Mr. Gerard states that it is reported by the Consular Agent at Bremerhaven that the vessel Evelyn was sunk by a mine on the night of the twentieth between Norderney and the Isle of Borkum. One of the three boats, which were manned and left the vessel, is missing. It is said that a German scout boat saved the captain and twentyeight men of the Evelyn. American steamers, now at Bremen can take the survivors to America. Ambassador Gerard to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] No. 1659.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Berlin, February 22, 1915. Consul General Bremerhaven reports steamer Evelyn ran on two mines nineteenth, four a. m., near Isle Borkum, sank seven hours later. Only two boats manned: Captain Smith, thirteen men, Dutch pilot in one; First Officer Senson, thirteen men in other. First boat said to have been rescued ten o'clock Saturday morning, but present whereabouts yet unknown. Latter boat picked up by German scoutship Mars four o'clock Saturday afternoon; taken to Heligoland. Thirteen men brought to Bremerhaven, put in sailors' home. Spanish stoker, Hans Ilaro, frozen and buried at sea; appears to be only death. Other survivors expected to-morrow. Those in Bremerhaven out of danger. Ambassador Gerard to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] GERARD. No. 1687.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Berlin, February 25, 1915. Consular Agent, Bremerhaven, reports Carib apparently ran on mine twenty-second, eleven a. m., ten miles west Norderney, soon sank. Three of crew of thirty lost. Captain Cole and twenty-six men picked up hour and half later by German scout-boat Annie Busse; brought to Bremerhaven twenty-fourth, ten p. m. GERARD. No. 1685.] Ambassador Gerard to the Secretary of State. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Berlin, February 25, 1915. Mr. Gerard states that Commander Gherardi has been informed by the Admiralty that the vessel Evelyn sank in latitude 53° 52′ North, longitude 6° 7' East. No. 80.] The British Ambassador to the Secretary of State. BRITISH EMBASSY, Washington, February 25, 1915. SIR: You will have doubtless noticed a German allegation that the loss of the American steamship Evelyn was due to the action of a British warship, the commanding officer of which is stated to have ordered the master of the Evelyn to steer the course which he took. I have the honour to inform you, by direction of my Government, that the British Naval Officer who boarded the Evelyn gave no instructions of any kind to the master of that vessel. Pursuant to instructions, I have the honor to inform your excellency that the American vessels Evelyn and Carib were lost in the North Sea because, contrary to the directions given in the Nachrichten für Seefahrer (Notice to Marines) No. 2770-14, 3093-14 and 33-15, they ran along the East Friesian Islands by direction, as stated by the captain of the Evelyn, of a British warship. The Imperial Government urgently recommends all vessels for Helgoland Bay from the coast of the Netherlands to sail up to about the fifty-fifth degree of latitude from the Terschelling Lighthouse and then steer for Listertief and there wait for a German pilot. He alone can furnish reliable information to navigate the German Bay. The safest course is that given in No. 3161-14 of the Nachrichten für Seefahrer. Mr. Gerard reports the return of Naval Attaché Gherardi from Bremen where he was sent to obtain the statements of the captains of the vessels Evelyn and Carib. Both of the vessels were sunk by mines. The British gave no false directions as reported. Both of the vessels simply ran on mine field. Consul Fee to the Secretary of State. No. 304.] [Extract.] AMERICAN CONSULATE, SIR: I have the honor to enclose herewith the reports under oath of the captain and the officers of the American steamer Carib, of New York, which sank with the cargo of 4,600 bales of cotton bound for Bremen from a mine explosion on the 22d of February, 1915, in a northwesterly direction a short distance from the position of the Norderney light in the North Sea. These statements consist of the sworn affidavit of Captain Cole, first, third, and second officers, and the three engineers of the S. S. Carib. Nothing was saved from the lost steamer; not even the ship papers. The crew in their haste to save themselves from the sinking vessel left with very scanty clothing, and on landing had to be furnished with an entire new outfit of new cloth. The master with the aid of his officers made up the crew list, which is attached to this statement. These reports were taken before and certified to by Mr. Buck, our consular agent at Bremerhaven, under my direction. Sworn duplicates of these reports have been forwarded to the Embassy at Berlin. On Tuesday, the 2d of this month, I forwarded Captain Edgar Cole and 24 members of the crew, including the officers of the S. S. Carib, together with the Dutch pilot, to Rotterdam for transportation home by American S. S. Southerner to the order of Furness Steamship Co., agents of the owners of the Carib, who met all expenses of transportation to Rotterdam, the maintenance and clothing of the crew, while at Bremen. I have, etc., WILLIAM THOMAS FEE. [Inclosure 1.] Sworn Statement of Master of S. S. "Carib." My name is Edgar L. Cole. I was born in Harrington, Maine, U. S. A., February 6th, 1874. I was master of the U. S. S. Carib. I have been master of her for about one year. I have been master of several vessels and for many years for this same company, the Clyde Steamship Company, of New York. I have never before made a trip to the Continent or to Germany. The net tonnage of the steamer is 1,285. We finished loading at Charleston, South Carolina, on the 26th of January, 1915, and January 27th cleared from that port for Bremen with 4,600 bales of cotton. We also had 200 tons of pig iron for ballast in the bottom of the ship in different holds. We had about 550 tons of coal when we left. There were 30 men in our crew, counting myself. I first knew we were going to Bremen about 8 or 10 days before sailing. We did extensive repairs to get the ship ready for this voyage. I had special instructions before sailing to go via the English Channel and take a pilot at Dover, who would conduct us through the Channel to the Sunk Lightship. These instructions were given me by our agents in Charleston, Mr. Whitsit, acting for Strachan & Co., our charterers. Both the owners and charterers believed that the Channel route would be the safest, as the English government claimed it would allow all American vessels going to Germany with cotton free passage. It was also represented that parts of the northern route were mined. One of our ships which went by the northern route, the Denver, had been captured and taken into Kirkwall, and on account of this these instructions to go via the Channel were issued. I had no other special instructions from the United States. I was equipped with United States Hydrographic charts, I think for December, but it might have been January. I also had Hydrographic bulletins, I think for December and not for January, but I am not sure about that. I did not notice on these publications a note that vessels proceeding via the Channel should steer for Lister Deep. I did not use the Hydrographic chart a great deal, but used mostly a modern Atlantic chart which I had bought. I did not look for any other route, as I had orders to proceed to the Hook of Holland and procure a German pilot, and the charterers informed me that Nicolaus Haye and Company, Bremen, would have a pilot ready for me when I reached the Hook. |