Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-20
ARMORED CRUISER
SAN DIEGO SUNK
NEAR NEW YORK
Reports Indicate She Was
Torpedoed by German
Submarine Craft.
NO INFORMATION WHETHER
THERE WAS LOSS OF LIFE
Aviator Sees Vessel Go Down,
and Rushes to Wireless
Station for Aid.
CARPATHIA is ALSO LOST
Three Shells From U-Boat Crash
Into Enginc-Room OF Large
British Transport.
CARPATHIA is ALSO LOST
tBy Associated Press.1


marines appear to have renewed opcr-
atoms off the American coast The
United States armored cruiser San
Diego was sunk not far from the
entrance Of New York harbor to-day.
Circumstantial reports reaching here
Indicate that she was torpedoed.
There were also reports tonight,
though not confirmed. that other ships
had been attacked. one being described
as a coastwise passenger ship.
Whether there had been "a toll or
lives taken on the San Diego WAS rot
known up 10 Il late hour. Not more
than o35 had been accounted for out
of a crew OF l.l4i men aboard the war
ship, OF which some goo reached New
York on Il tank steamship IT 10 o'clock
Tonight Thirty-two men. a licuten-
ant, an ensign ami thirty sailors were
landed III lieboats this afternoon on
the Long Island shore.
Survivors we're reported 10 have been
picked UP by othc, ships. however. and
TO b. on their way 10 New York.
Telegram, received from the Navy
Department. q; Washington. late to-
nigh, disclosed that Two steamships.
which are proceeding TO an unnamed
port. haN. aboard l,lJ6 officers and
men. Thcs, a5c III addition To ;hc Of
hcer and thirty m@n previously report
ed landing near New York. The men
are said TO he In good condition. and
so far as known. none was injured
Survivors of the United States cruiser
San Diego, who landed at Point Of
Woods. declared tonight that many
members of the enGine-room crew must
have been killed by the explosion which
wrecked the warship. They were un-
certain whether the vessel was sunk
from a torpedo from submarine or
Sy mine. The cruiser remained
anoat thirty-six minutes after She was
struck
The torpedo or mine struck the ship
just aft Of amidships. blowing UP the
boilers. One OF the sailors declared
the guns of tho cruiser were fired at
what appeared TO be a periscope. The
survivors who landed here numbered
,hirty-hve. including six officers. The
captain and hrst officer of the San
Diego were the last TO leave the sink
ung cruiser.
Heavy explosions heard here late to-
day were believed 10 indicate that
some OF the patrol boats which dashed
\ 10 the aid Of the cruiser had met "a
battle The explosions continued until
after S o'clock tonight. and mariners
living here declared they sounded as if
depth bombs were being dropped.
Several barrels OF crude oil. one of
them badly charred. noated ashore here.
and this was believed to indicate the
possibility that a tank steamship also
had been sunk
CRUISER GOES DOWN NEAR
ENTRANCE TO NEW YORK
The San Diego was sunk at 1850
u A. NJ. about ten miles southeast OF Fire
Island light. which is on the Long
\ Island shore. about fifty miles east
of the entrance 20 New York harbor
and on the marine highway Of trans
atlantic ships bound in and out Of the
! port.
| Although the Navy Department ar
nouEccd that :he cause of the loss OF
tho San Diego had not been deter
mined. information received from, re-
| liable sources in the afternoon indi-
Gated that submarines had been op-
Grating off the coast and thai she had
been torpedocd. There were rumors
that the cruiser had been IN collision.
also that she had struck mine, but
cd on the Long Island shore bore
out the indications that German sub
marine had been responsible. Inhabt-
| tants Of Bay Shore and Babylon said
that they heard gunfire and. explosions
at sea shortly hefoie moor. The 500
officers and sailors came ashore in
| three boats between 8 and =. NJ. at
Point OF Woods, which is a reTote
sand spit. They We're held at the coast
guard station. where inqurers were
barred.
The firing continued during the af-
ternoon and the evening, the villagers
reported. The reason for it could only
ne conjectured. Fleets cf submarine
chasers, it is known, put cut from
New York and other coast ports !In-
mediately upon receipt of the news OF
the disaster. and destroyers were also
|trushel to the scene.
SEyEN MERCHANT SHIPS
ANSWER DISTRESS CALL
/, seven merchant steamers were re-
:, portec to have RESPONDED to IS @ S.
I calls Of the San TicEo and shore w're-
less stations. and to have stood by
bicking UP survivors.
II Crews of the Fire Island and Oak
island coast guard stations left for
IN. scene OF the disaster and had noe
returned late Tonight.
Details Of the San Diegos dcstruc-
! tlon remained wholly veilcd tonight
except for story told by an un-
i Identified naval aviator on patrol, who,
|, apparently. witnessed the disaster from
\ 1Continned ON FIfth PaCel