GREATEST CRIME IN HISTORY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2458, 11 May 1915, Page 5

GREATEST CRIME IN HISTORY

ATTACK ON DEFENCELESS LUSFTANIA WORLD-WIDE HORROR AND • DENUNCIATION LATEST ACCOUNTS OF THE OUTRAGE THRILLING STORIES BY SURVIVORS WILL AMERICA ACT ? To-day's news brings further details of the cold-blooded act of the German pirates in sulking the famous Cunard flier Lusitania, and the stories of the survivors serve to deepen the horrorof the event. The liner was sunk without warning, and ou the word of a member of the crew had previously dodged three submarines. Anti-German outbursts of feeling are reported from several sources, and the eyes of the world are at present turned upon America. Will President Wilson act? According to the latest statement by the Cuuard Company as to the number of' survivors, the total loss is now ascertain-. able, as follows:— Official total on board — 2160 Passengers saved 48T — Crew saved ; 274 _ Total saved 7^ Total loss — 1399 THE GREAT LINERS LAST VOYAGE GERMAN PIRATES' THREAT DISBELIEVED. (By Telegraph.—Precs Assn.—Copyright.) „ , ~ „ London, May 9. runner particulars of the t German attack on the Lusitania show that the homeward voyage or the Lusitania w&s pleasant and uneventful. Nobody believed that Germany would dare to outrage civilisation by destroying a linei full of non-combatants and many citizens of nations with which Germany is at peace. v After, passing the Fastnet Lighthouse the Lusitania slowed down. Th» boats were swung out as & precaution, and a sharp look-out kept. Full swed was ordered off KinsaJe. 1 The first torpedo entered the Mok« bold,, causing a terrific explosion, followed by another The second torpedo sent up great columns of water and hugo quantities of wood splinters qp to tiie deck. Boats containing thirty passeugors were tilted into the sea owing to a 'ropo sticking. Altogether ten boats were successfully launched, Before the vessel made her final plunge her stern rose hiaft in *'\e «ir .for several minutes. 6 , . " Magnificent Gouiage and Dlsclnllne. ■ All accounts state that there was no panic, the passengers and crew showing magnificent courage and discipline. "Em ) h,t t , ho L^ si tania would not sink, especially after first feeling that she had no fc listed further. she °alfk PaSSong6r StateS that ° ight b ° atS WOr ® hangin S over the side when tania S fouiK llil9 in the SaW a Bubmarine ' s P° risco P° after the LusiTHE STRANGE PORPOISE IN THE SEA PASSENGERS WATCH THE SUBMARINE. (Rec. May 10, 8.50 p.m.) mu i ' • ■ ... London, May 10. . P® consensus of opinion amongst the passengers is that the liner was going at eighteen knots at the time of the attack. Several passengers saw the submarine at three hundred yards distance, and discussed the object. Some thought it was a, whale, while another suggested that it was a porpoise. It kept pace with the Lusitania for fully a minute before it fired the torpedo The second torpedo struck he imer four minutes later. The vessel toppled over as-though in a drv-dock. The boats on the port side were full of women and children, but the lut preventing them being launched, practicallv all were drowned. There was little suction when the ship went down She drowned ° r a r " otlleru ' lS6 many more would have been STORIES BY THE SURVIVORS MANY THRILLING ACCOUNTS WAS THERE A SECOND SUBMARINE? , P T " Moor®) an American, said at 1 o'clock he saw a submarine's oonnine tower, on the port side, appearing and disappearing, and altering her speed The Lusitania meanwhilo was zigzagging and travelling at eighteen knots iresently the submarine disappeared, and the Lusitania ceased to zigzag. We sat down to lunch, and about 2 o'clock, heard a muffled, drumliko noise from ?Itt ? p "trembled, and began to list to starboard. Unless the first submarine had been able to run rings round the Lusitania there must have .been a second one hidden oil the starboard side. I heard no SMond explosion, lhere was general excitement in the second saloon, which dTfficX. 11 q 0 the clcck the list n,ade walkin e "Most of the passengers, said Dr. Moore went on to the promenade deck t ln a c \ v minutes the rail was onlv twelve feet above water. A steww»V+L„ c 'lfr "i 3 "?, th £ P rom «> acl e deck under a load of lifebelts. The ship Tit t't 1 "! 