VOL 34
SMITHFIELD, N. C., TUESDAY, MAY 11, 1915.
Number 21
german submarine sends
THE LUSITANIA TO BOTTOM.
1502 Lost, 658 Saved Is Toll of Lu
sitania. Only 51 Americans Saved
Out of the 188 Aboard So Far as
Now Can be Learned. Down in
Eight Minutes. Coast Guard Who
Saw Ship Hit Says She Went Un
der Like Stone.
The most startling news, so far as
America is concerned that has flash
ed across the ocean since the opening
of the great World War last August,
was the message received Friday af
ternoon of the sinking of the Lusita
nia by the Germans that af
ternoon. The following is an extract
from the first account as given in the
Saturday morning papers:
Lusitania Goes Down.
London, May 7.—The Cunard liner
Lusitania, which sailed out of New
York last Saturday with more than
2,000 persons aboard, lies at the bot
tom of the ocean off the Irish coast.
She was sunk by a German subma
rine, which sent two torpedoes crash
ing into her side while the passen
gers were at luncheon.
How many of the Lusitania’s pas
sengers and crew were rescued can
not be told, but the official state
ments from the British Admiralty up
to midnight accounted for not more
than five hundred or six hundred.
A ship’s steward, who landed with
others at Queenstown, gave it as his
opinion that 900 persons were lost.
There were dead and wounded
among those brought ashore; some
since have died. But not a name of
rescued or lost, or dead or injured,
has been listed officially.
The Lusitania was steaming along
about 10 miles off Old Head Kinsale
on the last leg of her voyage to
Liverpool when aboux 2 o’clock in
the afternoon a submarine suddenly
appeared and so far as all reports
go, fired two torpedoes without warn
ing at the steamer. One struck her
near the bows and the other in the
engine room.
The powerful agents of destruction
tore through the vessel’s side, caus
ing terrific explosions. Almost im
mediately great volumes of water
poured through the opening and the
Lusitania listed.
Boats which were already swung
out on the davits were dropped over
board and were speedily filled with
passengers who had been appalled by
the desperate attack. A wireless
call for help was sent out, and im
mediately rescue boats of all kinds
were sent both from the neighboring
points along the coast and Queens
town.
Within 15 minutes, as one survivor
estimated, and certainly within half
an hour, the Lusitania had disap
peared.
Where Great Britain’s fastest mer
chant vessel went down—Old Head
Kinsale—is a landmark that has
brought to joy many travelers as it
always has stood as the sign from
shore that the perils of the voyage
across the Atlantic were at an end.
The line whose boast that it has
never lost a pasenger in the Atlantic
service has lost the ship that dodged
the lurking enemy off Nantuckett
Light the day after war was declared
and later startled the world by flying
the Stars and Stripes.
Queenstown, May 8.—The latest
estimate of lives lost as a result of
the torpedoing of the Cunard liner
Lusitania by a German submarine off
the Irish coast yesterday is 1502. It
is believed that almost all, if not all,
the survivors have been brought
ashore, and there is little hope of
recovering any other passengers
alive.
Of the dead many are women. The
Queenstown docks are the temporary
resting places also of the bodies of
several children. One dead mother
still is clasping in her rigid arms the
body of her three-months-old baby.
When the Lusitania left New York,
May 1, she had on board 2160 souls,
according to the Cunard Company.
There have been landed 658 survivors
and 45 dead.
The bodies of victims are arriving
on every incoming boat. The Cunard
line warehouse, which Is being used
as a temporary morgue, already has
been filled, and many bodies have
been taken to the town hall.
Additional dead lie in hotels and
_s_
boarding houses, victims of injuries
and exhaustion, while still others
were taken those whose condition ap
peared most serious. Two children
who were brought ashore clasped in
each other’s arms have not yet been
identified.
Mrs. Stanley Lines, w'ho was
brought ashore in one of the ship’s
boats, and immediately began a
search of the city to find her husband,
learned at 4 o’clock this morning that
he was dead at a hotel.
Two stokers have confirmed the
report that the steamer was struck
by two torpedoes. The first entered
No. 1 stoke hold, and the second the
engine room.
survivors Hazed by Experience.
Many of the survivors are still be
wildered from their terrible exper
ience, and their accounts of the
sinking of the Lusitania are not en
tirely clear. It is to be noted, how
ever, that one and all unite in eulo
gizing the manner in which the
ship’s officers behaved.
