Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-01
BRITISH SHIP SUNK:
AMERICAN KILLED
Leyland Line Iberian Sent to
Bottom After Trying to Out
run German Submarine.
SEVEN OF CREW MEET DEATH
Incident Not Expected to Add to
Issues Between This Coun-
try and Berlin.

Especial Gable to The Times Dispatch ]
LONDON. July 31.-The Leyland
liner Iberian. flying the British flag,
bound from Liverpool for Boston. with
cargo of general merchandise. has
been sunk In the war zone by n Ger
man submarine. Five members of her
crew were killed by shell fire AS she
attempted to escape, after being hailed
by the submarine. Two others. one an
American. Mark Wiley. Of Boston. died
in small boat from superficial
wounds and shock. The rest. s!xty-one
in all. were landed at Queenstown
According to official advices. the
Iberian was, fred upon only after she
tried to run away from the undersea
boat. The men aboard were given
ample time to take 10 the boats Then
the submarine fired a torpedo and the
lincr sank almost imm ediately She
was a vessel of 5,223 tons. and had
been employed In carrying horses and
mules from American ports to England
SUBMARINE OPENS FIRE
WHEN LINER TRIES TO ESCAPE
The fret news of the sinking of the
Iberian was received here in a Lloyds
dispatch, which stated that the sur
vivors were being brought into Queens
town by a trawler, which had pick ed
them up after the submarine disap-
pearcd. Later they landed at the Irish
port, and Consul Frost took charge of
the surviving Americans among the
crew. Of whom there were twenty six
Statements by the men and by the ship
surgeon, DR.. Burns. were to the effect
that the comma nder OF the submarine
had ordered the Iberian to halt, and
had opened fire from deck guns only
after the liners skipper had ordered
full speed ahead. and had begun to
trace zigzag course. in an effort to
shake his ship loose from the trailing
submarine
Shells bursting over the deck killed
Ave men of the crew. many of whom
had rushed to the rail when the sub
marine appeared. Seeing that flight
was hopeless. the captain finally or
dered the Iberian brought TO. and the
commander of the submarine then or
dcred the men 10 take TO the boats.
Wiley, the American. who was serving
aboard In the capacity OF a muleteer,
had suffered flesh wound during the
firing. and this, added to the shock and
exposure in the small boats, caused his
death.
SAILED FROM LIVERPOOL.
WITH GENERAL. CARGO
The Iherian sailed from Liverpool on
July 20. with n 1.ooO-ton cargo Of gem
eral merchandise. She had left Boston
on July Z for Manchester, carrying
horses for use in the British army. \
number of the Americans on board were
hostlers who had been picked up along
the Boston docks to take care of the
live stock
Captain Jago. at Queenstown, to-
night refused to make a statement on
the loss of his vessel The Iberian
once before had been chased by sub
marine. af:er leaving Manchester for
Liverpool on July 2. but Captain Jago
outmaneuvered the submersible. This
attack occurred only few miles from
the mouth of the Mersey. The second
time the Iberian was caught off the
south coast of Ireland.
The lberian was n vessel of 5.223
tons gross burden, and was 437 feet
long, with n beam OF forty-eight feet
She was built at Sunderland in 1900
Her owners were r. Leyland 6 Co.