811.114 I’m Alone/55
The Secretary of State to the Canadian Minister (Massey)
Sir: I have the honor to refer to your visit to the Department on March 26, 1929, when you requested that you be furnished with a statement of the facts concerning the sinking of the vessel I’m Alone by the United States Coast Guard on March 22 last.
According to information furnished by the appropriate authorities of this Government, the I’m Alone was a notorious smuggling vessel, having been engaged in smuggling liquor into the United States for several years. It is stated that until the latter part of 1928, the I’m Alone operated on the New England Coast and had caused the Coast Guard forces a great deal of trouble. During the latter part of 1928, the I’m Alone changed its base of operations to Belize, British Honduras.
On February 2, 1929, the I’m Alone cleared from Belize for Nassau with a cargo of liquor, and six days later the vessel was sighted by the United States Coast Guard off the coast of Louisiana. The I’m Alone returned to Belize on March 6, 1929, in ballast without having proceeded to the destination for which it cleared on February 2. On March 12, 1929, the I’m Alone again cleared from Belize with a cargo of liquor, this time for Hamilton, Bermuda.
On March 20, 1929, the I’m Alone was sighted by the United States Coast Guard vessel Wolcott northwest of Trinity Shoal, within approximately ten and one half miles of the Coast of the United States. The Wolcott ordered the I’m Alone to heave to for boarding and examination, but this order was ignored, whereupon the Wolcott fired a warning shot across the bow of the I’m Alone and repeated its command for the vessel to heave to. When the second command was not complied with, the Wolcott fired through the sails and rigging of the vessel. The I’m Alone was proceeding seaward and the Wolcott took up the chase. The Wolcott’s gun jammed and it could not therefore stop the I’m Alone but it kept in close chase and reported [Page 24] the incident to the Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard Base at Paseagoula, Mississippi, who dispatched the vessels Dexter and Dallas to assist the Wolcott.
The Wolcott continued the pursuit of the I’m Alone and, according to statements of the appropriate authorities, was at all times within sight of it. The Coast Guard vessel Dexter overhauled the Wolcott close up with the I’m Alone about eight a.m. on March 22 with the latter vessel heading toward Yucatan. The Commander of the Dexter ordered the I’m Alone to heave to but the master of the latter vessel refused saying that he would be sunk rather than stop. The commanding officer of the Dexter then spoke to the master of the I’m Alone through a megaphone and informed him that the I’m Alone would be sunk unless it obeyed the command to stop. Warning shots were fired ahead, and, when the vessel did not stop, the Dexter fired through the rigging and later put about a dozen shots into the hull of the I’m Alone. It is stated that the sea was too rough to permit the I’m Alone to be boarded and seized by force and that furthermore the master of the I’m Alone waved a revolver in a threatening manner indicating that he would resist forcibly any attempt to board his vessel.
The I’m Alone sank about 9:05 a.m. on March 22, in latitude 25°41’ and longitude 90°45’. The Coast Guard vessels picked up the members of the crew of the I’m Alone with the exception of one person who was drowned. When the body of this seaman was taken from the water, the members of the Coast Guard worked for more than two and one-half hours in an attempt to resuscitate him but without avail.
Accept [etc.]