DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

SUBMARINE WARFARE. 251
German submarine 8.45 a. m. twenty-sixth 140 miles
west southwest of Cape Clear, after fifty minutes attempt
escape Rowanmore 1 s steering gear was shot away. Master
thereupon stopped and signalled submarine he was
abandoning ship. Submarine three-fourths miles distant
continue shelling as it came up, originally three
miles off. Submarine shelled boats after latter were
clear, no casualties whatever, but Americans and officers
insist submarine was firing to kill until it came
close up when it forewent that. Submarine forcibly
took master on board it as prisoner or hostage. Expressed
perfunctory regret at situation of crew of seventynine
men who were in four open boats. Weather was
dull with heavy swell and light choppy waves, wind
moderate to fresh. Submarine shelled Rowanmore and
at 11.30 torpedoed her, but vessel did not sink until 2.40
p. m. Rowanmore had wirelessed the Finland thirty
miles away, warning her to keep away, also wirelessed
other vessels. British Admiralty vessel came to rescue
11.45 a. m. Crew landed Bantry 10 a. m., twentyseventh.
Seven Americans, of whom five are Filippinos,
other two are native Americans, George Murphy, 740
Jefferson Avenue, Brooklyn, and Albert Sessler, 42 Sharon
Street, Boston. Both rated trimmers. Their affidavit
is taken. Took statement first officer Watson, but could
not complete it formally, as he had only two hours in
Cork. Rowanmore had gross tonnage 6,705.
File No. 841.857E53/
The Secretary of State to Charge Grew.
[Telegram—Paraphrase. ]
FROST.
No. 3530.] DEPARTMENT OP STATE,
Washington, October SO, 1916.
Mr. Grew is informed of receipt of telegram dated
October 28, 1916, from the American Consul at Queenstown,
reporting that the "Furness freighter Rowanmore,
Baltimore for Liverpool, mixed cargo, including munitions,
attacked by German submarine eight forty-five
a. m., twenty-sixth, one hundred forty miles west southwest
of Cape Clear, after fifty minutes attempt escape
Rowanmore's steering gear was shot away. Master
thereupon stopped and signalled submarine he was abandoning
ship. Submarine three-fourths miles distant continue
shelling as it came up, originally three miles off.
Submarine shelled boats after latter were clear, no casualties
whatever, but Americans and officers insist submarine
was firing to kill until it came close up, when it
forewent that. Submarine forcibly took master on
board it as prisoner or hostage. Expressed perfunctory
regret at situation of crew of seventy-nine men, who were
in four open boats. Weather was dull, with heavy swell
and light, choppy waves, wind moderate to fresh. Submarine
shelled Rowanmore and at eleven thirty torpedoed her,
but vessel did not sink until two forty p. m. Rowanmore
had wirelessed the Finland, thirty miles away, warning