Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-06
PASSENGERS DECLARE
NO WARNING WAS GIVEN
Rescue Boats With Some Of Those
Saved From the Hesperian
Arrive ut Queenstown.
ONLY ONE MAN SAW SUBMARINE
He Got Glimpse of 1t in Distance and
Reported Fact to Captain Main.
Soldier Who Had Lost Sight of
Both Eyes Finds One Restored.

QUEENSTOWN, September 5.-Res-
ieue boats with. passengers ana mem
bers of the crew of the Hesperian ar
rived here to-day and told Of the tor
pedoing of the liner on Saturday even
Ing by a German submarine off the
South Coast OF Ireland
The passengers were unanimous in
declaring the Hesperian was attacked
without warning. The only person
aboard the steamer who actually saw
the underwater boat was n man on
watch. who got a glimpse of it In the
distance and reported the fact TO Can
tain Main.
The passengers declare the steamer
was down by the head when they last
saw her. but that she was making her
way slowly to Queenstown under her
own steam.
Major j. s. Barres. a Canadian officer.
returning home to recuperate, said:
The Hesperian was torpedoed with
out varying. The torpedo struck in n
vital part of the engine room"
Other passengers said the captain and
about twenty Of his crew never left
the steamer, and although the captain
appealed to many Of his men who had
taken to the boats to return, they did
not respond. The two Americans
aboard were ships stewards One Of
them named Dolan, Of Pittsburgh, said
no submarine was sighted The other
named McAllister, is from Michigan
HAD on 37Oo SACKS
OF MAIL FOR U. S.
The Hespcrian had on board $500
sacks of mail for the United States.
Among the soldiers returning to
Canada was one named Chambers, who
through gas fumes at the front had
lost the sight of both eyes. After the
explosion he discovered, to his aston
ishment that he had regained the sight
OF one eye
The first rescue steamer arrived at
$3.50 and took survivors out of the life
boats. Two other steamers camc up
an hour later and one of them remained
with the Hesperian until midnight
when Captain Main reported he would
be able to keep the water down until
the vessel reached Queenstown
Bugler a. Royle. a Canadian. said the
bost in which he put away from the
Hesperian picked up two women and
two men who had been thrown into the
water.
Ronald Whiteway. who was travel
ling to Quebec and Montreal. said:
The sea was like glass and the Hes
perian was steaming steadily to the
westward when she was torpedoed The
submarine was not sighted. probably
because OF darkness"
HIGHLY PRAISES CONDUCT
OF CANADIANS on SHIP
H. Morris. a passenger. highly praised
the conduct of the Canadian officers and
men.
Corporal Abram. of Princess Patri-
cia's regiment. who was on board tho
Hesperian returning to Canada with
his wife and baby girl, said:
81 put my family into a boat which
capsized. My wife and daughter
dropped into the water. mounted the
rail and divcd into the sea. 1 man
aged to reach my wife and baby and
kept them afloat until the latter was
picked up by boat. Then swan
around with my wife for half an hour
Finally we were both picked up and
brought ashore. We found our little
girl here at the Queens Hotel, where
she had been taken by rescuers."