The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-08

from Galley Head: Several boats,
apparently survivors. southeast nine
miles from here; n Greek steamer IL
proceeding TO assist" Other port I,
sent word of the twenty small boats.
which could carry perhaps 500 ler
sons in n very calm sea. Hut no one
could tell how many were In them
or how many had been picked up 10y
the rescuing ships
\ great fleet was rushed " Of
Queenstown. hut they had about
twenty seven miles to- go and must
arrive too late io be of any Use EXCEPT
To- facilitate the carrying If tn"
wounded {" the hospital. II was
hoped early that everybody ahoarG
the ship had been saved. The Cunard
company representatives were mos
optimistic after receiving the first
bulletins They had heard that .hr
ship had iloHtcd twelve hours atte,
She was hit ana had been hearhed h,
her captain.
"All are saved" WAS the message
sent out ~ that time and that an.
nnuncement was greeted with cheers
Then came the later news. When ship
ping men heard half hour" they
shook their heads and whispered
among themselves that ,oss of life
WAS inevitable. They could not soc
how human beings could Ice rescue /
or rescue themselves In that short
space of time. II was not until :
O'Clock In the afternoon or later Tire,
hours after the disaster. that Ion.
don received definite word of what
had occurred. Then n rcSIru>hl"
person at kinsHi" who had received
direct word from the scene tple.
graphed;
The Lusitauia WAS sunk 10y a sub.
marine NJ = ,a3 this afternoon. cjsh;
miles south by west Of Old Head ~
kuSale.'
Queenstown then sent message .
Despatch from old Head begins .
Large steamer Just arrived in VI.
entity apparently rendering assist
ance. Tugs patrolllng sca Now On
the spot taking boats in tow. MOTOR
fishing boats. with two of l.usitanin' :
boats. hcarin. probably for kinSale
harhnr
There were reports then ~ rescue
boats bearing Ia this and 10 that port.
hut nothing definite yet until the Cork
newspaper sent message at ~
O'Clock last night saying that 800 had
been landed at 'lonakii;y, al pa
sengers
The Admiralty threw the first I,otc
of forebodlng. 80 far HS human He
was concerned, early last cvcuin.
Their official messages had pre-
cedcnce of all others. and they knew
Their statement was:
There is hope that many have heHu
saved"
\ little later the tnnard company
issued n statement of the same tenor.
and the great crowds in the street
waiting for the newspapers or for hul.
lctins quletcd. They knew then thar
war had taken another toll of the non
comhatants. Thcrcupon the question
uppermost was: "Wcrc any Ameri.
cans lost and what will the United
States say now" They could get
nothing satisfactory from any source.
ana III" newspapers themselves wc-o
only u little better off.
EAGER to Gct Facts.
Efforts to Use the telephone we're
of no better use than he telegraph.
The word was 10 come out rs the
censor wanted II ~ come an, that d.
all London had last night or has n, :
morning.
10 II fair To say. however. that the
British Government, rs well ~ the
Cunard company, is making every Of.
fort 10 get the exact fac!S, They
may not make any statement for
some hours, hil when II ONES il will
b" rs comprehensive as II tnn he
made, The one big mystery last night
and now is what occurred. II Is
known that the Lusilania closed
every watertighl compartment and
bulkhCnd the moment she came within
the German war zone.
The news Of the sinking of the
luSitania came as II great shock. Tn
III $40 this afternoon the principal
item on the newspaper placardS was
the compromise agreed Ia by Chan
ccllor Lloyd George on the proposed
liquor taxes,
suddenly the words "Lusltnnia
sunk" were flashed from Cnckspur
street. whore the West End cfticea nj
the ''inarh Line are located The de-
serted windows were pnstrrrd with
signs reading, "Iusitania sails May
10, gao J., NJ" Inside were n few
| reporters who heard the news at
4'30. hut the Cunard officials had
not heard n word.
As by magic then the street was
jammcd aud the office thronged with
....,