Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1915-08-25
Is AMERICANS ON
BIG BRITISH LINER
SUNK BY SUBMARINE
Arabic Reported Torpedoed With
out Warning.
48 LIVES ARE BELIEVED LOST
Company Says 375 Survive and That
Only Six Passengers Perished-
Giant Craft Blown Up Near
Scene of Lusitania Disaster.

London, Aug 20.-A wireless mes
sage received from the warship which
is towing the Arabic's boat to Queens
town, says there were twenty-five
Americans in the second cabin and
three in the steerage.
London, Aug. 2O.-Another great
transatlantic steamship carrying
Americans among her passengers was
sunk yesterday by German subma-
Fine within a few miles Of the spot
where the liner Lusitania lies char
mel wreck at the bottom of the sea.
The victim of the torpedo was the
Arabic of the White Star line. She
went down in II minutes after being
hit.
How many persons suffered death
in this disaster has not been positive
ly determined The latest statement
issued by the steamship company indi-
Gates that only 40 lives were lost, but
other reports make the number larger.
Reports Six Passengers Lost.
The White Star announcement says
there were 423 persons, including the
crew, aboard the Arabic, of whom 375
were saved 1t adds that only six
passengers were lost.
A dispatch from Queenstown an
uounces that 369 survivors have been
landed at that port and that so were
lost.
The number of Americans aboard
the Inflated liner is in doubt. A dis
patch from Liverpool declares there
were 26. The White Star line has
given out a list containing II names.
Second Steamship Torpedoed.
The British steamship Dunsley was
torpedoed presumably by the same
submarine, in the same region off the
south coast of Ireland. She man
aged TO remain aflOat, and immediate
ly began rescuing survivors of the
Arabic. Her accommodations were
ample for all who were aboard the
other vessel.
Capt VIII Finch, a lieutenant Of
the royal navy reserve, was in COM
mand of the Arabic which flew the
British flag, and was outward bound
from Liverpool for Boston. He ca
bled the White Star officials from
Queenstown that the Arabic was tor
pedoed without warning.
Raises Question for Wilson.
This fact is considered significant,
but whether it brings the disaster
within the category Of President Will
sons announcement to Germany that
a repetition of the Lusitania incident
would be regarded as IAN unfriendly
act" is a question British officials
and the American embassy attaches
do not care to discuss. Chief atten-
ton is being devoted to the question
Of the maximum loss of life
There is a rumOr that the Arabic
carried a large amount of British gold
to pay for war supplies bought in
America, but this is unveriied.
Many Take to Boats.
The Arabic, which left Liverpool
Wednesday, was torpedoed at 9:15
a. m. off Fastnet, an island about four
miles south of Cape Clear, south coast
of Ireland.
First reports were that all the pas
sengers and crew had been rescued
by another steamer. Subsequently,
however, it was reported that the
Arabic had gone down in II minutes,
raising the question whether it would
have been possible to rescue all on
board in that brief time.
An early message to the White
Star company said that fifteen or six
teen boatloads were making for
Queenstown. From this the COM
pany inferred that most of the pas
sengers and crew were saved.
Picked Up by sloop.
A late dispatch to Lloyd's from
Queenstown said that the crew and
passengers of the Arabic put off in IL
boats and were picked up by sloop
which was proceeding to Queenstown.
The message added that the Arabic
was torpedoed without warning and
that she sank II minutes later.
When nine hours had elapsed after
the sinking of the steamship. the fate
Of the persons on board was unknown
in London or Queenstown.
The word from Queenstown then
was that it was feared there had been
great loss of life. On the other hand,
dispatches received by two news
agencies in London said that apparent
ly the greater part of those on board
had been saved.
Hope Pinned on DunsIey.
Main hope was pinned on the report
that a steamship was proceeding to
Queenstown with about four hundred
persons on board.
A report from the British steamer
cold ha DvrnuIox~