The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1915-04-01
GERMANS TORPEDO
TWO LINERS, 1856
PERSONS DROWNED
10 Are Missing After Steamer
FaIaba Is Sunk.
26 LOST WITH THE AGUILA
Teuton Submarine Sends Missile Into
Vessel Before Boats Can Be
q Launched-Three Smashed
Against Side of ship.

Launched-Three Smashed
Against Side of Ship.
London, March S0.-Reports official
ly confirmed by the admiralty state
that two British liners have been tor
pedoed and sunk by German subma-
rines and a 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 1876 persons
are missing. The crew of the Dutch
steamer was saved. One of the Ger
man raiders was recognized as the
U.2S.
London, March 30.---The African
liner Falaba, carrying 140 passengers,
was torpedoed and sunk of Milford
haven, the admiralty announced. She
Is the first big passenger.carrying
liner to fall victim to German subma-
rine 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 100 have been landed at Car
diff.
Several Killed by Explosion.
Officials OF the Elder line here pri.
vately expressed the fear that many
of the liners crew went down with
her when she was sunk by 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
or drowned when the Aguila was tor.
pedoed off Bishop islands, according
to a dispatch received here from
Fishguard The submarine command
err gave the crew four minutes IN
which to leave the ship, but shot q
torpedo while the boats were being
put over the sides. The chief en-
gineer and the boatswain we're instant
ly killed by the explosion and II 9th,
ers were killed outright or were
thrown into the water and drowned
The Falaba left Liverpool on Satur.
day for the west coast If Africa. Be
sides her $40 passengers she carried
crew of 120 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 a torpedo struck the ship near
the engine-room.
Many Thrown Into Sea.
Three of the Falabas lifeboats wero
sWamped. Many persons aboard the
vessel we're thrown into the sea,
where they struggled while the sub,
marine circled about, offering, accord
ing to stories told by those rescued,
peared on the scene and saved many
of the passengers and crew. Captain
Davis of the liner was picked up dead.
Confirmation of the report of the
torpedoing of the Falaba reached the
admiralty few minutes after the
word that the British steamer Aguila
had been torpedoed off the southwest
coast OF Wales. The Aguila was at.
tackled within fifty miles of the spot
where the submarine shot her tor.
pedo against the big liner Her cap.
tain and twenty-five of her crew land
ed at Fishguard.
| No Time for Escape.
1t was shortly after noon when the
captain Of the Falaba sighted the
periscope OF submarine off Milford
Haven. Almost Immediately the sub.
marine appeared above the surface
and signaled the Falaba to lower her
boats.
The passengers, or most OF them,
were in the dining ROOM" said one OF
the survivors. Orders were given
for the boats to be lowered, but be.
fore this could be done the submarine
shot torpedo against the ship. strik.
ing near the engine.room
"A heavy sea was running and
three Of the first boats put over were
swamped and their occupants thrown
into the water. The other boats, in
spite of the danger OF their being
capsized, rowed to the aid of those
struggling in the water Meanwhile
the submarine was circling around
the spot without making any effort
to aid. saw part OF the submarine
crew actually laughing at us. The
submarine finally diyed and disap.
peared."
The Falaba was considerably larger
than most of the British merchant.
men which have been sunk by Ger.
man submarines. She is $50 feet long
and her net tonnage was SOIL. She
belonged to the Elder line and was
owned in Liverpool.
| The admiralty believes that the
4 -. a..