Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-07-20
j. S. CRUISER SUNK
OFF LONG ISLAND;
BLAMED U-BOA!
Washington Doubts Sub Sank
San Diego, First Big U. ,.
Warship Lost IN the
Present War.
PART OF CREW RESCUED
New YORK, july 20.

New YORK, july 20.
The United States arnorcd cruiser
San Diego was sunk ut lilo O'Clock
Yesterday morning ten mics southeast oi
tbe lighthouse on Fire Island beach, the
shore of Long Island
Tween ty-scven men who landed IN
Lfcboats at Point OF Woods, Fire Island,
IN the afternoon, said they wcrc positive
Ir-boat torpcdocd the cruiser. They
told of the American gunncrS blazing
away at the German until their ship
sank beneath them.
The Navy Department WAS inclined
TO believe the cruiser had struck minc-
The men landed ut Point o Woods
sad they thought only about 500 OF
the 1.If4 aboard the cruiser were saved.
\ tank steamship reached Quarantine
hcr,, at 10 clock last night and reported
She had 800 survivors on board. Tn
officially it was reported that about 600
men had reached shore at different
points.
Late dispatches from Washington said
there was no report there of any lives
having been lost
In support Of the torpedo story came
rcuorts from all along the Long Island
shore Of explosions being heard ut sea
beginning Yesterday morning. Summer
residents along the strip Of sand from tire
Island cast that makes Great South BAY
hoard the sounds Guniirc of shore
vas rrportcd 10 have been distinctly
heard at West Hampton. J.. l.. bc-
ginning nj $40 last night and lasting
over half an hour Sayvillc reported
guns offshorc IT the same time
IT became known that the cruiser $
hoilcrs were blown up and, following this,
& powder magazine exploded
There was wonderful discipline. an
parrntlv. on the warShlp- She hstcd
fast to port aitcv the explosions and
eoated only about fifteen minutes.
ON board the cruiser were al officers,
$50 enlisted men and 6} marines
CAPT. Harley ii Chrsty commanded
hcr lie vas formerly on tho onc-tinc
spanish warehin Roma Mercedes. The
san n;cpo was bound here from the Ports
mouth N. IT Navy ! ard, where she
had been undergoing slight repairs. She
,hd convoy duty for months with the
transports sent to France.
SUNK 50 MILES FROM BATTERY.
The sinking Of the San Diego occurred
orlv .if,v miles from the Battery ~
water and forty miles ~ the crow flies.
She was the first warship Of the Amer
ican Navy larger than destroyer 10 b'
lost siucc the war started. No nava
vessel had ben sent down by the enemy
The position where the cruiser went
down IS Just cast Of the Fire Island light
vessel. the hcscon of the coast there
which is ntne miles from the beach
As soon as it was reported % the Nav
Dcpartmcnt that the San Diego had beer
sunk measures 20 deal with an cncm,
submarine were at once taken Patio
boats destroyers ard aIrplanes went ou
to scour the wstcrs of Long Island
Hviro-airplanes equipped with rapid
tirc guns and depth bombs, few out !,
sea from the Hampstead aviation field
Volunteer pilots outnumhered the mach
ines. The flyers were out last night
II also became known that Master
Of cosstwisc vessels for several DAYS hat
been given orders to keep as close to shor,
Is safety would permit Shipping mcI
spcculatcd that the boat which cap
tured the Norwegian bark Manx King
800 miles of Cape Race, and chased ;
British steamship two weeks ago toda,
might have made its way to Long Island
Late in the afternoon It was reported
that an American coastwise steamship
had sent out calls for assistance, Thl.
could not be verified.