ft
XXI. NO. 1.
VOL.
TRYON, POLK COUNTY, N. C, FRIDAY, MAY 14, 1915.
ESTABLISHED MAY, 1894.
THE CUNARD LINER, LUSITANIA
A FEW OF LUSITANIA'S UIGTIfiflS
w
i
mm
F riCr
I I 111 I I 1:1 I
ONLY
i
ARE FOUND; 131 AMERICANS DEAD
.- ' :- ' : . O- '
1 '
, .111 it I
I III t r ? . :
iv cv
L.vo-fl'v.',V.V.Y.V.v..7,..j
The great steamer Lusltania was one of the largest and speediest trffns-Atlantii liners. She was built in
Giasgow, launched July 7. 1906. and sUrted on her maiden trip September 7, 1907. The Lusitania was 785 feet
long, gross tonnage 32,500, net tonnage 9,145, and had accommodatibn for 550 first-class passengers, 500 sec
ond class passengers and ! JL.300 third-class. Her captain was W. T. Turner. .
ILPUiRED LIS LOST,
LUSI11IA, GREAT OCEAN LINER
VICTIF.1 OF GERL1AN SUBMARINE
Tm Torpedoes Strike Vessel
.Sending Her To Bottom 1 n
Fifteen Minutes
STORIES OF SURVIVORS
About 120 Americans Are Lost.
Many Victims Are Women. Bod
ies Brought to Land.
London. The Cunard liner Lusi
' &M. which sailed out of New -York
lth more than 2,000 persons aboard,
ties at tho bottom of the ocean off
&e Irish coast- She was sunk by a
German submari&e, which sent two
torpedoes crashing into her side while
the passengers were at luncheon.
: The Lusitania-was steaming along
bout-10 miles off Old Head KInsale
Pn the last leg of her voyage to
Liverpool when about 2 o'clock in
the afternoon a submarine suddenly
appeared and so far as all reports
So. fired two torpedoes without warn
ln at the steamer. One struck her
Dear the bows and the other in the
engine room.
. The powerful agents of destruction
tore through the vessels side, caus
ln? terriffic explosions. Almost im
mediately great volumes of water
Poured through the openings 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 immediate
ly -rescue boats of all kinds were sent
both from the neighboring joints
along the coast and Queenstown. ,
Within 15 minutes, as one survivor
umated, and certainly withih half
an bour, the Lusitania had disap
peared. '
When the passengers realized tha
Lusitania
iound that most of the boats of the
Port side were so jammed because of
-T.f eat list o ie vessel -that they
ouid not be. lowered and last seen
2 Lnern by the more fortunate pas
tZE e" wbo had secured places In
ium 7rbard batS 0F Wh had
trt tDe overboard and had been pick-
U,S awaitintr tlial f. A Vil
cw l.6n believias that with land
, , o 101,0, UUUUUCSB
so
T-r
rever, the tornednAs haA r.n
X SPing hales in tne "her that
Bae qid not rorv,o
than oa wuam ckiiuaw , iui more
an oa ""uoul ctiutifc , iui more
t! f inute8' and tbe calla for
thou ' seni. ou
..v.a dcui, UUt, Xl
h- Q"5werea quickly, could
not
to hi l!e rescuins steamers in time
p,. ; y service. ; I
. Linton BPma xt -,-
aid f I? survivor of the Lusitania,
'iVv -"v -i
- v .tw "
I jumped overboard. I had no life
belt but I picked up a bit of floatsam.
Finally I got to an upturnea Doxi ana
cling to that Later, with some others
who had swam to this boat, we man
aged to right it and climbed in and
started to rescue those we could
reach.' -
"The German submarine made no
attempt to save anybody. We saw it
for a moment just before it dove.
"The first torpedo struck us be
tween the first and second funnels.
The Lusitania shook and settled down
a bit. Two other torpedoes auicldy
followed and 'doon finished our ship.
Four or five of our lifeboats went
down with her and the tremendous
suction as the liner was- engulfed
dragged many down.
"The first torpedo burst with a big
thud, and we knew that we were
doomed.
"We had floated about two hours
in our small! boat before' the first res
cue steamefs arrived. Previous to
this time some small shore boats and
fishing smacks came along and help
ed us." i
The Rev. H. W. Simpson, a passen
ger in the second cabin, saved him
self by clinging to an upturned boat.
"After a struggle we filled this boat
with all we could rescue." Dr. Simp
son said today; 'We tied a pair of
trousers to an oar and. hoisted it as
a signal of distress.
"A big trawler came albng and took
u4 aboard.
"When we were struck I was in the
saloon. Lifebelts were handed around
but the people did not want to put
them on and . they rushed off to the
deck lust as they were."
A cabin steward gave the following
account: ".
