The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1915-04-01
GERMANS TORPEDO
TWO LINERS, 1888
PERSONS DROWNED
40 Are Missing After Steamer
FaIaba Is Sunk.
rs LOST WITH THE AGUILA
I euton Submarine Sends Missile into
Vessel Before Boats Can Be
Launched-Three Smashed
Against Side of Ship.

Against Side of Ship.
LONDON, March 30.-Reports ofhclal
ly confirmed by the admiralty state
that two British liners have been tor
pedoed and sunk by German subma-
rines and Dutch steamer sent to the
bottom in a German mine field during
the past As hours. OF the passengers
and crew of the two liners 1873 persons
are missing. The crew of the Dutch
steamer was saved. One of the Ger
man raiders was recognized as the
U-2S.
The African liner Falaba, carrying
$40 passengers, was torpedoed and
sunk off Milfordhaven, the admiralty
announced. She is the first big pas
senger-carrylng liner to fall victim to
German submarine attacks.
Dispatches to her owners indicated
that the death list of the African liner
Falaba may mount above 100, In
Guiding more than forty passengers.
A telegram from Cardiff said that 62
first-class and "a second-class passen-
gers have been saved and that moth
ing Is known of the fate of nearly
fifty more passengers Only forty
six members of the Falaba's crew OF
nearly 12O have been landed at Car
diff.
Several Killed by Explosion.
Officials of the Elder line here pri-
hn ms N
of the liners crew went down with
her when she was sunk by a German
torpedo. Several are known to have
been killed by the explosion that
wrecked her engine-room. 1t is now
believed that other boatloads of pas
sengers and crew were thrown into
the water by the capsizing of their
boats and went to the bottom.
Thirteen men of the crew of the
Liverpool steamer Aguila were killed
pedoed off Bishop islands, according
to a dispatch received here from
Fishguard. The submarine command
er gave the crew four minutes in
which to leave the ship, but shot a
torpedo while the boats were being
put over the sides The chief en-
gineer and the boatswain were instant
ly killed by the explosion and II 9th
ers were killed outright or were
thrown into the water and drowned
Tne Falaba left Liverpool on Satur-
day for the west coast Of Africa. Be-
sides her 40 passengers she carried
crew of 1870 men. Her officers state
that when the German submarine ap-
peared it whistled thrice as a signal
for the steamer to perpare her life
boats, but that before this could be
done torpedo struck the ship near
the engne-room.
Many Thrown Into Sea.
Three of the Falaba's lifeboats were
swamped. Many persons aboard the
vessel were thrown into the sea,
where they struggled while the sub
marine circled about. offering, accord
ing to stories told by those rescued,
no assistance. fishing.boat APP
peared on the scene and saved many
of the passengers and crew. Captain
Davis of the liner was picked up dead
Passengers Describe Sinking of Ship
Liverpool. March 30,-William Nc
Lelly Of London, a passenger on the
Falaba describing the sinking Of that
ship by a German submarine said on
his arrival here:
Everyone on board became excited
when 1t became known that a subma-
rine was near and the passengers
crowded on deck. The captain of the
falaba put on full steam but very
soon IL became evident that we had
no chance of getting away from the
enemy, Three quarters of an hour
after We sighted the submarine she
was within hailing distance Of us.
She appeared to be one of the latest
and biggest boats and was carrying
good sized gun which was trained
on the Faaba.
'hs soon as the submarine got near
rs the commander sent up a rocket.
| Then coming nearer he ordered our
| captain to get every passenger into
| the boats at once, saying in good
English I am going TO sink the
ship
Then followed a terrible scene.
| Some Of the boats were swamped
and the occupants thrown into the
sea, several being drowned almost
Immediately One man whom | aft
erwards met was picked up after be-
ing in the water an hour
Barely ten minutes after we re-
ceived the order to leave the ship and
before the last boat was lowered, /
heard report and saw our vessel
heel over. The pirates had actually
fired torpedo at her at a range OF
100 yards when they could distinctly
see large number of the passengers
and crew, including the captain, the
purser and other officers, still on
board II was dastardly thing TO do
nothing but murder In cold blood
THE Falaba soon went to the bot
tom. Without waiting to see how we
Jared in the boats the submarine
made off In the direction from which
she had come
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