Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-15
TEXAN REPORTED SUNK
FOLLOWING SEA CRASH
Wireless Messages Call for Help, but
Fail to Give Location
OF Craft.
ACCIDENT PROVES MYSTERIOUS
Ono Report Has II Ship Was Ram.
med .imidships, While .tuothcr
Declares She Had Encountered an
Iceberg and Gouc Down.
Ky AssnrixInd pr.ssl

Hy ASSDctst tea IfeSS.
WAS1IlNGToN. January lt-lndi-
rect Information reaching tho Navy
ucra rtmcnt said tho Texan had been
in collision with another ship which
has scnc 10 the rescue OF the Texans
crew. AS far Us is known no lives
were lost in the collision An official
report on the accident Is expected at
tho Navy department..
The naval authorities did not state
tho cause OF the Texans distress, but
reports reaching shipping circles here
from other sources were that the rcs-
scl had been rammcd amidshi7 in col
lision with another ship.
Il MAS said a steamer which had
picked up the TEXANS S = S calls was
hurryin. 10 her assistance. and that
tho crew OF forty-thrcc had taken
10 the boats.
Tie Texan left here recently with Il
cargo OF nitr.tos bound for French
port. agents OF The vessel stated
In the absence of definite word re-
eardins the accident. shipping men OK
pressed the opinion that the Texan
may have encountered an iceberg
Efforts we're made by the government
radio stations 10 communicate with
ships with which the Texan might have
hccn in collision. The fact that the
Texan apparently was sinking soon af
ter being rammed, without word as TO
assistance by another vessel in saving
,lSe crow, made the accident puzzlin6.
naval authorities said.
Messages reaching here from another
port said that a steamer arriving there
day reported that at y. NJ. she
picked IN an S @ S from the Texan,
reporting that she had been struck
amiGship and WAS sinking. The last
message from the Texan said. "C;ood-by
mo more"
Tho messages did not give the loca-
ton OF the ship nor did they say how
she was dana ecd. There were forty
three meu aboard. The Texans wire
loss operator reported that tho star
hoard boats had been lowered, that tho
AIT boat WAS lost, and that an attempt
wa beinf mado 10 lower the forward
boat. oil from e;he ships hold wa
poured On the Starboard side in an
EFFORT 10 make sea conditions better
for launching the lfeboats.
The ship which brought word OF the
Texans plight reported that she had
"ndeaVorcG TO get IN touch with the
Latter direct. but had not been able
10 do -. The vessel picked up mes
age to or from the steamer William
cite, saying: Go 10 assistance OF
Texan"
4 government radio station picked up
= message later from the steamer Will
Jeanette sent 10 an unidentified ship.
saying "WiN you escort me back to
The answer was not intelliSihle. Ma
va! authorities who got the message
"a id they were unable 10 determine
whether the Willamette had been in
collision with the Texan or had been
damaged BY the same agency that sent
the Texan TO the bottom. Nothing
more had been heard from the Texan.
traGmentsry wireless messages SuC-
ae!t that tho damaged steamers be-
lonsed TO feet passing north. That
nou= Of Ill, messages indicated what
had airUcN them aroused some concern.
~ to tn: .ctuai cause OF their trouble.