New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-07-21
naval officers on board ship and the
officials in Washington.
Chief Of STATS Rencrt

m
ofhcials in Washington.
Chief of STATS Report
Belief that the cruiser San Diego
was sunk by torpedo is expressed
IN dispatch from the chief Of staff
| ment NP"A
The dispatch follows:
The captain of the San DIEGO re-
ports that he is inclined to the belief
T 1nao the ship was sunk by torpedo
mere are no conclusive factors, how
ever, on which to base a definite opin.
ION Mt present, in view of following
circumstances:
al No torpedo wake was seen.
NO convincing evidence that peri
scope was seen.
"3-No submarine anneared IN sr;+<
OF the fact that three unarmed rescue
ships were in the vicinity for about
two hours.
4-Ship was struck on port side
theory. '''"N
"n5-Weather was fine; smooth sea-"
captain James F. Brewer, master OF
the frelghter Bussum, the second YES
sci to reach the scene of the sinking
was on the bridge when his chief officer
reported that he had observed a mys.
ferrous looking chain Of floating buoys
70 the northwest. The skipper put his
binoculars on the object and CONCLUDED
that it,was big fishing net
Looked Like Summer Bathers
MY ship was unarmed," he said,
and l was wary about changing my
course Neverthele less, felt that some
disaster had occurred and decided to
go little closer in and Gee what was
going on. I tell you I was mighty
darned glad that l did go in, for it
did my heart good when l steamed in
slowly among those fine fellows float
ing about like big crowd Of sum-
mer bathers at some shore resort.
II was torpedoed myself. you know,
last September in the Mediterranean
and l know how good it feels to have
help at hand. l was mighty glad to
return. the favor of being rescued to
those lads in the water Never have T
seen such a cheerful lot of men. They
had been in the water long time, but
they. were laughing and Joking and
singing, and some Of them managed to
smoke pipe. From what heard after
we got 710 of them aboard leads me
to believe that the cruiser was torpe
doed,"
THE boys told me they thought that
PAoDoHiy AlIy AlcH we're killed IN TIE
fire room. Many of the boys we picked
up had doffed their clothing and those
that had kept on some of their buds
shared them with the naked fellows,
| saw one officer who wore TWO shirts
one on his back and one across his
legs as a makeshift pair of trousers,
I had plenty of food on board and al
soon as the sailormen got dry and
warmed up ! told them to get ready
for chow, and bunch Of them iumped
IN and helped our cook.
Boys in Fine Spirits
"On the way in we passed a govern
ment boat, which signalled who are
your A dozen of those boys spottcd
that signal Immediately and dozen
of them shouted to the bridge: Tell
EN- any old thing. Ask him why he
didn't come up around Fire Island
about five hours ago. Tell him this
is Sunday school picnic coming home
after dandy swim
After the Bussum and the other two
boats had discharged their charges at
the army transport piers in Hoboken
yesterday, the men of the San Diego
were sent to temporary quarters to
await roll call. Representatives of the
Red Cross were there to meet them
! and provided food and clothing. Once