Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-08-20
Attack on Liner Said to
Have Been Made With
out Warning
4s LIVES WERE LOST
Only Six Passengers Drowned-None
Of Voyagers Interviewed Saw Sub
marine in Vicinity.

London, Aug. 20-Consul Frost, at
Queenstown. reported to the Ameri-
can embassy here today that all
American survivors are unanimous
in their declaration that the Arabic
was torpedoed without warning.
Unofficial figures received here to-
day show that forty-eight lives were
lost in the sinking of the Arabic
and that thirty of the 396 survivors
were injured.
Only six of those lost were passen-
gers. The other were officers ana
members of the crew, most OF them
being men in the fire and engine
rooms, who were killed in the ex-
plosion of the torpedo.
Queenstown, Aug 20-No Survivors
of the Arabic disaster who was inter-
viewed here today saw the submarine
that sent the big liner to the bottom,
although several said they saw the
U-boat that a few minutes before
torpedoed the British steamer Dun
sley, and believed it was the same
submarine. They agreed that the
Arabic was sunk without warning.
From the moment the heavy blow
struck the torpedo rocked the steamer
with a violent explosion, until she
sank beneath the waves there was
little confusion among either pas
sengers or crew.
Men who had passed through other
sea disasters said today that moth
ing impressed them as much as the
calm. orderly manner in which the
passengers got over the sides with
in eleven minutes after the veS-e!
was struck.
The drowned were in two boat
which capsized almost Immediately
after they struck the water. One of
them was caught by the liner as she
rolled over in her death plunge.
Some of the occupants struggled
to RATS and clung fast until they
were picked up by other boats. Those
that could not swim went down be-
meath the waves rolled up by the
sinking Arabic. Several of the crew
it is believed certain, were blown to
pieces when the torpedo plunged into
the vessels side.
Three things, the passengers
agreed, prevented larger loss of
life; First, that the sea was calm:
second, that lifeboats had previously
been swung out to meet such an en-
ergency, and third, that there was
no panic and the crew displayed good
discipline in getting over the boats.
London, Aug. 2O-The White Star
liner Arabic, bound for New York
with ITO: passengers aboard, was tor
pedoed and sunk by a German sub
marine at 9:15 o'clock yesterday
morning off Fastnet, on the coast OF
Ireland.
Officers and passengers of the
steamship are quoted in dispatches
from Queenstown, where 396 survl-
vors have been landed, as declaring
that the ship was torpedoed without
warning.
OF the passengers on the Arabic,
26 were Americans. Whether any
Of these lost their lives is not known.
Tonight it is stated that all but SIN
passengers are known to have been
saved.
The White Star Line last night
made the following official announce
ment.
The Arabic was struck on the
starboard side about 100 feet from
the, stern.
"one hundred and seventy live pas
sengers and PIG of the crew have
been landed The survivors include
Captain Finch, all the deck officers,
the chief engineer. the ships doctor
and the pursera.
Third Engineer Lugon is missing.
The passenger list is being check
ed. Apparently six of the passengers
are missing"
Twenty-six American citizens were
on board the Arabic. Messages re-