Ogden Daily Standard | 1917-10-20 | Page 1 | How German U-Boat Claimed Its First American Transport

How German U-Boat Claimed I Ms First American Transput 11 WASHINGTON, Oct. 20. The Ger- man U-boat has claimed its first vlc-tim vlc-tim from America's war forces, -flfl Within twenty-four hours after an American destroyer had been disabled 'in an undersea attack a torpedo m crashed through the engine room and I bulkhead of the home-coming trans- nort Antilles, and sent her to the bot-gm bot-gm torn with -the loss of seventy lives. 'Bll Sixteen soldiers and several enlisted fljH II f men of the navy were included In the fiHl submersible's heavy toll. ' Administration officials are awaiting HaBlj "vltli profound interest today aniplifi- ll cation the meager details cabled to ''"PlsT" lie navy department yesterday by -.l5R-s Vice Admiral Sims. Names of the great majority of the victims are lacking, lack-ing, yesterday's dispatches giving only those of four naval seamen and three engineer officers of the transport. It was impossible early today to as-certain as-certain the identity of the casualties among the crew and soldiers. The list cannot be completed until the muster roll made up at the French port of embarkation em-barkation can be compared with the roster of survivors. While the deepest sympathy was expressed today in official circles for those who gallantly gave up their lives, relief was general over the fact that the vessel had met her fate while I homeward bound and not on the way 1 over with a large number of troops "l Jf v, MB aboard. Interest is intense in the manner the submarine managed to elude the protecting convoy and discharge the torpedo that passed directly into the bowels ofthe vessel. Naval officers are of the opinion that the Gorman commander com-mander lurked between the surface until the roving destroyers passed overhead ov-erhead and then waited for tho big troop ship to come within easy range before releasing the deadly missile. It s inferred from Admiral Sim's message that tho ship wont down within with-in a few minutes. This fnct, coupling with the fact of rescuing survivors, made impossible any attempt 'a locate lo-cate the U-boat.