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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1915-05-14, Page 5SINKING OF Till LusirrAiiilo£ the Lusitania nothing was heard ofUeially at any of otic wireless stn wols hen en stthexl wireleshortlss f toperato lo at Land'e End, Ireland, caught this hureled'ly ; `Come at once. Eig list; position ten miles, ;south of Kinsale." That was all that ever came out of the ship so far as can be learned. It would not have been sufficient to have blown ap...the boilers to stop the wireTas, far the emer- gency batteries were 'there to work. with. Something snapped the whole thing out. The word from Land's End was out to , the world in an- other two minutee. Every., port of the Irish coast 'was notified and passed the word along. Mee on the juanp from 'Waterford eisar down . to Oape Clear rushed into small boats and- large boats and dashed out to sea. Old Head of Kinsale wasthe next to send a little word.A marine observer there with powerful glass- es made out the big ship ten miles out, listed to one side almost on the point of turning over. There was. only a brief flash of this, and then came the word, "She has gone." As a matter of fact, it is estimated the Lusitania was hit around 2.15 o'clock and was under. water by 2-.45. Lloyds officially places the tithe as that. Then the' observer made out the small boats on the spot left when the big ship vanished. Fastest Ocean • Liner in the W4rld- Sent to Bottom by German Pirates More than thirteen hundred lives were lost when the .Cunard liner Lusitania ,was torpedoed without warning off Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland, by a GernAn submarine Friday afternoon, sink- ing'within thirty-five minutes. . • Outof a total number of 2,104 persons aboard, passengers and crew, with over 200 Canadians and 189 United States citizens, between 800 and 900 are reported ashore at Queenstown, Kinsale, Galley Head and Clonakilty, but a late bulletin received by the Cunard Company in New York :from a chief steward expressed his belief that no more than 5Q0 or 600 were saved. Among the survivors, it is reported, are many wounded, who have been taken to the naval hospital at Queenstown, thus estab- lishing that the explosion must have been terrific, or there was a second interior explosion. • Loss of Life .Enormous. The very latest bulletins received enumerate no few survivors that it is feared that more than 1,300 have perished. Out of the 2,104 passengers and crew aboard the ship, 1,254 passen- gers and 850 .crew, there is definite information concerning less than 700 of them and even the uncon- firmed reports of rescues at vari- ous ports add very few .more to the list. The latest bulletin comes from Queenstown by way of Liverpool through the Cunard Company. It reads "Queenstown wires that the Stormoock is landing about 160 passengers and crew. It is re- ported by the Admiralty that the ,trawlers Dock and. Indian Empire have about 200; the tug Flying Fish. 100; three torpedo boats have 45 living and four dead. "We are • putting these up at the different hotels and boarding houses." London, May 7, 5 p.m.—The Lusitania was .sunk at 2.33 this afternoon off Old Head Kinsale by a torpedo. Assistance has been sent to her, Queenstown, May 7. The Cu- nard Line steamer has been tor- pedoed and sunk. This warning apparently did not cause many cancellations, for the ship sailed with .a very full passen- ger list. Charles P. Sumner, general agent of the Cunard Line, was at the pier, and in a stateanent made then, said that the voyage of the Lusitania vvoukl not be attended by any risk whatever, as the liner had a speed of twenty-five and a half knots, and was provided with unusual watertight bulkheads. an commenting on the report of the torpedoing of the Lusitania, marine men pointed out that in their opinion the Lusitania could not be sunk by a single torpedo. The Lusitania carried Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, Elbert Hub- bard, Charles Frohman, and other well-known people. Just • before the steamer ,sailed away many of the passengers received telegrams from 'a mysterious source warning .them not to make the voyage as. something was going to happen to the big liner. The Lusitania w.as commanded by Captain W. T. Turner, Royal Na- val Reserve, and Staff Captain. J. 0. Anderson is his assistant. On board were a number of British: re- servists going back to join the eolors and representatives of many American and Canadian fauns who deal in war materials. The' Lusitania carried a crew of about 700 and 1,300 passengers. This included 200 passengers who were taken aboard from an Andhor Line steamer which was com- mandeered by. the British Admir- alty. nit Without Warning. There is no doubt that she was hit without warming. Liverpool shipping men have announced that Captain Turner would not think of stopping for any German submar- ine, but would rely on . his speed the moment he saw a periscope in sight. It would only be by chance that a torpedo would strike home unless there were a number of `'the undersea boats in line, each of which would discharge a torpedo in her path. None could stop her, none could keep up with her. Therefore, it is believed to -night that there was a great .lobs of life. A message received from Queens- town by tile Cunard Company says "Chief Stewhrd Jones thinks about 500 to 600 saved. This in- cludes passengers .and crew. In. the meantime the injured and the dead are taking up all our atten- tion." Sent Only One Wireless. After the early afternoon report. The Lusitania sailed last Satur- day from New York. Cunard Gives Text of Telegram. New York, May '7.