Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-06-22
20 SHIPS MISSING;
HUGHES TO START
WORLD WIDE HUNT
Continued from page 1.

Continued from page 1.
OfYleial Washington Is still trying
| to decide whether ship pirates have
been Mt work on the Atlantic Haaboafd
or whether there ~ a port of lost
ships somewhere IN the neighborhood
of Cape Hatteras where ships GO down
without trace.
The state Department and the DE.
partment OF Commerce hold to the
theory that pirates are at work and
that certain vessels reported missing
under suspicious circumstances have
been captured and their crews MUIR
dered or impressed into service.
So positive Is the State Depart
ment's views In this direction that X
has directed n world wide lookout
for ships and their crews that have
mysterlously disappeared after hay
Ing been sighted or having wirelessed
for help. The department officially
announced yesterday that In its opin-'
ion there was foul play and lootlng
connected with the wreclsinR Of the
Carol Deering on Diamond Shoals In
January. The official announcement
says.
"rhe Department OF state is in pos
session of the following information
concerning the disappearance OF the
crew OF the American schooner Carol
A. peerinR:
ION January %, 1921 the American
schooner. Carol A. DeerinR sailing at
the rate of about fiye miles per hour,
passed Cape Lookout Lightship,
North Carolina. and on January 81
1921. II was found few miles north
Of that point In such condition that
there In every suspicion of foul play
having occurred. The vessel cleared
for Norfolk, Va. from Rio dc Janerio.
and put into BnrhadoeH for orders. but,
receiving different orders, proceeded
on It's voyage 10 Norfolk.
After passing Cape Lookout Light
ship. the vessel was not again seen
until II was found as wreck and
nothing has been heard from the
members of the crew. The master Of
the vessel. Captain Wormell, is re-
ported to have been experienced as q
navigator and thoroughly reliable.
Reported Anchors Missing.
al the time the carol A. DearinE
passed the Lookout Lightship man
on board. other than the Captain.
hailed the lightship and reported that
the vessel had lost both anchors and
nsked "a be reported 10 his owners.
otherwise the vessel appeared 70 be
in very good condition A short time
after the schooner parsed the light
shin. a steamer. tho name of which
cannot ba ascertained. which was
pasing. was asked To stop and take a
message for forwarding and in spite
of numerous attempts on the part Of
the master of the iightship TO attract
the vessels attention. no response 10
hls efforts was received.
ION Arril 81. 1891. the following
message wss picked M in n bottle of
IIatteraH:
aDeering captured by l-burning
boat something like chaser, taking off
everything. Handwriting crew. Crew
hiding all over shin. No chance to
make escape. Finder please notify
headquarters of Deering
twenty ships
'--he schooner e.rried = motor life
boat and dory.r the State Depart
rnants~ summary continues, but
no wreckage found. Most Of the pro-
visions. clothing and supplies Of the
vessel have been removed
'The Carol A. Deering carried
motor iifeboat and doi - but neither
o them has been picked up and no
wreckage from them has been found.
Most of the provisions. clothing and
supplies Of the vessel had been re-
moved"
The evidence on which this an
nounccment was has sed was collected
by agents of the department. The
announcement has been spread broad
sular and diplomatic officer Of the
United States has been directed 70
keep sharp lookout for any member
OF the crew.
The identity of two Of the ships.
which the Department of Commerce
Yesterday said had disappeared un-
der peculiar circumstances off the
Atlantic Coast. is still a mystery. The
department has a long list OF ships
that have been posted as missing
since Jan. I. but this list includes the
ers. in addition 10 the steamer Hewitt
II pirates are or have been at work
this Government Will not work alone
IN it's investigation. Lloyd's. through
which all OF the vessels were insured.
the British Government and the Con-
sular Offices OF other nations also are
taking a deep interest.
The list of missing ships reported