Five minutes after the Lusitania
was hit with the second torpedo
amidships she had listed to such an
extent that the lifeboats on one side
could not be launched at all. The
work of getting as many people as
possible, for the most part women
and children, into the only boats
that could be got clear, was at once
undertaken by the captain and offi
cers and men of the Lusitania and
performed efficiently and with hero
ism.
Sea Drowns Good-By Words.
The scene as the big liner went
down is described by the survivors
as heartrending beyond words. Bat
tling for life the passengers called
to relatives and friends or bade each
other good-by.
Only 51 Americans Known Saved.
The work of compiling a list of
those saved is progressing slowly be
cause of the indescribable confusion
at Queenstown, but apparently few
first cabin passengers are among the
survivors.
The United States Consul at!
Queenstown can account for only 51
Americans saved out of 188 who were
aboard. His roll does not include
the names of Alfred Gwynne Vander
bilt, Charles Frohrnan, Elbert Hub
bard, Justus Miles F'orman, author, or
Charles Klein, the playwright. Of
the Americans aboard 10(5 were in the
iirst cabin, 65 in the second and 17
in the steerage.
The heavy loss of life among the
iirst cabin passengers is believed to
have been due to the calmness and
self possession they displayed in face
of danger. Most of them were at
luncheon when the steamer received
her death blow and declined to join
the rush for the boats and life belts.
They believed the ship would remain
afloat until assistance could arrive.
No Evidence of Blundering.
A considerable proportion of those
at Queenstown are members of the
crew, including Captain Turner, with
the first and second officers. All the
other officers are believed to have
perished.
There is no evidence, however, that
the time-honored rule of the sea,
“women and children first,” was vio
lated, or that there was lack of vig- ,
ilance.
Submarine Gave No Warning.
Investigation has failed to reveal
that the steamer was given warning
of the proposed attack by the subma
rine, which appears to have been
lurking off the Irish coast bent upon
destroying the largest and fastest
ship engaged in transatlantic traffic.
The lookout sighted the periscope
of a submersible 1000 yards away,
and the next instant they saw the
trail left by a torpedo as it flashed
on its course. Then came a terrific
crash as the mersible pierced the
liner’s side, followed almost immedi
ately by another, which littered the
decks with wreckage. The course of
the liner was at once turned toward
shore. Four torpedoes apparently
were fired at the Lusitania, but only
two of them found their mark.
Torpedoes Killed Many.
The loss of life caused by the tor
pedoes themselves and the explosions
they caused must have been terribly
heavy. The tragic freight of bodies
taken to Queenstown bears evidence
of the havoc wrought. Many of
those taken ashore were seriously in
jured, and more than a score died af
ter they were removed to. Cork and
Queenstown hospitals. A long line
of stretcher-bearers marched from
the piers as tugs and trawlers ar
i rived.
__ a
caused such intense excitement in
London as the sinking of the Lusita
nia. Enormous crowds surrounded
officers of the Cunard Line all night,
scanning anxiously the bulletins re
ceived from Queenstown. The com
pany announced that an accurate
list of survivors would be compiled
as speedily as possible, but that the
immediate needs of those saved were
being given first attention.
Sank in 8 Minutes, Says Coastguard.
A coastguard who witnessed the
sinking of the Lusitania believes she
sank within eight minutes. His sto
ry is confirmed by a Cork farmer
who working near Old Head Kinsale,
when he heard shots and looking
seaward saw a steamer with her
bows in the air. He said hardly 10
minutes later she keeled over on
her side and sank.
A Survivor’s Story.
W. G. E. Meyers, of Stratford,
Ontario, a lad of 16 years, who was
on his way to join the British navy
as a cadet, said:
“1 had just gone to the upper deck
after lunch to play a game of quoits
with two other boys. One of them,
looking over the side, saw a white
streak in the water and shouted:
“There’s a torpedo, coming straight
at us.’ We watched it until it struck
us with an awful explosion. Then
we rushed to the boat deck. Just as
we got there a huge quantity of wood
splinters and great masses of water
flew all around us.
“We got only 200 yards away when
the Lusitania sank, her bow first.
