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Show Founders at Hoboken Pier Cause a " Mystery: '" ' WAS REAPY TO SAIL Troops on Guard and De- tails Denied Enquirers, En-quirers, HOBOKEN, N. J., Oct. 15 Shortly before the American troop transport America, formerly the German trans -Atlantic passenger steamship America, was about to sail today for Europe with soldiers and supplies, the vessel foundered nt her pier here. In the early morning darkness whilo the troops aboard were sleeping the America settled with her keel in tho mud, leaving only three of her eight decks together with parts of her funnels fun-nels above water. j So far as is .known up to noon there was no loss x( life. Earlier reports were that benveen thirty and forty of j the crew had perished after being trapped in the boiler room. Troops were placed on guard outside out-side the pier nnd details regarding the sinking were denied to inquirers. The cause of the accident remained a mystery mys-tery even to navy department officials. A theory expressed in some quarters that water poured into the holds as a result of uncompleted repairs apparently appar-ently did not conform with the .fact that the ship was ready to weigh anchor an-chor today for a foreign port. It was learned that a gang of machinists ma-chinists was at work at the time the vessel settled and it was suggested that one of their men inadverently opened a sea-cock under the impression impres-sion that he was closing It. The submerged America next to the largest of the government's transports, i was within sight of persons crossing the lower Hudson river on ferry boats. The America of 22,022 tons gross, has a capacity for carrying 8;000 troops and a crow of 1,200 men. Of the troops, it was said that only 200 or 300 were on board at the time. All the coal had been plnced in the bunkers except a small portion to have been loaded today. Inasmuch as all the troops are re-1 ported to have escaped, it was believed the vessel sank slowly. HOBOKEN, N. J., Oct. 15. The ( American transport America sank at her pier here this morning. She was reported to have troops on board and although details were withheld by the authorities it was reported that about thirty or forty of the crew were drowned in the boiler room. All the troops were reported to have been taken off safely. The cause of the sinking was unknown but it was said that the Bhip was undergoing interior repairs that may have had in some way (o do with tho entrance of water into her hold. The transport was formerly the, big Hamburg-American line passenger ship Amerika. She registers 22,G2G tons gross. She was taken over here when tho United States entered the war. The vessel was C69 feet long and was built in 1905v With a navy crew on board the ship has been in the service of the army as a troop transport. Tho sinking occurred at 5 o'clock "i this morning while most of the troops I n were still in their berths. In their hur- ried escape from the ship to tho' pier j. most of them had no. time to don thfcir j p clothes. , 'rv. 'I I Tho Red Cross was called on for as- jg H slslance and soon trucks filled with Kj blankets, clothing and food also ar- . Ms rlvcd at tho pier for distribution hj among, tho shivering soldiers, ffl ' ill |
