mine iHeoFg
Weather wa> ,iue ~mpofh sea.
CAPTAIN II II Chrstt. commander ~
the arm0sol san l0cg reported ~ ae
| Navy Department today his belief tia'
! the ship was torpcGooG. -pite ~ the
absence of any positive evidence 81 me
presence of an enemy submarine
The department still without fn-
formation as to whether here Vas i'-1
Of life. though L IS known ha' nearly a4l
~ the officers ard men 3f tine crew have
been landed by rescue -teameFs. There
was no disorder "a - rrulser. the zap
tain said every man raking his station Is
il in ordinary drill
statement issued today ny iNeai
Admiral Palmer acting secretary ot th,
%av> ronuends The exemplary conduct
of officers and men oi the san Diego
ritinr particularly the courageous he.
havior ot Captain lhrlstie' VINO WAS 'h'
last 10 leave the ship
IS the ship vas turning over the cap
tam made ms way over he side and jump
ed overheard Tie and the executive
officers were checred by the men IN IN
boats and IS the cruiser went down IN,
,rcn sang The Star Spanglcd Banner
-rb, Statement disclosed that FIVE o
six mines we're destroyed last night 2
the vicinity Of the sinking and hat p
reports have been received Of sunmann
near there
That there vas little If any loss o{ NJ
i Indicated by the fact that the ship vi
abandoned in good order. All hands r
manning at their posts until ordered
take to the boats