—The Cunard Line gve out the following cable- gram reeeived from Liverpool: "Lands End wireless reported distress calls made by Lusitania, as follows: "Come at once; big list, posi- tion ten miles south Kinsale.' Sub- sequently received •telegram from Queenstown that au small craft in harbor dispatched to assistance." The peoond message read: "Queenstown.—Old Head Kinsale wire begins,."About 20 boats of all sorts belonging to Lusitania are in vicinity where sunk." Before the Lusitania sailed some nervousness was caused because of the publication in the papers of an advertisement warning intending travellers that a •state of war exist- ed between Germany and Great Britain and her allies; that the zone of war includes the waters adjacent to the British Isles; that an accordancewith notice tice 'given by the Genian Government vessels flying the fiag of Great Britain are liable to destruction in those wa- ters and that travellers sailing in the war zone on ships of Great Britain or her allies do so at their own risk. This advertisement was signed, -"Imperial German Em- bassy." The Daily Mail in an editorial says of the sinking of the Lusitania and the loss of life : "It was not .an. act of war; it was a ease of sheer cowardly murder. To the American people who suf- fered this felons' blow equally with ourselves we address no words of, impertinent counsel, but we do venture to offer to them from the bottom of our hearts a message of profoundest sympathy. It is at such times as these essential by the kinship qf' • the. English-speaking peoples that we make unmistakably manifest that we share their indig- nation, loathing and contempt for the assassins who sn.eak under the water to wage a campaign of mur- der against. unarmed defenceless passenger ships, merchant vessels and fishing trawlers, and we pro- mise them that, so far as in us lies, the deaths ofthese American citi- zens shall be avenged." MAKE ITVIPORTANT A.PYilCE Joffre's Forces Report Gains —Sir John French Chronicles Attacks by His First Army A despatch frons Paris says: Im- portant French ,advances in Alsace were recorded by the War Office in Saturday's official communique. The forces which for some time have been gradually working their way towarel Metzeral, an ,important cen- tre, some teen miles east of the Rhine, pushed forward for a die - tame of one kilometre over a ,front 1, 500 kilometres in length. The progress made was along the, b.aaxka of the River T'etchb. French troops have made impor- tant seine'south'ef Cares -my, Two and in some cases three lines of 'German tren,dhes were taken over (xc a : front of four and a half miles. The German fortifications at these places were very heavy, heavy, ,and the re- z1st:once, while. futile, was very bit- ter, British fo•reees recovered. ois Sat - . n. •.."•::\t ...s.i Alf The Cunard Liner Lusitania, Sunk by the Germans. Says 200 Americans Dead. New York, Saturday, May 8.— More than. 200 Americans, are among the dead in the Lusitania disaster, according to a London cable to the Tribune, -whose cor- respondent places the ;total loss of life at from 000 to 1,400, the latter estimate by First Officer Jones. It is supposed there were 400 Ameri- cans on board. 34 Resolution to Ratify Uses of Gases in War A despatch from London says: 'The suggestion that Great Britain adopt measures in retaliation for the use of gases in battle by the Germans has taken concrete form. Joseph King representing the North District of Somerset in the House of Commons, announced his intention of "introducing a resolu- tion on this subject. The resolution sets forth "that this House agrees to such m.e a- sures of retaliation as is essential to prevent suooe.ss attaching, to such gross and unparalleled viola- tion of the rules of war ; subject, however, to the condition that in the preparation of any gas used by his Majesty's military forces the ut- most regard be paid to the dictates of humanity." • urday the lane of trencltos lost on Friday to. the Germans an Hill 60, 'according to a report from•. Field Marshal Sir John Ereneh, Field Marshal French sent the following report of the operations" on the western line : `NThe eaa.einy coratinuod his tat tacks east of 'Ypres, and made fur- ther attacks, .which have all ,been repulsed with heavy losses. Our line there is firmly. establishecl. Our first .rmy attacked the enemy's line between Boas Grena:e,r and F•es- tubert, ,and gained ground south and O. sat to•wartl :Fromelles. The fighting ha this: area 'continues, °`Our airnxen made ettccessful at- tacks on tli.e St. :Andre raaailway. junction north' of LilIca'and on the junction bridge at