Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-04-29
Cruiser Leon Gambetta Had
No Warning Of Nearnese I
of Torpedo Boat
ONLY 1856 OF CREW
OF ia SAVED
Admiral and All Other Officers IssS-
Survivors Picked Up Aftsr os,ws II
Water For Hours-Many Wounded
BY Esp'osion-cruissr on pasrsJ
Duty at Time Of Attaek-Fr;scdly
4 - ~ Hasten to Rescue.

Rome. April 29.-The bodies OF ftftys
six of the men who lost their livAs
when the French cruiser Leon Cams
oetta was torpedoed by an Austrian
submarine in the strait OF Otranto.
were buried with full naval honosa
at Santa Maria Leuca this afternoon.
The funeral was arragned by officers Of
the Italian torpedo boat destroyer,
Residents OF the neighborhood Joined
the Italian sailors In attending ths ser.
vices at the cemetery.
II Is said the Gambetta had on board
IA men. AS 1876 members Of the crew
were saved, this would mako the losa
Of life SIS. The cruiser has a displace-
ment OF 1916 tons.
The Official statement indicates the
attack was made in Italian waters, but
dispatch from Brindisi says this
question has not been decided.
Sought to elookads Strait,
From information gathered from Va.
rious survivors who have reached
Brindisi. It Is possible to construct the
story OF the disaster az follows:
The Leon Gambetta parted companN
with the French cruiser Jules Ferry
Tuesday night to cross the Strait oa
Otranto with view Of co-oporatinD
with other French ships in an attempt
to block the Austrian feet II Il should
seek to leave the Adriatic.
The Leon Gambe:ta for months had
been going up and down the coast
from Cape Santa Maria Leuca to Hrin-
dist. Bari. or across to Corfu and Val.
Iona.
The sea was perfectly calm and the
moon shone brightly. Atho the 1ssonl
Gambetta showed no NgAts and
adopted the other custUensry peUctuSl
tons. there was no suspicion 0f lans
ger. ~, =,
Torpsdosd Without Warnins.
At midnight the warship was ahoue
twenty miles from Cape Santa Maria
Leuca. The lookout could SEQ distinctly
the lights on the Italian coast. At seo
nothing appeared on the horizon.
Suddenly therp was q fearful *.
plosion. which shook the cruiser fore
and aft. Officers and men remained
calm. and. the survivors say, their FIRST
thought was not for their own safety,
but rather to detect and attack their
assailant. They scanned the sea for q
periscope. but in vain.
AS the cruiser was listing rapidly.
the commander gave orders that sig-
nails for help be sent out and that the
boats be lowered. 1t proved to be most
difficult to lower the boats, owing 70
the position OF the ship in the water.
Some Of the men leaped overheard In
the bare hope OF saving themselves.
Others We're washed off the deck. Tho
commander altho urged to abandon his
ship. refused to do 90.
Italians Rush 70 Rescue.
The first report Of the destruction Of
the cruiser came from tho men on
duty at the semaphore station Of Santa
Maria Leuca. These men at once gave
the alarm, and vessels we're sent out to
the aid Of the Leon Qambetta from
Brindisi, Taranto, Otranto. and Bari.
The men at the station also went out
in their own boat. and were the first
to reach the scene.
Most OF the men picked up were
without clothing, as they had been
asleep when the attack came.
They were taken from tho water In .
pitiful condition. Some were wounded
and others were almost unconscious.
while all suffered trom exposure.
Those OF the crew who have been
brought ashore are receiving medical
care and supplies for the survivors
are being sent to Taranto and Brindisi.
Destroyer 10 in Doubt.
1t had not been definitely decided
which OF the Austrian submarines sank
the Gambetta. A dispatch from Vienna
says 1t was the US. commanded by
Lieut.. George Ritter Won Trapp. but
the US was seen by Italian fishermen
near the scene on Monday afternoon.