Ship Blast Here Is Ruled Murder Plot District Attorney Says Only Miracle Saved Many Lives Picture on Page 19 The blast which sent the Nazi steamer Vancouver aground in the Estuary Thursday was "a murderous attempt" to sink the vessel in the deep waters, of the Bay, 1 with consequent loss of life. This statement was made this afternoon by District Attorney Earl Warren as the crippled vessel was towed to the Grove Street Pier to start discharging water soaked cargo. Declaring that "it would be difficult to conceive a more dastardly attempt upon human life," Warren called on all persons, who might have valuable, information to communicate authorities. BLAST ON OUTSIDE As he prepared to go aboard this afternoon for a further examination, the attorney issued formal statement telling of preliminary probe findings and theories which were being developed by authorities. The statement said: "The Vancouver sank as the result of an explosion occurring on the outside of the ship immediately opposite the engine room and approximately eight feet below the waterline on the starboard side. It was a terrific (explosion, tearing a hole approximately five feet square in the side of the ship. The flood into the engine room was so great that the men who were working there were barely able to escape with- their lives. The ship sank so quickly that the crew scarcely had time to turn out of the narrow channel into shallow water and drop the anchors. ACCIDENT DISCOUNTED "The physical evidence so far as we have been able to view it under difficult circumstances, all points to an outside explosion. There is no available evidence consistent with an accident and we are proceeding on the theory that it was murderous attempt to sink the ship in the deep waters of San Francisco Bay. "If the explosion had occurred 10 minutes later, the ship would have sunk in the vicinity of the Bay Bridge, near Goat Island, and according to the experts, so quickly that it would have been impossible to lower the life boats. "Had it occurred there, there would have been a serious loss of life, not only among the 75 crew members, but also among the men, women and children who were on board as passengers. 'DASTARDLY ATTEMPT "It would be difficult to conceive a more dastardly attempt upon human life and every good citizen who has any information that might lead to the solution of the crime Continued Page 2, Col. 1 a up establish Accumulating prediction tomorrow. turbulence, Republicans, overturn majorities or absurd, acknowledged principal
