OCR Text |
Show SOIP MAY HAVE STRUCK A MINE Actual Cause of Disaster to the Nebraskan to Be Thoroughly Thor-oughly Investigated. U. S. DEFERS ACTION President and Advisors Wait to Learn Definitely If Boat Was Torpedoed. Washington. May 27 Messages received re-ceived by the state department today from Ambassador Page and Consul General Skinner at London and Consul Con-sul FroBt at Queenatown failed to say definitely whether the steamer Nebraskan Ne-braskan had been torpedoed or had struck a mine One of the dispatches said the Ne-braskan's Ne-braskan's American flag had been hauled down five minutes before she was struck, although her name was painted on her sides in letters six feet high. The American naval attache at London has been sent to Liverpool to examine the Nebraskan's hull. Master Sends Report. Consul General Skinner's message follows: "Green, master of American steamer steam-er Nebraskan, in wireless addressed to me via London, reports: " 'Nebraskan passed Fastnet rock Tuesday. 4 33 p m , from Liverpool, bound for Delaware breakwater, in ballast. At 8:24 p. m . when steamer was about 48 miles west, half south, from Fastnet she experienced violent shock, followed instantly by terrific explosion, bursting hatches and throwing throw-ing hatch beams, cargo derricks and twisted iron into air, filling lower hoid i forward completed witn water. Crew i immediately took to boats " 'After standing by ship one hour, ! returned on board and at 10:30 start- I 3 T . r. 1 A Kaii 1 o m met two vesesls sent by British admiralty ad-miralty in answer to our wireless call, One has been in attendance ever since. "'It was dusk when the explosion occurred. Flag had been hauled down fivp minutes before Steamer's name painted on both sides of the ship In letters six feet tall Had no warning and saw nothing.' " Page Sends Message. Ambassador Page sent the following message: -Admiralty hne reported from Queenstown that the Nebraskan is now on her way to Liverpool Uhdei her own steam and is being escorted. I am sending naval attache to Liverpool Liver-pool to examine ship, which it now appears, was outward bound from Liverpool to Delaware breakwater when she was torpedoed." The message from Consul Frost said the ship "had struck a mine or torpedo, but gave no details" K.B soon as the dispatches were received at the state department they were forwarded for-warded to the White House and Immediately Im-mediately placed berore President W ilson. As they did not make it certain cer-tain whether the steamer had b6en hit bv a mine or a torpedo, they left unanswered the principal point that the president and his advisors want made clear. They expect further reports re-ports from the naval attache Pi D I-ing I-ing receipt of clearer explanations, no action will be taken. F 11. Duff counsel for the cor.v panv owning the Nebraskan who visited vis-ited the state department today, said, the circumstances Of the affair. !u-- tlcularly the damage to the bow or, the Nebraskan. indicated to him that the vessel Btnick a mine. The steam-1 ship otticiais. ne saiu i" i lew. Cable Advices to Owners. New York. Ma 27 The Anient an-Hawalian an-Hawalian Steamship company, owners of the American steamer NebraSkan, damaged by a mine or torpedo off Fastnet last Tuesdaj received cable advices today 1' was announced, stating stat-ing that the Nebraskan had passed Qiieenstown at a speed of eight knots and was due to reach Liverpool to- 11 A British admiralt) boat, the advices advi-ces said, was convoying the Nebras k in Officers and crew of the steamer steam-er presumabl) were at their posts aboard The message was received from the line's British connection. No word has been received from Captain Green since his brief message of yes-terday yes-terday announcing that the Nebraskan Nebras-kan had either hit a mine or been struck by a torpedo Whether it was mine or torpedo that crippled th' steamer was nol 'I' dosed in advices received here today to-day On the lines- behalf it was said (hat this point probably would not be determined till the vessel bad been placed in drv dock at Liverpool Americans Send Appeal. London. Maj - 3 p m. The steamer steam-er Potsdam which sailed from Nei York May 11 for Rotterdam, has been held up In the Downs by order of the neutrality. number of Americans on board telegraphed today an appeal to Robert P Skinner, the American consul general, that the departure of the ship be expedited or that thej be permitted to land in England and continue con-tinue their trip to Rotterdam on the regular mail boat from Tilbury. Washington. May 27. Consul General Gen-eral Washington at Liverpool cabled late today that the Nebraskan would enter the Mersey at a o'clock this evening, and would probably dock before be-fore midnight. Washington. May 27. Count Bern-storff, Bern-storff, the German ambassador, presented pre-sented a memorandum to the utfl i department today saying German mines were of a type which become harmless if they drift from their an-choragCB. an-choragCB. I |