NEW YORK. May 1.?The French passenger steamer futria, which arrived here today from Naples and Palermo, reported that on her last outward voyage, at A.M. on April 5, she was the target of a submarine torpedo attack in the Mediterranean. The torpedo missed the ship by about ten feet, the officers said. The Patria was at the time passing Cape Sparta, off the coast of Saratoga and running at full speed. The submarine did not show itself. The Patria was not armed at the time, but a man was placed on her after-deck when she arrived in Naples, and was ready for action during the trip. She was here today.

This is the second time that the Patria has escaped destruction by a torpedo. On her arrival here on March 10, she reported that she had narrowly missed being hit by a torpedo off the coast of Tunis on March 1. At that time there were twenty-nine Americans on the vessel.

The Patria at the time of her second escape had aboard at least one American, named Vincent Howe, according to the passenger list. Captain Pierre Dechelle said he was standing on the bridge, looking toward port, when the first officer at starboard exclaimed: "Look: Torpedo!" And about 600 feet off toward starboard, at an angle of forty-five degrees, he saw the wake which told him a torpedo.  pedo was approaching. 