"The passengers, a large number of
whom were seriously injured by the
explosion and by splinters from the
wreckage, were aii at luncneon. ine
r ' mm m L
weather was beautifully clear 'and
calm.' We were ' going at about 16
knots, and were seven or eight miles
south of Galley head when we were
struck by one torpedo and in a mln
uate or two "by two more. The first
explosion staggered' us, shattering the
gigantic ship. The Lusitania disap
peared , in 20 minutes after the first
torpedo struck.
"It was a terrible sight, but the
passengers were surprisingly cool.
We did not get a moment's notice
from the submarine. It appeared sud
denly above the surface on the star?
board bow. It disappeared as suddely
as t came into view, and was not
seen again. It did not attempt to
save men, women or children, but left
them to drown like rats in a trap when
the great ship sank like a stone.
"The scene was frightful as the
ship went down. A great many per
sons were carried ; down at once by
the suction. About 100 jumped over
board and "clung to floating wreckage
or upturned boats blown oft the ship
by the explosion."
I
1 P?V
PRESIDENT CALMLY CONSID
ERING QUESTION '
Washington. After a conference
with the president at the White
Mouse, Secretary Tumulty said:
"Of course the president feels
the distress and the gravity of the
situation to the utmost, and is con
sidering very earnestly, but very
calmly, the right course of action
to pursue. He "knows that the peo
ple of the country wish and expect
, llm to act with deliberation as well
as wfth flrmnees.'- ' v
WENT DOWN WITH SHIP.
Captain Turner is Grief Stricken No
; Complaint Against Officers.
Queenstown. Capt. Turner, com
mander of the Lusitania, has refused
so far to make any formal statement
His first remark on landing was one
ofj quiety irony.
r'Wellr he said, "it is the fortune
of war.
CapL Turner remained on the Lusi
tania bridge until the structure was
suDmergea ana tnen ciimoea up a
ladder, as would a diver from a tank,
When -he reached the surface he
grasped an oar and then a chair. He
clung to the chair for nearly two
hours, and finally when the chair
turned over he flung up a gold braided
arm.
This was seen by a mmber of the
crew in one of the boats and thus the
commander was saved. .
None or the survivors nave any
complaint .to make regarding the ae'
tion of the crew. All agree that every
thing possible was done under the
circumstances. I i ,
The first boat launched was almost
filled with children with whom were
a few women. It capsized as it struck
the water and ,: all were swept away,
although two stokers gave their lives
in attempting to save some of them.
GERMANY DEFENDS DEED.
Points to Warning and Seeks to Shift
Blame to Owners. s
Berlin, via Wireless to- Lopdon.
The following official communication
was issued:
"The --Cunard liner Lusitania was
torpedoed by a German submarine
and sunk. The Lusitania was not
only . armed with guns, as were re
cently most of the English mercantile
steamers, but, as is well known here,
she had j large quantities of war ma
terial in ner cargo. .
"Her owners, therefore, knew to
what danger the pasengers were rex-
nosed. They alone bear all the re
sponsibility for what has happende.
"Germany, on her part, left noth
ing undone to repeatedly arid strongly
warn them. The imperial ambassador
in Washington even went so far as to
make a public warning, so as to draw
attention to this danger. The Eng
lish newspapers sneered then at the
warning and relied on the protection
of the British fleet to safegard At
lantic traffic."
"Japan Cancels Military . Movement.
" Toklo. The Japanese Government
announced that the naval and military
movements In . connection with the
Chinese situation had been cancelled.
TWO OR THREE SUBMARINES
ATTACKED THE GREAT OCEAN
: v LINER.
CAPTIAN TURNER IS SILENT
Grieving For Loss of Ship He Only
Remarks, "It Js the Fortune of
War." Broken Down.
London. From the reports that
reach here from many sources these
points seem t6be established in re
gard to the sinking of the Lusitania:
No warning xot the attack was
given.
Several torpedoes were hurled
at the ship J some say four and
others seveni
Two, or at most three of the
missiles struck the Lusitania.
One of the torpedoes entered
No.' 1 stokehold and another the
engine room.
Conflicting reports as to the
side struck suggest that more
than one submarine may have
participated.
There was no panic on the ves
sel, the crew going coolly about
the work ot preparing to save
passengers. ' v
Captain Turner promptly turn
ed the Lusitania toward shore.
The heavy list due to inrushing
' water prevented the launching of
' many lifeboats:
Some boats were swamped after
, launching, the. vessel being un
able to slow up because of sev
ered pipes. , ':
Many passengers, expecting res
cue by boas, put on no life
belts, and perished.
Others $n " ' board, including,
members of the crew, were wound- .
er or killed by the torpedoes.
, The shipi? sinking rapidly by
v-the headKeaiydown with stern
in air ten or niieen minuts alter
she was struck.
