The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-07-22
SAN DIEGO LOSS3
DEAD,56 MISSING
MemytrS Of F.ra ho0m Grew
Killed ~ Explosion.
OPINIONS lIFftEi AS 10 CAUSE

Captain Christy, Without Army Evil
dence, lnciines to Submarine Theory
Secretary Daniels Supports Mine
Theory.
New York. July Probably 81
men lost their lives when the
niIed S.atts cruiser San Diego was
sunk ten miles off Fire island. &c, ord
ing to Semi-otticial estimate IN ii
here
Most of those who persisted are be
IeFed 10 have been members of the
engine room crew who were killed out
right or who We're so seriously ;hj;Ir,d
in the explosion which wrecked lie
cruiser thar they were unable To save
themselves before the ship went down,
1t has been established also tia
several of the crew struggling i'll the
water We're struck by The smoke
stacks of the cruiser when they fel.
These men were stunned and drowned
before help could reach them.
Others lost their lives when they
were caught under liferafr which
was being launched just as the war
ship turned on its side before going
down. The men handling the raft 10 t
control of it and it slid over the side
on top of men in the water.
The survivors from the San Diego
were kept on the army docks at
Hoboken to he checked up by the Off
GERS of the ship. An official list Of
survivors given out contains ll49
names. 1t Will be impossible to deter
mine exactly the loss of life until this
list is sent to Washington and com
pared with the navy department lists.
It was believed. however, that the men
on board the San Diego numbered
nearer 1900 than 1150. Her exact
complement was not obtainable.
All the survivors of the cruiser San
Diego have arrived in New York
They We're brought in on rcscurg
ships from the scene of the DIES ru"-
ton of the cruiser which was SIT
off Fire Island. inst east of New York
The rescue of the men was effcc ed
by the American steamers BGSsum. F..
p. Jones and Maiden. There was no
wireless call sent out from the cruiser,
the explosion tearing down her aer ais
and the three reScue vessels arrived
on the scene nca'-'- h"ee hours after
the warship went down.
Know Three Killed in Fire Room.
Washington, D. c. July 22-Three
men were killed by the explosions
which sank the cruiser San Diego
The navy department announced their
names as follows:
Thomas f. Davis. engine man. Cam
ton. O.
Frazier O. Thomas. machinist's
mate, Charleston, w. Va.
James F. ROchet. engine man. Blue
Lake, Cal.
Fifty-eight others have not been ac-
counted for. the navy department
statement says, but ii will be mpos,
sible to determine the exact number
Of missing until all survivors have
been checked up, which Is being done
as rapidly as possible. Reports indi-
cate. however. that loss Of life was
small.
Captain H. Fl. Christy. commander
of the San Diego, reported to the
navy department his belief that the
ship was tOrpedOed, in spite of the
absence of any positive evidence of
the presence Of an enemy submarine
Belief that the cruiser was sunk
by a torpedo is also expressed in a
dispatch from the chief of staff of
cruiser forces -te the navy department.
as follows:
The captain of the San Diego re-
ports that he is inclined to the belief
thar the ship was sunk by torpedo.
There are no conclusive factors. how
ever. o (which to base a definite ODin-
ion at present. in view of following
circumstances:
NO torpedo wake was seen.
"No convincing evidence that peri
scope was seen.
mo submarine appeared in spite Of
the fact that three unarmed rescue
ships We're in the icinity for about
two hours.
"Shfp was struck on port side abaft
beam. which diScoura geS mine theory.
Weather was fine; smooth sea"
Daniels BIames a Mine.
Norfolk. Va. July 22-Secretary
Daniels said here that he believed a
mine and not torpedo was respon-
sibie for the sinking of the cruiser
San Diego. He added that the sink
ing of the vessel. aside from the loss
of life is no significance from mill