| Show I ISHIP SHIP MARKED SURVIVORS SAY Assert Sub Attacked Without Warning By J. J ALAN COOGAN RIO DE JAN JANEIRO Oct 7 UP Captain William Mello of Everett Everett Everett Ever Ever- ett Mass of th torpedoed Panamanian Panamanian Pana Pana- manian tanker I I. I C. C White who J arrived here Tuesday other survivors rs said his his' ship was lighted light light- ed with a searchlight trai trained ed on the Panamanian flag at the mast when it was attacked on September Septem Septem- ber 27 by a Po submarine The ship was was' sunk by a submarine submarine submarine sub sub- marine which seemed seemed- to know the Whites White's precise route survivors survivors survivors sur sur- said and the vessel quickly became an inferno of blazing oil and heavy smoke Mello said that the vessel was not not shelled after the single torpedo torpedo torpedo tor tor- tor- tor struck F Failure to send a wireless message message message mes mes- sage about abo the attack was attributed attributed attributed attrib attrib- by survivors to orders issued early in the voyage by the captain captain cap cap- tam tain and to the haste in abandoning abandoning abandoning abandon abandon- ing ship when the explosion was followed by fire Three survivors who arrived the steamer Del Norte which rescued 17 members of the I. I C. C Whites White's crew said it was impossible to identify the attacker attacker attacker at at- because of pitch darkness and fog at the time of the attack They agreed however that it was a submarine rather than rather than a surface vessel They talked on the deck of the Del Norte as it lay at anchor in Guanabara bay awaiting the arrival arrival arrival ar ar- ar- ar rival of officials officials' of the American consulate to take their They said none of the crew Continued on Page Pare Two Column Seven Vessel Marked U. U S. S Survivors Say j Continued ed from Page One was in an explosion and fire which followed the torpedoing torpedo torpedo- ing about 12 1215 15 September 27 The vessel sank at that morning They believed that only three members of the crew still were missing All the crew left the I I. I C C. C. C White before she went down they said One had been on watch on the starboard wing pf the bridge when the attack occurred He said the tanker was about miles southeast southeast south south- southeast east of Pernambuco when it sank The ships mascots two mascots two dogs dogs dogs- were the only casualties he said Apparently they perished in the fire The attacking vessel appeared only as a vague shadow on the dark water he said and only two lights were visible We were moving along nicely in the murky night when there was a terrific explosion on the starboard side between the six and seven tanks be he said There was only one explosion I Saw Two THO Lights I Although I had been straining straining straining strain strain- ing my eyes I hadn't seen a single thing But right after the explosion explosion explosion ex ex- ex- ex I saw two lights low on the water on the starboard side The ship seemed to buckle Inthe in inthe inthe the middle from the force of the explosion which apparently was caused by a single torpedo Fire immediately followed the explosion explosion explosion sion but water which was taken In extinguished it fairly quickly However fire tire broke out aft apparently caused by flaming oil flung by the explosion There was no panic although the men naturally were greatly shocked and some were dazed by the llie explosion ex dx It certainly looks like our attacker attacker attacker at at- knew our precise route to catch up with us us in the south Atlantic at midnight although he may have been trailing us pre pre- Gave No Signal The attacker never once hailed us or gave us any sign whatsoever whatsoever whatsoever ever but she slie lurked nearby two nearby two lights could be seen at intervals intervals- almost until the I I. I C C. White sank by the bow We Ve didn't see the raider actually actual actual- ly disappear and dont don't know what direction she took Officials of the United St sat StatS embassy went aboard the rescue ship with stenographers to taj tak e depositions E Except for Brazilian port officials and a representative of the Standard Oil company of Brazil they wex wei- wei the only permitted to board the Del Norte Nort United Press representatives In far i the survivors fromi fro launch alongside the ship to I Thirty four survivors Were eri rescued by the Del Norte and the thi West Nilus another American Americ ship Except for one oneall Canadian all Americans were S STo To Dock Later I ITo S The West Nilus was expected to dock at 2 p pm p.m. m i Hope for the missing crew members dimmed with report from that an alt empty life boat or raft had been washed ashore near Porto De Dc Pedras I M United States warships were r reported re- re to be ported crossing criss are arc area of the attack in search f fa for fora a belligerent raider j. j |
