The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-04-22
IS MISSING FROM
Two STEAMSHIPS
Navy Department Awaiting De.
tails Of >Sinkings.
u. S. destroyer TO RESCUE
One of the Vessels Was Sunk by an
Internal Explosion and the Other
BY a German Submarine.

Washington, April 22-The navy
department is anXiously awaiting fur
ihrr details of the sinking of two
An, rjcan vessels, enc through an in
ter. IL explosion and the other by the
torlp, ,lb of an enemy submarine.
E:gh A-lhree men are reported miss
ing. bar the loss of life is not YET
certa II.
Admiral Sims, in his report, praises
the conduct of an American destroyer
gallant" and said that most of the
reScueS We're made by them.
Tie steamship Florence II. was the
one sunk by the internal explosion.
She was being unIoaded at a French
port at the time. 1t is known thai
she carried a 50O0-ton cargo of powd
or and steel.
On board of the ship were 4 navi-
eating crew and naval crew, max
ing Seventy-five men in all. OF that
number thirty-fOur have been reScu
ed by the unnamed destroyer whose
Sims. Hope that others may be add
ed to the list of those saved has not
been abandoned by officials, however.
since it is possible that missing may
not he synonymous with dead in a
harbor wreck, as would be the case
had it occurred in midocean.
The meagre information given out
by the navy department was contain
III this statement =
1.-THE navy department has received
a despatch from Vice Admiral Sims
stating that the American steamship
Florence II. was blown up in French
port by an internal explosion on
April II. about midnight. First re-
ports indicate that thirty-four of her
crew of about seventy-five We're reScu-
ed. Most of these rescueS were made
by Il United States destroyer. whose
work Admiral Sims describes as
most gallant.
One important feature of the sink
ing that still is being sought by naval
officials concerns the possible dam
age TO other shipping in the harbor
at the time. Such an explosion, il
is explained. usually results in grear
damage to docks, ships and other
property that may be within range
If the damage was confined To the
Sunken ship alone, as is Indicated by
the early reports. it is thought to be
Il rare case of good fortune at time
when every ton of shipping is preci-
Gus to the allies.
The names of six of the surviving
members of the armed naval guard
Of twenty-three men had been receiv-
ed by the navy department Saturday.
This is not taken to indicate that no
others were saved, however.
The names of other survivors will
he made public, said the officers in
charge of the navy department head
quarters, just as soon as they are re
ceived 1t is thought that Admiral
Sims will keep in communication with
The office until all of the details of
the sinkings of both ships have been
forwarded
The LakemoOr, recently of Mask,
Norway, was The submarines victim.
She was caught by the Hun torpedo
on the night of April II some place in
European waters, according to the an
nouncement made from the navy de-
partmcnt.
Among those missing from the Lake
moor are:
Assistant Paymaster Claude B.
kriehel. LanSdale, Pa; Charles Ber-
nard Hitler, gun crew, Philadelphia
Thomas A Mcintyre, Philadelphia
Joseph Francis Ryan, Philadelphia
Philip H. Stein, Jr, Philadelphia
Charles j. Slonaker, York, Pa. Fred
arick Wilson, EaSton, Md.