The sun., 1918-04-21
SUBMARINE AND
EXPLOSION SINK
2 U. S. VESSELS
Steamer Lake Moor Way
laid by U.BOat on Her
Maiden Trip to Europe.
SOME SURVIVORS LANDED
Munitions Carrier Florence H.
Mysteriously Blown Up in
French Port.
Special DesaascA 70 THs stN

SPECIAL DesaascA 70 THs STU
WAsHISGroN. April 20.--Two Ameri-
can vessels have been destroyed in the
war zone with an indicated loss Of
sashty-six lives. according to a cable
message received at the Navy Depart
nsnt late to-day from .vice-Admiral
Sims. commanding the American naval
forces abroad.
Both we're carriers. The $500 ton
steamship Lake Moor. making her
maiden voyage with a naval gun crew
aboard was sunk BY q German U-boat
in the war zone about midnight April
IL. THE $500 ton steamship Florence
IL. turned over to the Shipping Board on
The great lakes last fall. was bloyn up
in French port by an internal ex-
plosion at midnight April IL She left
Philadelphia on March 80 with a cargo
Of 5000 tons Of powder and steel.
Five officers and forty men are mis-
sing from the Lake Moor. according 70
an announcement made by the Navy
Department tonight. Lieutenant Com
mander kinchen J. Powers Of tho United
States Naval Reserve. who was in com.
mand. and four other officers with
twelve enlisted men have been landed at
an English port
Thirty-fOnr Of q crew Of approxi-
mately seventy-fve are reported saved
from the Florence H.
Details 70 far are lacking. -. vics-Ad-
Iniral Sims has not yst besn able to get
all the facts No causs h vt given for
the explosion on the Flopucs II. n ..a-..
Tie Navy Department msde this brief
announcement:
Navy's O0cial Announcement.
The Navy Department has received
a despatch from vice-Admirai Sims
stating that the American steamship
Florence H. WAS blown up in . French
port by an internal explosion on April
II about midnight First reports In
dteate that thirty-four Of her crew of
shout seventy-hve ware rescued. Most
Of these rescues were made by a
United States destroyer. whose work
Admiral Sims describes a. most gal
liant"
The fact that the vessel had large
quantities Of powder aboard has led to
the belief here that she may have been
blown up while the powder was being
unloaded. In this case she would doubt
less not be actually at her dock. but
some distance away. which may account
for ihe rescue work OF the destroyer.
The number Of indicated casualties
suggests that the force Of the explosion
may have killed many Of the crew out
light. As to what caused the powder to
explode there Is certain to be rigid In
vestigation. An inquiry into the records
OF all men IL sure to be made.
There have been reports that all the
crew were not American citizens. which
nc. almost might have bearing on
he case, according to naval officers here.
Besides the civilian crew there were
twentythree men in the naval armed
guard aboard the vessel.
The Florence II. was built for a for
eien concern on the great lakes, and
was known AS the Sioux Ahras before the
Shipping Board commandeered her. cut
her In two. brought. her through the
Welland Canal and put her together
again. She was named the Florence H.
IN honor OF Mrs. Hurley. wife Of Chair
nan Hurley OF the Shipping Board. She
wS5 operated by the Luckenbach conf
ps-y for the Shipping Board.
Lnss Of the Lake Moor.
Announcement Of the loss Of the Lake
NOR was made in the following state
n<A; by the Navy Department:
The Navy Department has been in
ms been sunk by an enemy submarine
alout midnight April II. 1913. In Eu-
froean waters. Full details have not
Yet been received from Vice-Admiral
Sims
out Of a total Of ten officers and
nry-two members Of the crew Ave Of
hcers and twelve Of the crew have
been reported as survivors. These
Hsve been landed at an English port
II is regarded here AZ singular that
p'h ,1e Florence II. and the Lake Moor
We're destroyed at midnight. The latter
'essel apparently met the enemy C-boat
N the dead Of night when the submarine
was lying on the surface charging her
batteries, The U-boats as a rule do not
operate at night and the number OF
s'hklng' after dark has been very small
Indeed
,, IHs Lake Moor also was built In the
~ni'si States for a foreign concern
ana vas only recently taken over by
he shipplns Board. She was on her
mrs voyage across the Atlantic.