Dok. finales, Her - lies, Illixs:se Marquelles and La 11,assee. were ,also bo<ani ed. SURVIVORS TELL OF THEIR ESCAPE Talks With Toronto and Ontario People Saved Froin the .p_ Lusitania. A despatdh from London says; Stories .of Canadian survivors are reaching London. Frank Hook, an 11 -year-old bay passenger on the Lusitania, was re- turning to England from Toronto with his father and sister. He was pitched overboard 'as.th'e boat went. down and suffered a broken leg by striking a piece of wreckage. The boy sank, but came up again and clutched an upturned boat. He be - Came separated from his father, who did not know the boy was alive until he found hint in a hospital in Queenstown, Mrs. Lohden's Experience. ious to hear from relatives of t boys, to whom they would be se Mrs. Gardner fainted when the pedo struck, and went down the ;ship. The elder sin, who sto by his mother, went down with ship, but carie to the surfa where he was hauled into a boat which his father was lying' unc scious from shock and chill. T lather died soon afterwards, a the boy, believing himself alone the world, was _ taken to Quee town, where he found his yours brother alive. They are at a ho near Euston Station, the yours suffering from exhaustion. It thought they will return to 0 oda, where they have relatives. Lost Mother and Babe. MYNA. R. • V1101111 ST. British Aviator Drops ;Bombs 0 Panderma Bridge, Destroy. ing It. A despatch from London says. Desperate fighting is in progress o the Gallipoli Peninsula. The Turk have been reinforced by a division and the allies are now endeavorin to prevent this fo•ree from joinin the other bodies of Turkish troops The loeses onboth sides., a heavy. -The allies at other point on the Peninsula are strongly es tablisbed, and are advancing slow ly but steadily, overcoming ' th Turkish resistance everywhere.} teh to tits Exchange Tele Mrs. Rose Lohden and her daugh- ter, of Toronto, survivors of the Lusitania disaster, tell a pathetic story concerning two English wo- rsen who were rescued by the boat in which the Lohidens left the steamer. One woman had buried her baby at sea. The other, with an infant held tightly to her breast, on being taken from. the sea into the boat, looked foe a moment at the child's face, and then said: "Let me bury my baby," at thesame time plac- ing the body in.the water. Vincente Elena, a young Span- iard, saved innumerable -women, Mrs. Lohden says, before the ship went down. He 'carried them to boats and, standing beside Cap- tain Turner, : went down with the steamear; being ,Hater picked up in the water. Mrs. Lohden says she saw a peris- cope between 200 nand 300 yards dis- tant from the Lusitania. She had noidea what it was, and asked a steward. The latter replied : "My God, a tsu,bnlarine." Almost im- mediately the explosion lifted the ship. No Dexnonstr°atinns 'n ` On KlgPSB1lthda y 11 despatch from Ottawa says : A message from Right Hos. Lewis Harcourt, Secretary of State for the Colonies, has been received by the Governaxne,nt in regard to the celebration of the King's birthday.. The cable states: "It is his Majes- ty's wish that on the occasion of his Majesty's birthday this year flags should be flown, but no dinners, reviews, ._salutes or other celebra- bone should take place."' In!strtrtbians have been sent- out by the Militia Department to olfi.- cers,.cammanding divisions and di,s- tricts tocarry out the King's wish- es throughout their respective Com- mands. ' . Will Stop Exports Of Coal and Coke. A despatch from London says: Groat llrtitain is about to prohibit the exportation of coal and coke to all countries abroad other than Bri- tish ix•ossessions and protectorates ta and allied countries. A committee will be appointed, However, t6 cone tthese fuels to prohibited destina- tions, Parents Lost, Sons Saved. Erie–and William Gardner, aged 16 aaad. 11 respectively, of Toronto, passengers on the Lusitania, were saved, but their parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Gardner, were lost, according to news received by the Cunard Line here. The family was. on its way to. New Zealand. The Cunard officials said they were area Thirty survivorsof the Lusita arrived at Easton Station, Lond Sunday evening. Among them Mrs. F. C. Stevens, of Montre wife of a wounded army officer j over from Flanders. She co not believe that those she look for were not among the 30 until had spoken with, every one of the She waits word of her mother a her 18 -months -old baby the plot was bringing to London. Prominent Dend. The body of Charles Frohn the New York theatrical produ has been identified in the temp ary morgue at the Queenstown Town Hall, and it is practically certain that among the other well- known persons to perish were Al; feed Gwynne Vanderbilt, Charles Klein, the playwright ; Dr. F. S. Pearson, Justus Miles Forman, author and playwright, and Mr. and Mrs. Elbert Hubbard. It has been impossible 'to find theca bodies among the 200 in Queenstown, but word from every point of the Irish •coast fails to bring any reassuring tidings. It is now definitely established that theme were 1,917 persons aboard theship when the German submarine