6 b 'V he b a F "' st , D ''- Mo™ « boat which got cl« r P •StfStt&rtyaa."' l "*- b,,t * «*• »•" John Davis, a member of the Lusitania's crew, said the vessel had a splendid voyage to the coast. She went at half-speed near Fastnet, owinf to o L >pi ncreaSe ? cr Bpee , d to , sixtceli knots. Full speed was rung for at : D ; ;, jjne vessel An explosion almost immediately afterwards struck the bunkers, all the divisions of which were rent and the coal scattered in all directions. The ship finally stood on end. and then dived like a duck. The boilers exploded and the funnels w?ro blown out. • iui T i??i l6r ' wl - 10 fiscil P ed f rom the Titanic, states that the torpedo went right through the engine-room. A few minutes later the vessel was torpedoed on the port side, suggesting that two submarines were lying in wait, Track of tha Torpedo Seen. Mr. Cowjw, a Toronto journalist, caught a glimpse of a conning tower a thousand yards distant He then noticed the track, of the torpedo. The Lusitania.was struck forward, and there was a. loud explosion. Portions of the splintered hull were sent flying,into the air. A few seconds later another torpedo struck her. The crew immediacy got the passengers into the boats, and everything was done m an orderly manner. Some of the boats could no bo launched. They had to be cut away as the vessel was sinking .There was a large number of women in the second-class, and about fortr babies. i A lady had an extraordinary escape when the Lusitania went. down. She w.is thrown into the sea, and had given up hope, when she was suddenly drawn down a funnel. _ A tremendous rush of air shot her out, and she fell into ono of the boats, being severely injured. Mr. F. Gaimtlett, of Washington, interviewed, said that h» quitted a boat which was being lowered and swam to a piece of wreckage. Tin's proved to be a collapsible boat. Pie ripped it opon with a knife, and he and another passenger entered it, and-both were enabled to rescue thirty people who wero struggling in the water. They noticed a cluster of women and children under some men's protection on the Lusitania's port side, and as the vessel plunged the little army slid down to the starboard side, dashing against each other until they were engulfed. " TOLD BY THE "CHAMPAGNE KINC." (Rec. May 10, 7.10 p.m.) London, May 10. Mr. G«<irc» Kessler. so-called the "Champagne King," was the host at a. freak dinner at the Savoy. He states that he saw tile trail of a torpedo when the projectile was thirty feet away. Then followed a thud. He did not believe for on? moment that the ship would sink. The keel of the vessel Caught the V>oHoni of his boat, and thirty of the occupants were thrown into thi water. "I sank. I thought I was zone, but I rote, floated for tea

minutes, and_ managed to clamber on to a snmll collapsible lifo-boat. Tlii* overturned eight times through people scrambling in. Before wo were picked up six out of nino of us wero dead." Mr. ICessler considered that tlio Lusitania's speed ought to have been greater. He expected that destroyers would protect tlio vessel when alio reached the war zone. PITEOUS SCENES IN THE WATER HANDS OUTSTRETCHED TO THE CROWDED BOATS. (Rec. May 10, 10.50 p.m.) London, May 10. Captain Turner, when the water was nearly (lush with tiie bridgo, turned to the wheelman, and said: Now, try and save yourself.. You liav'o no further business here. Good-bye." The captain remained on tlio bridgo. In some instances, women, on recovering consciousness after being rescued by the boats, asked for tbeir children, and, not finding them, went almost mad. The crowded boats moved about the sea among hundreds of people, who were clinging to the wreckage. It was horrifying to see their hands slip off, and the victims disappear with despairing cries. Harrison, a young miner, who was returning to enlist, twico gave up his lifebelt to a young woman with a child. He narrates rliat he saw a foreigner with five lifebelts. Another man seized one of tho foreigner's, who cried like a child. Harrison, when thrown into the sea, swam to an upturned boat, which was supporting forty-eight others. Men, women, and children were floating, head downwards, in all directions. Many of them had lifebelts. The whole forty-nine clung to this boat for two hours. Passengers state that during tlio lattor part of tho voyage tho Lusilania's course was frequently changed. A member of tho crow told a passenger that the vessel had already dodged thrco submarines. VICTIMS OF THE HUN PIRATES \ MELANCHOLY TOLL OF THE DEAD London, May 9. Mr. Alfred Vanderbilt is considered to be amongst the dead. Mr! Charles Fro'hman's body has been recovered. Mr. F. S. Peargon, an American financier, also perished. MR. VANDERBILT'S LAST ACT. (Rec. May 10, 7.10 p.m.) London, May 10. A.steward named Townsend, who was rescued from the Lusitania, stated that Mr. Vanderbilt was on deck when the torpedo struck tho liner. Ho afterwards gave his life-belt to a lady passonger. THE TRAGEDY OF AN EMIGRANT FAMILY. . (Rec. May 10, 8.10 p.m.) London, May 10. An American family