The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-05-19

on the port side and heard Second
Oficer Hefford call out: Here's a
torpedo
II ran to the other side and saw
clearly the wake Of a torpedo.
Smoke and steam came up between
the last two tunnels. There was a
slight shock Immediately after the
first explosion there was another
report, but that may possibly have
been internal.
II at once gave the order to low
er the boats down to the rails. and
directed that women and children
should get into them"
II also had all the bulkheads
closed,' Captain Turner continued.
Between the time of passing Fast
net at about IL o'clock and of the
torpedoing saw no sign whatever
of any submarines. There was
some haze along the Irish coast,
and when we we're near Fastnet 4
slowed down to Is knots. | was In
wireless communication with shore
all the way across"
Captain Turner was asked wheth-
er he had received any messages in
regard to the presence of subma-
rines off the Irish coast. He re-
piled in the Affirmative. Question
ed in regard to the nature of the
message, he replied:
II respectfully refer you to the
Admiralty for an answer.
II also gave orders to stop the
Ship" Captain Turner continued,
"but we could not stop. We found
that the engines were out of COM
mission. 1t was not safe to lower
the boats until the speed was Off
the vessel. AS matter of fact.
there was a perceptible Roadway on
her up to the time she went down.
when she was struck she was
listed to starbOard. | stood on the
bridge when she sank and the Lusi-
tania went down under me. She
floated about IS minutes after. the
torpedo struck her. My watch stop
ped at 2:36. was picked up from
among the wreckage and afterward
was brought aboard trawler.
mo warship was vonvoying us.
III saw no warship, and none was re-
ported to me as having been seen.
At the time l was picked up | no
ticed bodies floating on the surface,
but saw no living persons"
Eighteen knots was not the nor
NAL speed of the Lusitania, was it?''
cat ordinary times" answered
Captain Turner, "she could make
LIS knots, but in war times her
speed was reduced to 81 knots. My
reason for going Is knots was that
wanted to arrive at Liverpool bar
without stopping and within two OF
three hours of high water"
| WAS there a lookout kept fol-
submarines. having regard to pre-
vious warnings?"
"Yes, we had double lookouts.'
Were you going zig-zag course
at the moment the torpedoing took
placer"
mo, it was bright weather and
land was clearly visible"
/ "Was it possible for a submarine
to approach without being seen?'
"Oh, yes, quite possible"
Something has been said regard
ing the impossibility of launching
the boats on the port side?"
YES" said Captain Turner, "ow-
ing to the listing of the ship"
"How many boats were launched
safely?"
II cannot say"
"Were any launched safely?"
Eyes, and one or two on the
port side"
Were your orders promptly car
ried out?"
eyes"
WAS there any panic on board?'
mo, there was no panic at all. II
was almost calm"
"How many persons were on
board?"
There were 1900 passengers
and about 800 crew.
BY the foreman of the jury: "In
the face of the warnings at New
York that the Lusitania would be
torpedoed, did you make any appli-