smashed two torpedoes into her starboard side, literally tearing two great sections of her hull in pieces. There were 290 first - cabin passengers. Only 79 of these have been reported alive. There were 599 in the ise,00nd cabin, and the 'survivors' list so. far reaches only 100. There were 361 persons in the third class, and there were 667 in the crew. Women applied last year in. the United Kingdom for no fewer than 350 patents. NOT 0F111011 I1VIPORTANCE Temporary Success Can Do No More Than Delay the Russian Advance Into Hungary A despatch from London says : The battle now progressing between the Vistula and the Oarpathians is thus described by the correspon- dent of the Daily Mail at Petro- grad: "For the muni ent masses of Ger- man and Austrian troops who for some weeks paet have been concen- trating at Cracow have, by mere weight and superiority of numbers, forced the Russians along the Dun- ajec to draw back. The -operations in this region began a, week ago when an Austrian force approached t the Biala R.iver south of Tarnow. At first they were held in check, but soon German reanforben'ients arrived, including mealy first line. troops not before used in the Car- pathians. At the same time at Krasnow, on the upper Vistula, a Very vigorous 'offensive began. Six times the. Russian positions were attacked and each time the enemy was driven off: rintally, the enemy being greatly weakened, a battalion of Russians was ordered to charge, and did so with complete success, a whole • regiment of Landwohr troops being put out of action and 400 survivors being made prisoners. “Then eaamie the movement of the Threw Arsenio Into the Water. A despatch from London says In support of charges that the Ger mans had poisoned wells in th South-west African campaig Lewis Harcourt, Secretary of Stat for the Colonies, has issued a co:+; munioation in, which he says th when Gen. Louis Botha, comma der of the Union of South Mai forces, occupied Swakopmund 11 discovered that six wells had bee poisoned by an arsenical cattl wash. As a remonstrance Gen. Both sent a communication to Col Francke, commander of the • Ger man forces. This elicited a re sponse, according to the statemen of Mr. Harcourt, that the German troops had been given orders the "if they possibly can prevent it not to allow aril water supplies tc fall into the hands of the enemy a form which allows it to be use for man or beast." When Swakopmund was evacuat ed, • the reply of Col. Francke eon tinued, the officer in chargeha several bags of cooking salt throw] into the wells, but it was found tha this "could in a short time be ren dered ineffective." Thereafter Col. I'rancke s letter said, "w tried the Dopper dip, and fours( that by using this material an, enemy occupying the town woul for sometime have to rely on wate from elsewhere." The communication says that de spite Gen. Botha's protest the prac tice continued. A message said have been from Capt. Kruger,, o the German protectorate troops, i quoted in the communication .a saying: "The patrol at Gabib ha been i n.trxctec1 thoroughly to tnfec with disease the Isla mine Ap proach Swakop and the Ira min with extreme cauttioe. Don't wate there any more." Since their evacuation of Au Warmbad and other places, Ge, Botha says in •n letter, "the Gell man troops have consistently pox Boned all wells along the railwa; line in their retirem•en't:'•' -• enemy for which . -these attacks had v x been re arato A very . large force of Germans •crossed the Duna- jec and under cover of a heavy and concerted artillery fire made an ad- vance. No sooner had they gained the right bank, however, than they were stopped by the fire of the. Rus- sian gunners. Orders were then sent to the Russians to retire on their strong. second line defenees, and this was done after a fierce en- gagement in which the enemy's losses were very heavy. "In connection with this move- ment other aa,tttaeks were made by German. and Austrian forces on the Nida, eolith of Lohtcthno, and in the Gorlice district. The first ven- ture failed, all attempts' to cross the Nidi being re, uls,ed and the enemy being driven back en the left bank, which he had occupied for some time. At Gorlice the ,advance was more serious. The object .of the Germans here. is to compel th Russian armies in the Carpathians to retreat by threatening their line of coinmuniea•tionel ' ',No anxiety regarding theresult is felt here, and it is not believed that the new Austro -German offen- sive ran do more than delay the Russian advance into Hungary." Italy fetus Prepared Statement. A despatch £rain Rome says : Il addition to military preparations the Italian Government is takinj all measures possiblein a dipk mlttia way in anticipation of apes Bible outbreak of war, Foreign Minister Sonnino •lta prepared ,a, long statement far pull licetion the moment Italy joins Os allies, in case she deeidos upon thi nation. This statement is designer to justify Italy's action before th world. It sets forth the historic& racial, economic and rtret,egic. reasons iufiueneing the nation, :stn dwells upon the intolerable piss tion" of Italy in the Adriatic an on her eastern frontier:.