Captain Turner, commander of the
Lusitania, one of the few officers sav
ed, has refused to make any formal
statement He remained at his post on
the bridge until the ship went down,
and was rescued two hours later,
wearing a life belt.
He was terribly broken down when
he landed at Queenstown, but his
first remark as he went ashore was
one of quiet irony. :
' "Well," he said, "it is the fortune of
war.
v
After a strong cud of tea and a
short rest he seemed to recover from
his depression. i
He displayed great grief over the
loss of his vessel, but . expressed no
opinion on the action of the Germans.
After remaining on the Lusitania s
bridge until the structure was sub
merged, Captain Turner climbed up a
ladder, as would a diver from a tank;
When he reached the surface he
grasped an oar and then a chair. He
clung to the chair for nearly two
hours, andTfinally when the chair turn
ed over, he flung up a gold-braided
arm. This was seen by a member of
the crew in one of the boats, and thus
the commander was saved.
Many passengers owned their res
cueJto life belts, which kept them
afloaViintil ihey were picked up by
boats.
The scene as the big liner sank be
neath the waves is described by the
survivors as heart-rending beyond
words.
Battling for life, the passengers
called to relatives and friends or bade
each other good-bye.
The small boats which had got away
from' the side of the liner picked up
a good many survivors, who, with
life belts or clinging to wreckage,
were floating on the surface of the
water. But soon the boats were all
crowded. These boats were" in turn
picked up by' rescuing steamers, com
ing at full speed from shore points,
but in many cases four and more hours
elapsed before the rescuers reached
the scene. In many cases the only
work the rescue wjrrkers to do was to
collect from the water the floating
bodies of the dead. Several passen
gers were taken aboard trawlers so
much Injured that the died before
they , could reach-shore. ' ; v
A ; considerable portion of those
brought Into Queenstown were. mexn-J
oers or tne crew.mese mciuaea cap
tain Turner, iwith the first and second
officers. All the other officers are be
lieved to have perished. One hundred
and seventeen stewards and steward
esses of the ship's complement wre
saved. . '
There Is no evidence, however, that
the time honored rule of the sea:
"women and children first," - was not J
observed to the last. Earnest Cowper,
765 SURVIVORS.
New York.. The Cunard
6teamshiaf Company announc
ed the receipt of the following
cablegram from Liverpool:
"Queenstown advise total
number of survivors 764, includ
ing 462 passengers and 302
crew.. v
"One hundred and forty-four
four bodies recovered, of-'which
87 identified and 57" unidentified.
Identified bodies comprise 65
passengers, 22 crew.
"Number of persons injured:
Thirty passengers and seven
teen crew."
a Toronto newspaper man, has paid
tribute to the discipline of the crew.
On Watch For The Raiders
Apparently,'' every precaution had
been taken by the s pfficers against
a surprise attack by a submarine.
Lookouts were constantly on the alert
as the giant steamship speeded to
ward the Irish Coast.
The lookouts sighted the periscope
of a submarine a thousand yards
away, and the next instant they saw
the trail-left by a torpedo as it flash
ed on its course. Then came a ter
rific crash as the missile pierced the
liner's side, followed almost immedi
ately by another which littered the
decks with wreckage. 1 ,
Officers of the ship are quoted
as saying that two other torpedoes
were fired, but jnissed the ship. An
other account says seven were shot
at th Lusitania.
JUSTIFIED IN SINKING LINER.
Dr. Dernburg Says Lusitania Was
War Vessel. "Americans Used
as Cloak.'! . '
Cleveland. Justification of the sink
ing of the liner Lusitania by German
submarines as :i; man of war ' was ad
vanced by Dr. Bernhard "Dernburg,
former German Colonial Secretary'and
regarded as the Kaiser's, official
mouthpiece in the United States. Dr.
Dernburg gave out a statement at the
Hollenden Hotel following his arrival
In Cleveland to address the City Club
at noon on Germany's attitude In the
present war.
. Because the Lusitania carried con
traband of war and also because she
was classed as an auxiliary cruiser
nd was at the disposal of the Brit
ish Admiralty, Germany had a right
to destroy, her regardless of the pas
sengers, which included nearly 200
Americans, Dr. Dernburg said. Warn
ings given by the German Embassy
in public advertisement before the
sailing of the Lusitania, he added, to
gether with the note of Feb. 18, de
claring the existence ,of war zones,
relieved Germany from responsibility
for the loss of the many Americans.
The blowing up of the American
tank liner Gulflight, carrying a cargo
of oil for France, also was character
ized as justifiable by Dr. Dernburg.
SAW DISASTER FROM SHORE.
Coastguardsman and Cork Farmer
Say- Ship Sank in Eight Minutes.
Cork. A coastguard who witnessed
the . sinking of the ship, believe1 that
she; sank within eight minutes.
