The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-05-13

Queenstown. - Twenty-three miles
from this port, as the crow flies, an
irregular smear of f1otsam on a calm
sea marks the grave Of the Cunarder
Lusitania, first Transatlantic liner
sunk by German submarine. One
hundred and forty-nine of 1900 souls
who perished with her lie in impro-
vised morgues in old buildings border
ing Queenstown harbor. They either
were picked up dead or succumbed
after landing The 645 survivors here
are Quartered in hotels, residences
and hospitals, some too badly hurt to
be moved. Two groups left town clad
in misfit clothing, bound for Dublin by
rail and thence by boat to Holy Head.
The injuries of many are so serious
that additional deaths are expected,
and nearly all are too dazed to under
stand fully what has happened. THE
only problem now is to identify the
nameless dead" Thus Superintend-
ent Dodd, of the Cunard Co., dashed
any lingering hope that there might
be further survivors of the Lusitania.
So far as can be ascertained, about
700 persons escaped when the Lusi-
tania took her fatal plunge after
being struck by German torpedoes,
but Of these As have since died of ex-
posure or from injuries. The death
roll, as estimated here, totals we'll up
to 1900.
The survivors do not agree as to
whether the submarine fired one or
two torpedoes. A few say they saw
a periscope, though many attest to
tracing the wake of foam as a pro-
jectile came toward the vessel. The
only points in which all concur is that
the torpedo struck the vessel vital
blow amidships, causing her to list al
most Immediately to the starboard. In
this careening fashion she ploWed for
ward some distance, smashing the life
boats davits as she did so and max
ing the launching of boats we'll night
impossible until headway had ceased.
How far the Lusitania struggled for
ward after being struck and how long
it was before she disappeared beneath
the waves likewise are points upon
which few passengers agree, estimates
of the time she remained at1oat rang
ing from to 20 minutes.
List Prevents Launching of Boats.
At any rate, the list to starboard so
elevated the lifeboats on the port side
as soon to render them useless, and
it is said only two on that side were
launched.
The first of these, according to the
custom of the sea, was filled with
women and children. 1t struck the
water unevenly, capsizing and throw
ing it's 60 occupants into the sea. The
Lusitania even then was making con
siderable headway, and the women
and little children were swept to death
in spite of the attempts of two sto
kers to rescue them. These heroic
men, according to the passengers
were drowned.
After that several boats were
launched successfully, but the steam
SI llSI SIS" lllOIS pei lOuSy luC uGGhi
slanting to such an angle that it wal
imperative for all to cling to the star
board rail. Many by this time hac
donned life belts and jumped for it
Several lifeboats broke adrift unoccu
pied, and the sea became a froth o
oars, chairs, debris and bodies.
Saved by Two Stokers.
Two stokers, seeing drifting life
boat, dived overheard, recovered i
and pulled in nearly 40 persons, most
ly women.
The Lusitanias crew meanwhile ad
hered to the letter to the instruction.
which had been given them, and th
discipline was rigid, although one o
two subordinate officers are said t
have told a group of passengers whit
had climber into boat that there wa
no immediate danger, and advises
them to remain on deck a whil
longer
Whether this was due to the fac
that these subordinates lost thei
heads, or to their conviction that tn
ships bulkheads would save her, nev
er will be determined, but that sucl
an incident occurred is attested b,
Ernest Townley, a resident of Surbi