Many persons sank with her, drawn
down by the suction. Their shrieks
were appalling. We had to pull hard
to get away, and as it was we were
almost dragged down. We saved all
the women and children we could, but
a great many of them went down.”
William Brown, of Alaska, another
survivor, said he decided not to join
the rush for the boats. “1 came to
the conclusion that a life belt was
the thing for me,” he said, “so I
went to my cabin and secured one.
With it on, I slid down a long rope
into the water. Subsequently I got
into a boat.”
INSURED AT A LOW RATE.
Lusitania Favored in Belief That
She Had Safety in Speed.
New York, May 8.-—Insurance on
the Lusitania, it was said today,
amounted to $7,500,000. The vessel
was valued, in round figures, at $10,
000,000, and the worth of the cargo
she carried was reckoned today at
$735,000. On the amount of insurance
carried, it is understood the line paid
a premium of 3 per cent and a spe
cial war risk premium of 1 1-4 per
cent, for each trip. It is understood
that the line carried one-third of the
insurance, the remainder being di
vided among Lloyds and other under
writers. About one-half the insur
ance upon the cargo was taken by
local underwriters and the rest by
Lloyds.
The cargo rate, influenced by the
theory that the fast liner was too
speedy to be caught by a torpedo was
1 per cent, much lower than the cus
tomary transatlantic rate at this
time.
The Lusitania carried 250 bags of
mail, but had no specie aboard. On
her manifest the largest single item
was listed as “cartridges and ammu
nition, 4200 cases, $152,400.” The
next item in value was a consign
ment of furs, valued at $119,000, for
Liverpool. Miscellaneous items in
cluded sheet brass, copper wire and
various manufactured of tons of beef
and bacon and many thousand
pounds of butter, cheese and lard.
DISTRESSING, SAYS TAFT.
Expresses Confidence That Wilson
Will Be Wise and Patriotic.
Milwaukee, May 8.—“The news of
the sinking of the Lusitania as it
comes this morning is most distress
ing,” said former President Taft on
his arrival from Madison today. “It
presents a situation of the most diffi
cult character properly awakening
great national concern. I do not wish
to embarrass the President or the
Administration by a discussion of the
subject at this stage of the informa
tion' except to express confidence that
the President will follow a wise and
patriotic course.”
LUSITANIA WAS ONE OF
LARGEST SHIPS AFLOAT
She Was a Product of the Mad Race
For Speed. Accommodation For
2,350. Launching of Great Liner
June 7, 1908, Attended by Elabo
rate Ceremonies. British Shipping
Men Felt That by Reason of Her
Great Speed She Was in No Danger.
Boat of Colossal Dimensions.
(Greensboro News.)
The Lusitania was one of the larg
est of trans-Atlantic liners as well as
one of the speediest. She was built
in Glasgow in 1900, and was 785 feet
long. Her gross tonnage was 32,500
and her net tonnage 9,145. She was
owned by the Cunard Steamship com
pany, Ltd., of Liverpool. Her captain
was W. T. Turner.
The Lusitania was a product of the
race for speed which was carried on
for years among trans-Atlantic steam
ship companies, particularly of Eng
land and Germany. When the Lusi
tania was launched she was the won
der of the maritime world. Her mas
tery of the sea from the standpoint
of speed was undisputed.
Marine engineers were particularly
interested in the great engines by
which the Lusitania was propelled,
which were regarded as a distinct de
parture. Instead of the usual type of
reciprocating engines, her builders in
stalled turbines. These engines de
veloped an indicated horsepower of
70,000, driving four shafts, each of
which carried a three-bladed propeller.
The Lusitania had accommodations
for 550 first class passengers, 500
second class and 1,300 third class.
The launching of the Lusitania on
June 7, 1906, at Clyde bank, was at
tended with elaborate ceremonials.
She left on her mainden trip Septem
ber 7, 1907. This voyage was herald
ed as a race for the world’s record.
German steamship companies said
her time of five days, 54 minutes, was
not in reality a record. Later she
made an undisputed record of four
days, 11 hours, 42 minutes, but that
subsequently was beaten by the Mau
retania.
In January of last year the Lusita
nia rescued the crew of the little
Canadian brigantine Mayflower, which
was drifting wrecked and helpless
about 1,000 miles from the Canadian
shore.
