The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1915-05-14
KAISER WILHELM
CHARGED Or MURDER
EMPEROR AND SUBMARINE OFF.
GERS ARE HELD RESPONSIBLE
BY CORONER'S JURY.
ONLY ONE TORPEDO HIT MARK
Captain Turner Declared the Second
Explosion Was An Internal
One.

London.-The LuSitania was struck
by only one torpedo, according to the
testimony of Captain Turner Of the
steamer at the cOroner's inquest at
Ninsale But this deadly missile
found a vital spot and sent the liner
with more than a thousand souls to
the bottom in less than 20 minutes
The evidence of Captain Turner ant
that of other members of the crew
led the jury to bring verdict OF
wholesale murder against the Ger
man emperor and his government ami
the officers of the submarine that sunk
, the Lusitania-
It was disclosed by Captain Turner
and by Winston Spencer Churchill,
first lord of the Admiralty in state
ment in the House of Commons, that
the captain had received wireless al
vices from the Admiralty warning of
submarines In the liners course Cap
tain Turner testified he had followed
this advice ito the best of my ability"
| Captain Turner in declaring that
one torpedo did all the damage, said
the second explosion the passengers
heard was an internal one and that
the engines having been put out of
commission it was impossible to stop
the Lusitania and permit her boats
being lowered properly.
This idea of an internal explosion is
supported by naval experts who say
il the torpedo had exploded on con-
tact the steamer would have been or.
ly disabled or had one or two of her
compartments flooded. However, they
say, that if the torpedo penetrated the
hull and the charge Of APO pounds Of
explosive was detonated, it would have
created an effect similar to the explo-
sion Of magazine within ship.
There is little wonder therefore that
the Lusitania sank so rapidly. or that
so many persons were killed by the
fumes of the explosive.
As to why no naval escort accom-
panied the Lusitania, Mr.. Churchill ex-
planned that the policy of the Admiral
~ is that merchantmen must look af-
ter themselves. This is due to- the
fact that the Admiralty has not suffi-
Cinet destroyers to escort all merchant
ships. The destroyers are needed to
guard the continuous stream OF trans
ports from England to France and to
protect the English coast from German
sraids
Naval observers believe Germany is
trying to force England to use de-
stroyers to protect shipping. but that
they will not succeed.
All this, however, has not lessened
the anger of the people at the action
of Germany. In some towns where
the German population is large, riot!
ing has occurred. Business men have
decided to exclude all men of enemy
countries and naturaliIed Britishers
of German descent from the exchanges
Of the country.
Another effect Of the sinking of the
Lusitania has been to increase recruit
ing. Every recruiting Office report
ed that more men had presented
themselves than for weeks past This
also was helped by German air raid
en- South End and vicinity. The air.
men dropped 120 bombs, but only two
deaths resulted. An old woman was
killed in her bed and her husband,
who bad attempted to rescue her, died
from injuries receive in jumping from
4 window. The damage caused by fire
started by the bombs is estimated at
$4,000.