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.

The telegrapher, Mr. Buffa, was near me. The first and second officers and two seamen-all who remained-came running to me and I learned that the lifeboats of the stern quarterdeck, to the left, were smashed to pieces by the cannon shots; one of the smaller boats remained intact; this was No. 10 on the left gangway, and we succeeded with great efforts in putting it out and letting it down into the sea, the women and children who were on the gangway being embarked therein provisionally. The third officer and the telegrapher were embarked therein with orders not to move off too far. They at once saved two, women from the sea near the steamer, one of them having an arm broken.

Being aware of the imminence of the danger and that there was nothing more that I could do, I girded a life preserver and the first officer and I jumped into the sea. Swimming toward the lifeboat, we were embarked therein shortly afterwards.

The cannon of the submarine were pointed at us and we probably owe our salvation to the fact that we had lost our caps with galloons on them and that we were without our uniform coats on. While the steamer was sinking at the prow, we saved from the sea the first engine driver, Mr. Tuo, and the second engine driver, Mr. Geraudo, both almost exhausted. We approached some fragments of a lifeboat and saved two Greeks and an Italian woman; we also saved the firemen, Brancaccio, d'Ambrosio, and Di Donna, the latter with a wound from a projectile on one arm.

About a hundred meters off from us was a capsized boat with passengers and crew clinging to it. I should like to have continued the work of saving, but we were already sufficiently laden, and to have approached them and taken them on would have meant the loss of all. The officers and seamen saved with me dissuaded me from doing so. About 2 p. m. the steamer sank at the prow, leaving a large quantity of rafts and débris on the surface.

It was not until then that the submarine withdrew from us. I was unable again to perceive the steamer sighted at 10 a. m. before the fog, but I have no hesitation in asserting that it was the supporting steamer, that it was the steamer which had whistled during the fog, and that it was the deceiving steamer. On board our boat were 13 members of the crew, including myself, and 15 passengers, including women and 2 children. I calculated that we were 60 miles from Cape Bon. It was then 3 p. m. We hoisted the sail and departed from the scene of the disaster, heading S. I. SW., presumably toward Cape Bon and the coasts in the neighborhood.

In sight quite a distance off from us were the sails of five other life boats. The wind was light from southeast, and all were headed approximately toward the south, with sea to the left.

Night having come on I was able, by means of red fire flashed at intervals, to satisfy myself that all the five boats were continuing to follow the same course.

We being to the leeward of all of them, notwithstanding I hugged the wind all I could I did not succeed in getting close enough to them to make myself known. We were in sight of the five boats until almost dawn.

Meanwhile a fresh breeze from southwest blew up, with a heavier sea. The clouds thinned out and a fine rain began falling. The weather became so much more threatening that we almost despaired of being saved. When daylight came we descried the land rather far ahead. We continued with the sail, aiding with the oars.

During the day the weather grew fair again, both wind and sea abating considerably, but still we were being visibly carried to the east by a strong current from the west.

On the morning of the 9th about 10 o'clock a. m., exhausted by the fatigue and hardships, we landed on Zembra Island in a small cove, where we were received with great care and kindness by the staff of the small military post established there. We were able to rest and satisfy our hunger there, while the small telegraph station gave notice to Tunis of our landing.

Next day November 10, at 10 a. m., the small steamer Eugenie Resal, sent expressly from Tunis by the governor in accord with the Italian consul, took us on and carried us to Tunis together with the crew and passengers of boat No. 1, commanded by the third officer Mr. Salvemini, who had landed at Sidi Oaoui and who had embarked there before us. Our lifeboat, at my request, was towed to Sidi Oaoui, where the other boat is, by a tugboat of the Parodi firm, which had also kindly come to our assistance.

I will further attest that both crew and passengers were all saved with no other wearing apparel than what they had on at the moment of the catastrophe, and that some of the members of the crew in particular arrived almost naked, being covered as best they could with clothing kindly lent by women; also that every one, from the undersigned down to the last member of the crew, lost everything.

Very respectfully,
(Signed)

PIETRO MASSARDO.

TUNIS, November 12, 1915.

[Inclosure 2-Translation.]

Sworn declaration of Andrea Giacomino, First Officer of S. S. "Ancona," to the Italian Commission of Inquiry.

