LOST IN THE TUSCANIA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 50, 27 February 1918, Page 4

LOST IN THE TUSCANIA.

AMEBICANiS' GALLANTBY. LONDON, Feb. 12. The Tuscania, an American transport which was recently torpedoed near the. Irish Coast, was one of a powerful convoy, and had a smooth aiid prosperous passage until the calamity. ~ .; i The first intimation of danger was at , 4.30 in the afternoon, when all- th 6 ; men ~ ; wer e -ordered on deck ■■with lifebelts, and the ship's course was sharply al-V. tered. She was torpedoed on' the stafr •board side of the engineroctn at six- '; o'clock. Many of the troops "were be- ; low preparing supper. The periscope of the submarine was not seen; but a i inssinig sound was heard immediately,.. ! befor e the explosion. The ship was in- ' stantly disabled, and the lights went • OUL. ■';";'

The order rang out for the troops to go to the boat stations and get the lite-boats out. A second torpedo missed.

Naturally there was som e confusion but no panic, the troops behaving . splendidly. They hastened to boat stations. Some of the boats wer e blown up and others tangled in the 'tackle, faulty handling of th e boats throwing a number of men into the water. Before som e on board had grasped th e situation the destroyers dashed alongside. The S.O.S. soon. brought patrols and other craft to assist in the rescue, which was difficult, owing to the heavy list to starboard. The only two women aboard went down a rope into the first lifeboat. An American officer states that while, the ship was sinking h e was uncertain ■whether to go to the lifeboat. The sailors' cry—"We will trust John Bull's destroyers"—decided 1 him to stick to ,the ship. , The other ships of the convoy got through safely. "Th? Germans succeeded in -setting a fraction of our fine fellows." he said, 'but they will have put the iron into our souls, and we ■wi.l Other accounts- s-tat e that the ship immediately listed to starboard tremendously, arid that eight lafeboats on that side were blown up or useless. The troops and the British crew lined the decks. at attention, singing "My Country, 'Tis of Thee," and 'God Save the King.". . Numbers of survivors were suffering from shock, exposure and hurts. SomcT had been two hours in th e water, and were naked 1 when landed. A willing band of helpers, nurses, and doctors made them comfortable. The men. 1 recovered thedr spirits, and relatedjt-heir harrowing ...experiences and t miraculous escapes. '■'•--.: \- ' iVj'sForty had' jumped into a boat, wmcb. filled and sank-and' two survivors flotftr.ed for three hours en air oar and -a plank. An EmsHsh dok'iv recorded \it as his fifth ; t*me torpedoed. He wsi lifted' on top-.of the engines •b\ ™e-- n * rush of water; but cmng to the ladder and scrambled on:deck, dived, and was j saved. -'■.-'■' v * , y Five were found lashed to a ratt, three of them dead and two in a precarious conditions The flinging over Of collapsible rafts killed a numbeT struggling in the water. The survivors. hav e been taken to Glasgow. Some wer e six hours afloat on the rafts before being rucked ,ut». *fyver»l dvin* from exposure-. Almost all the American officers were saved. Th e Tuscania was the first inbound American transport to be sunk. American naval officials in London consider that the escort if as safe and efficient as humanly possible. The outstanding feeling is thankfulness that the losses were hot much' r. eater, the low figure-? indicating fine discipline and courage,, and wise, quick handling of the srtuaMr Page, American Ambassador, telegraphed to th e Mayor of Belfast, thanking him and the people for their ready help.