The Tulsa star. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1913-1921, 1914-11-21
TAPS COMES To LORD ROBERTS
GREATEST SOLDIER Of THE EMPIRE
AUDxCIoUs GOES 70 THE BOTTOM
SUNK OFF COAST OF lRELANl
OCTOBER 27.
Entire Crew Saved by Steamer oly'
pic Which Goes to Rescue;
Disaster Kept Secret.

New York.-Rumors OF disaster TO
the British superdreadnaugh Audac'
ious. which have persisted ever since
the White Star liner Olympic diverted
from her course, arrived at Lough
Swilly, on October 20, are confirmed
In mail advices received by the Asso'
ciated Press from a point In Ireland.
After a career OF less than two
years, the Audacious OF the King
George V class-third in tonnage and
armament OF his majesty's warships
lies at the bottom of the ocean of
the north coast of Ireland. She was
hit by a torpedo or disabled by
mine just before o'clock on the
morning Of october q. With the pos.
sible exception of one or two men,
the whole crew of 500 officers and
men was rescued by small boats from
the Olympic.
The battleship's cry .or assistance
was caught by the wireless operator OF
the Olympic, which was only about
NNh hlONdul. Ht hltdIltT
forward at full speed, while her crew
made ready for the work. Volunteers
were called for and double the number
necessary to man the lifeboats re.
sponded. The crippled battleship was
reached few minutes after 8 o'clock
and before noon all but 100 Of her
men had been taken off.
By that time the battleship had a
decided list at the stern, where just
below the water line, she had received
her wound.
cable was given her, but II
snapped as 1t tlghtened. Meantime,
the bulkheads began to give way. The
cruiser Liverpool and several other
warships which had come up, stood
by. Late in the day IL was decided
to abandon the Audacious and the Of
flcers and men who had remained
aboard reluctantly left her.
The flotilla OF rescue ships continued
to stand by, however, until o'clock
that evening, when a terrific explosion
occurred, the Audacious plunged stern
first and disappeared.
The explosion is supposed TO have
been caused by shells set loose by the
listing Of the hattleship. A bit of arm
orplate killed gunner on the Liver.
pool.
The Audacious met her fate twenty
fire miles off the Irish coast, which
the Olympic was skirting. The liner
sailed from New York for Glasgow on
october 21. She had been warned that
there were German mines off Tory
island and fear of these mines was
the official explanation when she put
into Lough Swllly. From October 27
to November 2 the Olympic lay at
Lough Swilly, during which time no
one but naval officers were allowed 70
board her. An immediate investiga.
ton Of the loss of the battleship was
begun. Charles NJ. Schwab was the
only passenger who left the Olympic
before it docked at Belfast on No
vember 2.
Secrecy regarding the loss of the
Audacious was enjoined upon the crew
anu passengers or the Olympic, pend
ing complete investigation. The crew
OF the Audaclous was removed from
the liner as soon as warships for the
purpose were available.
The destruction of the Audacious IA
the most serious single loss suffered
by the British navy since the opening
OF histilities. Only a few British war
ships outranked her in size and fight.
ing equipment.
The Audacious had a displacement
OF $4,000 tons and was 500 feet in
length. Her armament consisted OF
ten 1S. .5-inch guns, sixteen 4.inch
guns, four three-pounders. with three
21inch torpedo tubes. In her trials
she developed a speed OF PA knots
an hour being slightly faster under
trial than the other vessels OF her
class.