Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-07-18
TORPEDO FIRED AT
PASSENGER LINER
ON THE HIGH SEAS
German Submarine Attempts to Sink
Steamship 0rduna Sixteen
Hours Out of the Port Of
Liverpool.
SHOT MISSES BY TEN YARDS
Another Boat Comes to Surface and
Fires Several Shells, None of
Which Hit the Ship.
CAUSES SHOCK AT WASHINGTON

CAUSES SHOCK AT WASHINGTON
NEW YORK, July 1.-THE Brit
ish passenger liner Orduna, with 227
passengers aboard. twenty-one of
whom we're Americans, was attacked
without warning by a German sub
marine at o'clock in the morning
OF July 8, sixteen hours out Of Liver
pool, on its way to New York. An
nouncement of the attack was made
by the ships captain, Thomas Nc
Comb Taylor. and passengers when
the Orduna reached here today.
A torpedo was fired at the steamer
and missed it by ten yards. Twenty
minutes later a submarine rose to
the surface. possibly a different sub
marine from the one that launched
the torpedo, and for half an hour
thereafter pursued the steamer, fir
ing shells, which whistled over the
decks above the heads of passengers
standing there with their life belts
on.
Ten minutes before the attack a sail
ing ship with two American flags painted
on its side was seen ahead. Captain
Taylor became suspicious of this craft
and began maneuvering his ship Then
came the attack the first warning OF
which was the streak OF torpedo which
came through the water and missed the
Orduna's boy by ten yards or there
abouts.
Passengers Awakened.
Stewards ran below and aroused the
passengers With clothes hurriedly fast
enod haphazard they made for the upper
deck There they were assembled near
the bridge Life belts were adjusted and
lifeboats swung out The crew stood
ready to launch the boats; from a sub
marine off tho starboard quarter there
came a shell which kicked up a miniature
Reyser in the Orduna's wake. The CUB
marine had the range.
Captain Taylor turned the stern or
The ship toward the assailant and ordered
fun speed ahead. Within two to five
minutes another shell, this time passing
over the heads of the assembled passen-
gers was fired. AS 1t overshot the marx
its path was marked by rising volume
of water.
Several shells Fired.
A third shell passed overhead and &c
close that it seemed to clip hfeooat'
CAPTAIN Taylor ordered the passenger
IN so TO a lower deck. They obeyed ano
tha utet,oats were adjusted lower stu
so that the passengers might step into
them without delay. The shelling con-
tIrued shots falling about the steamer
at intervals of from two to tVe minutes
For about half an hour the suhmarlhe
nursued the liner with the span OF '5 "ate'
batween them widening each nlllu'o,
seven shots were fired in all. FouI VI
ther nassed over the decks Inc 0uioi
tbree fell close to the ship Iheh ul'
submarine, distanced, gave up ths oi"se =.
There were twenty-one Americans "
hoard the Orduna when 1t dooAeu SOueS
passengers say the submarine aN's0N "'
made without previous warrhhs.
William o. Thompson Oh es
counsel for the industrial relHtiohS 49,
mission of the United states was o..
ether of the Orduna's passehsei ~
saw the attack on that vessel =,
olared that he would write .sus .
washington setting forth V"e
the attack ,,
Douish BarOn WttnesseS
rho carly r,sers who had iett unel @
hartbs to enjoy the line morilne A.,
80. .,a oantain on the bridge wheh th'
-, hasan and witnessed the ehNl
oo,sode Among them was Baron MA 'Io1
poserLrauz of Denmark. VINO ma ~, ~,
Nc Rabie Loewe of Atlanta va -
Saroresa was with him on the trip' w
dId not witness the attack oa
"Ask the passengers what happeneu'
n.aI, ravlor said, when the oroull
dooked here today. II am av'ao av'a1oN..s
az roval naval reserve and the[eioi the
,o+ discuss the matter. ASK baio
Iaoserkrantz: he saw the whole INNS
oIout there is one question. Cap'al
ro,,,or that you can answer ana So0
clone Were you attacked without warn
ing2' .,,.h,ast warn
,,a ~ the attack" he replied. seSoh
that will say nothing"
paron Rosenkrantz, one OF sIou
.,.h che captain on the bridge descrloe
the attack in detail. -. +.
1--WE left Liverpool about S'OV o -" ;,
~. afternoon of Thursday July .,
ia AT 5s5 o'clock by my "aton |"
ct missile a torpedo was nre9,
- few minutes before that, ho"eVe
saw small sailing ship just ane'
u had>two American tiass pal'u'
on the side that was turned ,
was broadside to us ana seelIel =