Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-07-22
PASSENGER Liner.
|ORDUNA ATTACKED,
ESCAPES U.BOkTS
British Passenger Vessel With
FL Americans on Board
Escapes Torpedo BY
Barely Ten Yards.
SEVEN SHELLS ARE FIRED
Shots From Submarine Barely
Miss Steamer Claim No
Warning of Attack Was
Given BY Assailants.
SEVEN SHELLS ARE FIRED

New York, July 19.--The British
passenger liner, Orduna, with 227 pass
engers aboard. 81 of whom We're Amert-
cans was attacked without warning by
a German submarine at 6 o'clock in the
morning of July o. 16 hours out of Liy-
erpool, on her way to New York. An
nouncement of the attack was made
by the ships captain, Thomas McComb
Taylor. and passengers, When the Or
duna reached here today.
A torpedo was fired at the steamer
and missed it by 10 yards. Twenty
minutes later, a submarine rose TO tne
surface. possibly a different submarine
from the one that launched the torpedo
and. for half an hour thereafter, pur-
sued the steamer, firing shells Whlch
whistled over the decks, above the
heads OF passengers standing there with
their life belts on. Ten minutes be-
fore the attack a sailing ship, with two
American flags painted on her sides,
was seen ahead. Captain Taylor became
suspicious of this craft and began ma
%neuyering his ship. Then came the at
tack. the first warning of which was
the streak of a torpedo, which whirled
through the water and missed the Or
dumas stern by 10 yards or there
aboutS.
Passengers Prepared.
SleWdIuS IlH DelOW aIla iboaSCS ~
passengers. With clothes hurriedly
fastened haphazard. they made for the
uppe deck. There they were assem-
bled near the bridge. Life belts were
adjusted and life boats swung out. The
crew stood ready to launch the boats.
From a submarine off the ~arboa
quarter there came a shell which licked
up a miniature geyser in the
wake. The submarine had the range.
Captain Taylor turned the stern OF
the ship toward the assailant and or
dered full speed ahead. Within from
two to five minutes another shell, this
time passing over the heads OF the as
sembled passengers was fired. As IL
overshot the mark, It's landing place
was marked by a rising column of wa
ter.
Shells Craze Steamer.
A third shell passed overhead and so
close that it seemed to clip a life boat,
Captain Taylor ordered the passengers
to go to n lower deck.
They obeyed and the life boats were
sengers might step into them without
delay. The Smelling continued, shots
falling about the steamer at inervals
OF from two to five minutes.
For about half an hour the submarine
pursued the liner with the span Of wa
ter between them frightening each
minute. Seven shots were fired In all.
Four of them passed over the decks.
The other three fell close to the ship.
Then the submarine. ~dfstanced, gave
up the chase.
Passengers say the submarine attack
was made without previous warning
The next day a meeting of the pas
scngers was held In the saloon and the
following resolution adopted by % OF
them was handed to Captain Taylor:
The first cabin passengers of the
steamer Orduna desire to xpres their
heartfelt appreciation and admiration
Of the mastery manner In which you
Unanswered and handled your steamer
tack made upon it on the morning of
July . at 6 o'clock by a German sub
marine"
The Orduna's passengers included
the baron and baroness Rosencrantz.
Lawrence Johnson, jr.. of Philadelphia:
Morz. of Winnipeg.
William O.. Thompson. of Chicago,
counsel for the industrial relations COM
mission Of the United States, was an
other of the Orduna's passengers who
saw the attack on the vessel. He41de-
clared that he would write a protest to
Washington. setting forth the details Of
the attack.
Vessel Had No Warning.
Early risers who had left their
berths to enjoy the fine morning were
with the captain on the bridge, when
the attack began and witnessed the
entire episode. Among them was Baron
Marcus R~osenkrantz, OF Denmark, VINO
married Miss Rebie Loewe, of Atlanta.
Ga. The baroness was with him on the
trip, but did not witness the attack.
Ask the passengers what happened"
Captain Taylor said, when the Orduna
dock ed here today. II am attached to
the royal naval reserve and therefore
cannot discuss the matter. Ask Baron
R~ozenkrantz. He saw the whole thing
But there is n question. Captain
Taylor. that you can answer, and you
alone. Were you attacked without
warning?"
Think Submarine Had Shield.
1--WE left Liverpool about 2:30 o'clock
on the afternoon of Thursday. the Sth,'
he said. cat 5:55 o'clock by my watch
the first missile, a torpedo was fired A
few minutes before that, however, we
saw a small sailing ship Just ahead OF
us. She had two American flags painted
On the side that was turned to us. She
was broadside to us and seemed to. be
beating up the wind. We could see her
over the bows.
Captain Taylor apparently became
suspicious of this boat. We noticed that
the course of the ship was immediately
changed so that the little vessel ahead
would be given a wide berth. 1 could
see hat we would pass far astern OF
her if we kept to the new course.
Some of those aboard believed thai
:. the sailing ship was hiding a ub1na
rine behind her. OF this can't say.
Thomas H. Graham. of Liverpool one
. of the passengers on deck at the time
interrupted Baron Rosenkrantz to- elk
press his firm conviction that such .Was
the case.
W passed the sailing ship at a con
siderable distance. Having done this
most OF US forgot her Baron Rosen-
krantz continued. "A few minutes aft
IT y ~, VIC 1,nl a 11rf& 1nr. hahiyplE n &fnnlrnf
through my glasses over the sea ana
: saw a white streak coming toward vi
! through the water. 1 wasn't sure q
!. first it was a streak, such as the WAKE
of a torpedo or the p%eriscope Of assub.
marine, but the question was soon set
1ad. ~ & gsN2 4&