After the outbreak of the war most
of the fastest vessels of the British
trans-Atlantic fleet were requisitioned
by the navy. The Lusitania, in fact,
was the only vesel of this type to
continue in regular service. As she
was the greatest prize which could
fall to German warships or subma
rines, her voyages were followed with
particular concern. British shipping
men maintained, however, that she
was in no danger, especially after
the Atlantic had been cleared of Ger
man warships. They felt that her
superior speed would enable her to
evade any submarine. Three days af
ter the war was declared the Lusita
nia left New York on one of her reg
ular trips to Liverpool. She slipped
out of the harbor shrouded in dark
ness except for her port and starboard
running lights. There were 212 pas
sengers on board who were willing to
accept the chances of war. During
the voyage it was reported that she
had been captured by German war
ships, and subsequently that she
was fleeing for some American port.
She completed her voyage in safety,
however, without sighting any hostile
craft.
it was the Lusitania whose hying
of the American flag last February
on her way from Queenstown to Liv
erpool to protect her against possible
attack by a German submarine caused
considerable astonishment on both
sides of the ocean and resulted in a
statement by the British foreign of
fice justifying the use of a neutral flag
under such circumstances.
Although the Lusitania was sur
passed in size by several other liners
built subsequently, including the Im
perator, Olympic and Vaterland, she
never lost her reputation acquired
at the outset of her career. Her
speed and luxurious accommoda
tions make a favorite, and her pas
senger lists bore the names of many
of the most prominent Atlantic
wayfarers. She had nine decks, con
nected with elevators. Her cabins
were designed to look more like an
elaborate hotel than a ship.
The vessel was pronounced by her
■
builders to be as nearly unsinkable
as any ship could be. The lower
deck was watertight. The double
bottom was so constructed that
should the bilge keels be tom away
and the hull pierced the entering wa
ter would be confined within the in
ner and outer bottoms. The lower
portion of the hull was divided into
175 water tight compartments, with
communicating doors so constructed
that they could be closed from the
navigating bridge in a few seconds.
Everything about the Lusitania was
of a colossal dimension. Her rudder
weighed (55 tons. She carried three
anchors of 10 tons each. The main
frames and beams, placed end to
end, would extend 30 miles.
canaries r. summer, general agent
of the Cunard line in New York, is
sued a statement just before the
Lusitania left New York the last
time saying her voyage would not
be attempted by any risk whatever,
as the liner had a speed of 25 and
half knots and was provided with
unusual water-tight bulk heads. Ma
rine men said that in their opinion
the Lusitania could not be sunk by
a single torpedo.
Before the Lusitania sailed, some
nervousness had been caused because
of the publication in the morning
papers of Saturday of an advertise
ment warning travelers that a state
of war existed between Germany
and Great Britain and her allies;
that the war zone includes the wa
ters adjacent to the British isles;
that in accordance with notice given
by the German government vessels
flying the flag of Great Britain are
liable to destruction in those waters,
and that travelers sailing in the war
zone on ships of Great Britain or
her allies do so at their own risk.
The advertisement was signed “Im
perial German Embassy.”
ROOSEVELT WANTS U. S. TO ACT
Duty To Humanity and National
Self-Respect Demands It,
He Says.
Syracuse, N. Y., May 9.—Theodore
Roosevelt tonight gave out the fol
lowing statement:
“On the night of the day that the
disaster occurred I called the atten
tion of our- people to the fact that
the sinking of the Lusitania was
not only an act of simple piracy, but
that it represented piracy accompa
nied by murder on a vaster scale
than any old time pirate had ever
prarticed before being hung for his
misdeeds.
“I called attention to the fact that
this was merely the application on
the high seas and at our expense of
the principles which when applied on
land had produced the innumerable
hideous tragedies, that have occurred
in Belgium and in northern France.
“I said that not only our duty to
humanity at large but our duty to
preserve our own national self-re
spect demanded instant action on our
part, and forbade all delay. I can
do little more than reiterate what I
thus said. When the German decree
established the war zone and of course
plainly threatened exactly the type of
tragedy which has occurred, our gov
ernment notified Germany that in the
event of any such wrongdoing at the
expense of our citizens we would hold
the German government to a strict
accountability.
