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Show AMERICANS ABOARD mmm VESSEL Passenger on British Ship Kelvinia Makes Report to Federal Officials. XEW YORK, Sept. IS. A torpedo sank the British ship Kelvinia, rarryHiP twenty-eiECiit Americans, according to G. V. Dillani of Richmond, Va., one of the Americans who arrived here todaj' on the Cimard Mner TuKcania.. Dispatches from F:ngla.nd left in douht the question whether the Kelvinia, bound from Newport News, Va., to Glasgow, w;is torpedoed or sunk by a mine on September Sep-tember 2. Atrents of the e'ate department met the Tns'-ania upon her arrival here and took the depositions of the American. Arfordinc to Plllard, 1 he plvlnla was torpedoed hi 2 o'clock in the morning without niiy varning hnviim- b.en Riven. The vepprl lifted immediately, and as there were tint ennngh bnats for both the crew nnri 1 he' Americans, wlio were en-gi.ce'i en-gi.ce'i as hnsllera fir the ca rco of horse.", irnnv of Ih Americans put on lifebelts life-belts and jMrpeil o'erbonrd. Thy were rescued by ;i trawler after float in it aoo'il for fourteen hours. I'illard said that at the time th Keivmia nn-t with tlie mishap he w riear by n small lihl whicli later seemed to disappear un-rir un-rir the waves. This, he declarer, con-f con-f .r-ne 1 his brlinf t hat there had been a submarine at lack. I : n t il infonna t ion beintr f-ouch t by tho A me! ii 3 n embassy n t J .hitIoii has lie en receive-!, tla Kelvinia incident, officials said tonight, will not be made the subject sub-ject of a diplomatic inquiry. Affidavits of the survivors taken at New York today to-day will be studied carefully in connection connec-tion with those being received by the American aeents in 10 n gland. Should it le established upon American informal ion that the Kelvinia was torpedoed tor-pedoed and not sunk by a mine, the department de-partment is expected to take up the case with Germany. Officials expressed no surprise at Berlin reports today that submarines had sunk a number of neutral vessels carrying contraband con-traband during the Inst two weeks. It was pointed out that under the Declaration Dec-laration of I.ondon belligerents may sink vessels whose cargoes contaih morn than 51 per cent contraband if it is impossible to take them into port. |