His story,, is confirmed by a Cork
farmer, who was working near Old
Head Kinsale, when he heard shots
and looking seaward saw a steamer
with her bows in the air. He said
that hardly ten minutes later she.
keeled over on her side and sank.
A resident of Ardfleld estimates
that the ship was live miles from
shore when he heard the crash of the
torpedo as it pierced her side. For
a mojhent she seemed .to move slow
ly straight ahead, thea turned sud
denly and then stopped, her bow sink
ing and the stern rising. Then she
keeled over and disappeared . from
ight. Within a few minutes ten res
cue boats had reached the spot where
she went down.
, ROOT GRAVELY SILENT.
J
Ex-Senator Says He. Feels That
He
"Should Say Nothing
Albany, N. Y. Ex-Senator Elihu
Root; president of the Constitutional
Convention, received with evident
cencern reports of the'sinking of the
Lusitania' indicating that the number
of dead was much larger than early
news had indicated. He declined to
comment, or to give an opinion von the!
probable effect the loss of many
American lives would have on the fu
ture relations between this country
and Germany. .. -
"I feel that I should say nothing,"
fa id Mr. Root gravely.
FIND GERMAN OFFICERS AND
GOVERNMENT GUILTY OF
MURDEROUS ATTACK.
CAPTAIN TURNER IS WITNESS
Testifies, Describing the Catastrophe
and Saying' He Could Only Obey
Orders Given vHim.
Kinsale, Ireland. The coroner's
jury investigating the . deaths of five
persons drowned when the Cunarder
Lusitania was sunk by a German sub
marine off the coast of Ireland 1 last
Friday, returned a verdict here charg
ing "the officers of said submarine
and Government of Qermanyi under
whose orders" they acted, with the
crime of wholesale murder before the
tribunal of the civilized worlds -
Captain Turner of the Lusitania was
the principal witness. He told the
jury he did not see any submarines
either before or after his ship was tor
pedoed. He was on the bridge x when
his vessel first was struck and im
mediately gave orders for the lower
ing of the boats and the placing of
the women and children in them.
Captain Turner said that after the
warnings at New York that the Lusi
tania ..would be torpedoed he did not
make any application to the Admir
alty for aiv escort, i "It .is their busi
ness, not mine. I simply had to carry
out ,my orders to go, and I would do
it again," declared the witness with
emphasis.
The verdict of the coroner's jury
follows: .'-
"We find that the deceased met
death from , prolonged immersion and
exhuastion in the sea , eight miles
south-southwest of Old Head of Kin- ,
sale, Friday, May 7, 1915, owing to
the sinking of the Lusitania by , tor
pedoes fired by a German submarine.
"We. find Jhatiihisiappalling.crinie .
was ; committed contrary to Interna
tional law-and "the conventions ; c-aU
civilized nations.; , ' . .. -
"We also charge "the officers ; of
said submarine and the Emperor and
Government of Germany, under whose
orders they acted, .with the crime of
wholesale murder before the tribunal
of the civilized world. ; j.
"We desire to express sincere con
dolence and sympathy with the rela
tives of the deceased the Cunard
Company and the United Stated,
many of whose citizens perished In
this murderous attack on an unarmed
liner." ' ,
GERMANY BLAMES ENGLAND.
Ambassador Expresses Degret to Am
erica. Charging England With
Whole Affair. '
Washington. While official Wash
ington waited for the word from Pres
ident Wilson as to what is to be the
policy of the United States in the
crisis resulting from the sinking of
tbe Lusitania. - Count Bernstorff.the
German "Ambassador, called at the
State Department and expressed to
Secretary Bryan, his deep regret that
the events of the war had led to" the
loss of so many American lives."
The Ammbassador did not comment
on his visit, but Secretary Bryan, say
ing only that he understood the ex
pression to have come from Count
Bernstorff personally, gave out the
following by agreement:
"The German Ambassador called at
the State Department and expressed
his deep regret that the. events of the
war had led to the loss of so many
American lives."
150 Babies Perished.
- London. The Illustrated - Sunday
Herald of Cork says there was on-the
Lusitania fifty babies who were less
than twelve, months, old and more than
one hundred others whose ages did
not reach two years. They all havo
been drowned. " - -
U-39 Sunk Lusitania,
London A Central News dispatch
from Geona says a telegram received
there from Munich declares It was the
German submarine U-39 that sunk the
Lusitania. ' 1
List of Identified Dead. -New
York. Relatives and friends
of passengers missing j from , the list
of Lusitania survivors again besieged
the Cunard offices. Some were reward
ed when the company posted a revis
ed list of survivors and the hopes of
others -were dashed 'when another list
was posted containing the names .of
identified dead. ",' ' vr : -
While hope Msa not entirely aban
doned that more , survivors might be
reported, line officials feared the toll
of dead would not materially be re
duced, below present figures.
s
- If
r