named Gardner—father, mother, and two sons—who had intended to settle in New Zealand, were on board. When the torpedo struck the liner, the mother fainted, and went down with the vessel. The father and his sons were thrown into the sea. A boy of sixteen was sucked down, but came to the surface and was pulled into a boat, when lie found his father lying prostrate on the bottom. Tho father did not recover. When the lad reached Queenstown there was a dramatic meeting with his brother, a boy aged twelve, who. had been rescued by another boat. Their tickets were lost and they are penniless and friendless. MOTHER LOSES HER TWO DAUGHTERS. (Rec. May 10, 10.50 p.m.) London, May 10. Lady Allan, wife of Sir Montague 'Allan, head of the Allan Steamship Line, was rescued, but hor daughters, aged, 14 and 1 respectively, were drowned. M. Ca-ssieler, a leading wine merchant, Who was amongst the rescued, lost £400,000 in securities. NEW ZEALANDERS MISSING. (Rec. May 11, 1.10 a.m.) Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Macky, of Auckland, and tho following passengers who transhipped from the Niagara, are missing:— Messrs. C. A. Learovd, W. Bailey, Suthorst, and G. H.'Turton; Mr. Mrsi. and Master Neville, and Mrs. Wickham. Mrs. Learoyd and ller maid were saved. WHAT WILL AMERICA DO? PROSPECTS OF REPRISALS DISCDSSED ..." "HOW WILL GOING TO WAR MEND MATTERS"? „ , , „ Washington, May 9. Senators closely m touch with President Wilson assert that there is no chance of the United States making war- on Germany. One reason is that the "United States is unable to dispatch an army to Europe, and another that the United States navy, would find nothing to do owing to tho British bottlinsr up the German fleet. Senator Borah asserted: "When Americans wero killed and robbed in Mexico, the TJmted States regarded it calmly: Is it likely therefore that she will do anything in face of a similar occurrence on the Lusitania?" TWO SUGGESTED FORMS OF REPRISAL FACILITATE WAR SUPPLIES, OR EJECT INTERNED VESSELS. (Rec. May 10, 9.40 p.m.) The '.'Daily Chronicle's" New York correspondent thinks" that" Wilson will not ask Congress to go to war with Germany, but may notify that Power that upon a recurrence of these attacks on non-combatants America will withdraw every restriction she has hitherto placed upon the supply of arms and ammunition, and will even facilitate it; or she may withdraw the hospitality now afforded Germany's shipping. ONLY 44 AMERICAN SURVIVORS. There arc forty-four Americans amongst tho survivors. '■ onl ' on, "GREATEST MURDER THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN." (Rec. May 10, 8.10 p.m.) "It is the greatest murder the world has ever known, Kessler, of the "Champagne Ring," who was amongst the survivor's "but what can America do? How will going to war mend matters?" ' DEPRESSION IN NEW YORK. . , , ... m New York, May 9. lhere is much depression throughout the city. The American liner Philadelphia, however, departed for Europe with her cabins full. SUGGESTED BOYCOTT OF EVERYTHING GERMAN. Mr. Shoninger, President of the American Chamber of interview, said the Chamber would consider the question of reprisals and the boycotting of everything German. EXTRA SESSION OF CONGRESS CONVENED FIERCE DENUNCIATIONS IN NEW YORK PRESS. (Rec. May 11, 0.40 a.m.) » t cr. • , , , NeW YOrk l 9 - Au extra session of Congress is to bo held to appropriate an extra 250,000,000 dollars to put the country in a condition to protect her rights as a neutral civilised Power. Germany is generally described as tho "Madman of Europe." It is suggested neutrals should combine to bring him up. -Noiv \ork Tribune demands that Germany should renounce lier policy of assassination, otherwise she must be forced thereto, not to avenge tho dead, but to defend the living. - Mr. Wickersham, ex-Attornoy-Gone ral, appeals to the people of the United States to abandon their present senseless policy, and cancel their relations with Germany. The Herald says that the gravity of the situation has not been matched in American history since the Civil War. This colossal cold-blooded outra«o will cause such a blinding white light of indignation in the neutral world that there cannot conceivably bo any thought of Washington's turnin" back from the Note of February 10, ° BERNSTORFF'S WARNING OF THE ATTACK GERMAN SATISFACTION AT THE CRIME. New York, Alav 9. Count Bernstorff s warning, mention of which was made on -May 2, reappeared in tnc newspapers. Many people in Washington receired letters from officials in Germany asserting that Friday had been fixed for the sinkinc of tha Lusitania.. Count Drfnotorft hid in »n hotel, with, giurdr. at hit. door, *hsK tlu .news a.mv« 4.