DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

CASE OF THE ANCONA. 151
zigzag, in the hope of being able to escape pursuit and
the projectiles.
I watched the submarine with the fieldglass in order
to ascertain whether it was gaining, on us. The fire of the
cannon became more accurate. The telegrapher immediately
sent forth the signal: "Ancona cannonaded and
torpedoed," together with the position just given by me
as 38° 08' N. Lat., 10° 08' E. Long. The wireless having
been injured by the first cannon shots, there could no
longer be any certainty that the signals had been received
by any station, Italian or French.
The passengers and crew were of course panic stricken
and all ran to the lifeboats with cries of despair.
Having become convinced that we had to deal with a
very rapid submarine, and that it was approaching us
quickly, I ordered the engines stopped and directed the
helmsman to come clear to the right, in order to let it
be known that we had stopped. .
From the right side of the deck where I was I went
over to the left side and saw the three deck boats in the
water, some still held back by the painter and some by
the tackle, and about to capsize, being crowded with
crew and passengers, all yelling desperately. The
steamer was then making not less than ten miles an
hour. At least two of these boats must have capsized.
From the start we had eight of the large life boats
outboard, ready to be lowered. Before the steamer had
stopped, seven of these had already been lowered with
passengers and crew, two-thirds being officers and Messrs.
Salvemini and Cardella having taken seats therein.
The submarine approached to within 250 or 300
meters, continuing to fire cannon shots at intervals, and
from the jars of the steamer and the shrill cries I inferred
that we had been hit and that there must be some killed
and wounded.
The submarine finally hoisted a brand new Austrian
flag and stopped at the distance mentioned above. I
then perceived about ten men on the turret dressed in
canvas uniform, and saw that the vessel was armed with
two cannon, one on the prow, the other astern, and both
pointed at us, with men ready at their sides.
I then went down from the deck. I lent a hand at
lowering another boat on the gangway to the right. The
first officer Mr. Giacomi, the third officer Mr. Razzeto
and the two seamen remaining there, Michael Capria
and Paul Casseris, were intent upon lowering another
boat on the right quarter deck. I noticed that one boat
out of the eight which were ready to be lowered had been
staved in. Entering the officers cabin, I noticed that
everything was in fragments from the cannon shots.
The few passengers remaining on board, women and
children, were running about frantically.
The submarine meanwhile came directly over to our
prow, and at that instant a tremendous jar caused the
steamer to bound upward; they had struck us on the
prow, probably on the right side, with a torpedo. The
steamer began to sink on the right, submerging the prow.