On November 7, 1915, at about 11.55 a. m. the Italian steamship Ancona, of the Società Italiana di Navigazione Italia, was at 38.08 degrees latitude and 10.08 longitude East Greenwich, after having navigated all the morning in a fog which at times was dense, while at others light. The Ancona was whistling at rare intervals. These whistles were answered by another high whistle, which was retained. to belong to the cargo boat which preceded us at about 5 miles and that I was able to sight distinctly during the minutes which preceded midday, while I was measuring the sun's height. As I could not suspect of what utility the characteristics of that vessel would be, I firmly state that it was a submarine; as to further details I am sorry

that I can not add any, except that it had two masts in the form of

a cross.

While I was with the other officers on the bridge measuring the height of the sun, I heard the shot of a gun coming from my left and immediately the voice of my commander shout: "A submarine.” I ignore all the maneuvers which were carried out in the intent of avoiding or escaping it; what I recall very well is, that to a first shot others followed, part of which I saw failed to hit us.

I ascertained that other shots had hit us in the superstructures and especially in the lifeboats on the right, in consequence of which many of such boats remained useless. As far as I was concerned, knowing that the commander was on the bridge, I thought to direct my efforts in the rescuing and stopping, as far as possible, those who unconsciously tried to lower the lifeboats. I helped two sailors to lower some of them. The fire had stopped meantime. How long a time had passed from the first shot to the last, which I interpreted to be the signal of the torpedo, I can not state precisely; I only remember that I, returning from the quarter deck, after having lowered the only lifeboat which was still in good condition, heard a last shot, and a little while afterwards, my eyes looking on the sea, saw the white track of the torpedo which was going to hit us. I had just time to go around the ship and I heard a strong report, followed by a very violent shock.

Considering that my work was at an end, and there not being any other lifeboats to be lowered, I threw myself into the sea to get away from the suction of the ship and to be able to be rescued; as it occurred, I was rescued by lifeboat No. 10. With this lifeboat we landed after 43 hours' navigation at the Island of Zembra, in the Gulf of Tunis, from where we were transported to Tunis.

ANDREA GIACOMINO.

[Inclosure 3.]

Verbal statement made by Andrea Giacomino, First Officer of S. S. "Ancona," to Assistant Naval Attaché Jackson.

Andrea Giacomino furnished a statement which he said had been sworn to before the Italian Commission investigating the loss of the Ancona.

The following additional facts concerning the loss of the Ancona were brought out in subsequent conversation with Andrea Giacomino, first officer of the Ancona.

The morning was foggy but cleared somewhat just before noon, and the first officer was on the bridge taking the sun's altitude.

The submarine was first sighted at this time 4 or 5 kilometers on the starboard bow. She opened fire, the first shot falling somewhat ahead of the ship. The Ancona turned with hard left rudder and tried to escape. The submarine continued to fire and gradually overhauled the Ancona, whereupon the latter stopped.

The first officer left the bridge and made a round of the lifeboats. Many people were being killed and wounded by the firing, and a panic ensued. Many people jumped overboard and were drowned who might have been safe if they had remained on board. A number of lifeboats were destroyed by the gun fire. He estimates that 45 to 60 shots were fired by the submarine.

After ceasing fire the submarine circled 'round the ship and took position 150 to 200 meters on the starboard beam. From here she fired a torpedo, which struck the Ancona about one-third the way from the bow. He heard the explosion, saw the white streak of the torpedo in the water, and heard a big detonation.

The ship sank a few minutes later. There were about 30 people on board when the 'Ancona' sank, who must all have been lost.

The first officer jumped into the sea when the torpedo struck and tried to get out of the suction of the sinking ship. He was picked up by a lifeboat (No. 10) in which was the captain. The submarine continued to steam around in the vicinity, but offered no assistance except to one woman. She did not fire on the lifeboats in the water.

The boats scattered and eventually lost sight of the submarine. His boat proceeded under sail, the captain in charge and finally reached land. No ships were sighted.

He described the submarine as a large new one at least 80 meters long, and certainly not less than 70. She carried two guns. The crew were blond men of robust physique.

The Ancona hoisted the Italian flag when the submarine opened fire. The submarine thereupon hoisted the Austrian flag. He is convinced that the submarine was German.

The above statement was made in our presence and is correct to the best of our knowledge and belief.

JAY WHITE, American Consul.

J. P. JACKSON,

Lieutenant Commander, U. S. Navy,
Assistant Naval Attaché, Rome.
WILLIAM GARGUILO,

Secretary of the American Consulate, Naples, Italy.