Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-05-10
MUCH CONFUSION BUT NO PANIC
ON BOARD WHEN ToRPE.
DOES HIT.
WOMEN WITH BABES
CROWD TOWARD soATs
impossible TO Launch Port Boats Be.
cause Of Jamnnins When Big Liner
Listed-oreat Ship shuddsrsd When
Struck and Sank Within a Few Min
utes-Reseuers Come Too Late.

Queentown, May I'D. A Thomas.
the Welsh colliery owner, who was
among the saved on the Lusitania, told
a succinct story of his experiences. He
said:
I'VE were at luncheon when sudden
ly the vessel was stopped shook from
tenn to stern with The force Of an ex-
plosion well forward that seemed to
throw her on her beam ends. we hau
not believed it possible that an attack
would be made upon us, hut there was
no, a passenger who did not realize
that the unexpected had happened. The
explosion was followed by another
equally forcible and the big steamer
shuddered and almost Immediately be-
gan to list to port.
All Rush For Stations.
"Officers and men rushed for their
stations almost without orders and the
work of clearing the boats was begun.
There was little panic so far as couio
see; every one was too 5azed to reailze
just what actually was happening. FOR
a few minutes we believed that the
stories of the safety Of the big liner
would prove true and that she would
stay afioat, but the constantly increas-
ing list showed that this hope was
vain.
Try to Pacify Passengers.
Many of the passengers ran mere
and there about the decks, altho Cap
tain Turner and his officers tried their
best to pacify them. Many OF the
women, however, We're hystericai ana
some of them, with infants In their
arms, caught at the fastentnss OF the
boats and l1ampered the launching. Al
together ten boats were finally swung
off. Lady Macworth wes picked up
after she had been IN the
water for three hours. We mad no
warning and the big steamer sank
within twelve or fifteen minutes after
we were first hit
TT was a dastardly outrage. deserv-
ing the condemnation of the entire CIV
ilized world
1T was a beautiful sunshiny day.
The sea was smooth and to that Is
due the fact that every one was saved.
Had the water been rough or IT been
night, every one would have been lost.
Doubts Port Boats Launched.
Il doubt very much whether any OF
tho port side boats We're launched.
They were in such position that they
could not be swung over the sides. The
steamer was headed for the shore the
moment the explosion occurred. Cap
tain Turner stuck to the bridge to the
last and was picked out of the water
three hours after :he Lustania foun-
dered.'
Ernest Cooper. a newspaper man
from Toronto, who was among the
rescued, said:
2 II am afraid that many of the boats
could not be cut away in time. Inc
vessel sank very fast and carried many
people down with her. There naturally
was come confusion, but ! saw no real
panic. There were large number OF
women and about forty children in the
second cabin who were under l year
old"
Lifeboats damned.
When the passengers did realize that
the Lusitania was doomed. they founo
that most Of the boats on the port SIDE
were so damned, because OF the great
list of the vessel, that they could not
be lowered and the last seen OF them
by the more fortunate passengers VINO
had secured places on the starboard
boats, or who had jumped overheard
and had been picked up, they were
lined on the sloping decks awaiting
their fate, doubtless even then be-
Iieving that with land close, they
would still be saved.
Great Liner Sinks Swiftly.
However, the torpedoes had torn such
gaping holes in the liner that she did
not remain afioat for more than TWEEN
ty minutes, and the call for help
which the wireless sent out. altho an
swered quickly. could not bring the
rescuing steamers to the spot in time
to be of any service. There Is much
difference of opinion as to how many
torpedoes struck the ship and as to
whether an explosion of her boilers
followed. In fact, after the first tor
pedo hit the Lusitania forward. the
crew was busy getting to the stations
and the passengers who escaped IN
getting to the boats and providing
themselves with life belts. In snip
ping circles and among many OF those
saved, the impression prevails thai
more than one German submbarine at