“The use of this phrase, ‘strict ac
countability,’ of course must mean
and can only mean that action will
be taken by us without an hour’s
unnecessary delay. It was eminently
proper to use the exact phrase that
was used; and having used it our own
self respect demands that we forth
with abide by it.”
Mrs. Carman Set Free.
Mineola, N. Y., May 8.—A verdict
of acquittal late today by the jury
trying Mrs. Florence C. Carman on
the charge of murdering Mrs. Louisa
Bailey at Freeport on the night of
June 30 last.
The jury was agreed on the first
ballot and the verdict was returned
at 5:32 o’clock, 1 hour and 12 min
utes after the jury had retired. Mrs.
Carman, who had been depressed and
apparently extremely anxious all
day, brightened as Justice Blackmar
delivered his charge, and beamed
with happiness when the verdict was
announced. She shook hands with all
the jurors and left after a few min
utes with her husband for their home
in Freeport.
VERDICT OF CORONER’S JURY,
Finds That the Officers of the Sub
marine, the German Emperor and
the German Empire Guilty of
Murder.
1 .
Kinsale, Ireland, May 10.—The
coroner’s jury investigating the death
attendant on the loss of the Lusitania
returned the following verdict to
day:
“The jury finds that this appalling
crime was contrary to international
law and the convention of all civil
ized nations and we therefore charge
the officials of the submarine and the
German emperor and the government
of German under whose orders they
acted with the crime of wilful whole
sale murder.”
A MILLION DOLLAR RAIN.
Weather Bureau Officials Say Fall
Worth That Much to Farmers
of This State.
News and Observer, 8th.
With the fall of the “Million Dol
lar Rain,” as the downfall is termed
by the Raleigh weather bureau of
ficials, yesterday the long dry drought
in North Carolina was broken and
farmers last night slept easier than
they have for some time.
That North Carolina has been
benefited over $1,000,000 in saving
crops that have suffered for the want
of water is the reason why the
weather bureau officials call yester
day’s rain the “Million Dollar Rain.”
The actual value to the farmers can
not be estimated correctly, but the
water was in dire need throughout
the entire State.
The rainfall was general in North
Carolina, rain falling from mountains
to sea, but the fall on the extreme
coast section was lighter than in
other sections. However, it is expect
ed that this section will get more rain
early today.
Charlotte reported the heaviest fall,
the total for the day there being 2.58
inches. Raleigh had 1.15 inches;
Asheville, 1.18, and Wilmington got
only .p2 of an inch. Other cities re
porting good rains were Atlanta
with 3.88 inches, Montgomery, Ala.,
with 3.4b inches and Knoxville with
1.04 inches.
DISASTER CAUSES A RIOT.
Crowd Angered by Man’s Jubilation
Handles Him Roughly.
New York, May 7.—A middle-aged
man, who gave the name of Henry
Schultz, was watching a Park Row
newspaper’s bulletin board today
when news of the sinking of the Lu
sitania was posted. He was so elat
ed he threw his hat into the air and
shouted a German legend. Someone
caught his hat and began tearing it
up. In a minute the 50 spectators
were crying “Knock him down!”
“Kill him!” and “Hang him!” A
small riot followed; half a dozen men
grabbed the man. A blow on the
jaw felled him, and then onlookers
began to kick him. Three policemen
interferred. They picked Schultz up
and wanted to send him to the hos
pital, but he was unwilling. Hatless,
he limped down Spruce street. The
police made no arrests.
CALLS GERMANY OUTLAW.
Acting Premier of Canada Issues
Bitter Statement.
Ottawa, May 8.—Sir George Fos
ter, acting Premier of Canada, today
gave out the following statement on
the Lusitania disaster:
“This latest act stamps Germany
as the outlaw nation of the twenti
eth century to be viewed with sus
picion, horror and righteous indig
nation by every well-constituted civil
ized people. Thirty minutes’ warn
ing to the Lusitania before the torpe
do was fired would have saved 2100
harmless people.”
FRANK WILL HANG IN JUNE.
Atlanta, May 10.—Leo M. Frank
was today re-sentenced to be hanged
on Tuesday, June 22, for the murder
of Mary Phagan. Sentence was passed
by Judge Ben H. Hill of the Fulton
County superior court. Mary Phagan
was killed April 26, 1913. Before
sentence was pronounced Frank made
a statement to the court reiterating
his declaration of innocence.
m
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