The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1915-05-20
.LUS|TANIA SUNK BY
GERMAN SUBMARINE
TWELVE HUNDRED LIVES LOST
WHEN BIG PASSENGER VESSEL
is SENT TO BOTTOM.
List includes 100 Americans, While
Many Women and Children Were
Victims Of Attack Upon Ship as
II Neared journeys End.

The Cunard liner Lusitania, Brit
sh owned passenger vessel, was tor
oedoed by German submarine off the
irish coast on Friday, May 7, and went
Town twenty minutes after being
struck by two torpedoes, 1000 lives
being lost, 12O of this number being
American citizens, of the dead many
being women and children.
When the Lusitania left New York
May / she had on board 1901 souls,
l,251 passengers and $50 crew. The
passengers were made up of POI in the
irst cabin, 599 in the second and 361
IN the steerage. The list of survivors
shows so far that about 80 first-class
and rs second-class passengers were
saved. 1t is noticeable that compare
lively few frst-class passengers were
saved.
Either two or three torpedoes struck
The Lusitania One report says the
first projectile was followed by two
others, striking in quick succession.
Another report has it that two sub
marines took part in the onslaught,
one attacking from the port and the
other from the starboard side.
The Lusitania was nearing the end
Of her journey when a submarine sud-
denly appeared and began firing. The
drst torpedo struck between the first
and second tunnels. The Lusitania
shook and settled down a bit Two
other torpedoes quickly followed and
soon finished the ship. Four or five
Of the lifeboats went dwon with her
and the tremendous suction as the
liner was engulfed dragged many peo-
pie down also.
Many of the passengers did not be-
lieve the Lusitania would sink as
quickly as she did Consequently they
did not join in the rush for the life
boats, but evidently preferred to trust
in their belief that the watertight COM
partments of the vessel would keep
her afloat until such time as help
came out from the Irish shore, less
than ten miles away.
Many prominent Americans were on
the boat, and among those who went
down with the ship were Charles Froh.
man of New York, the theatrical
producer, Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt,
Charles Klein, the playwright, Justin
M. Forman and Ebert Hubbard and
his wife
The stories from Queenstown de-
scribe the bringing in of the bodies of
a great number of women, many of
them still unidentified. The Queens
town docks are the temporary resting
places also of the bodies of several
children. One dead mother still is
clasping in her rigid arms the body of
her three months old baby.
All the evidence goes to show that
the first-class and many of the second
class passengers had such confidence
in the ability of the Lusitania. be-
cause of her watertight compartments,
to remain afloat after she received the
first blow that they did not concern
themselves about taking to the boats
or even providing themselves with life
pTeservers.
When the passengers did realize
that the Lusitania was doomed, they
found that most of the boats on the
port side were so jammed, because of
the great list of the vessel. that they
could not be lowered, and the last seer
OF them by the most fortunate passen,
gers who had secured places on the
starboard boats or who had jumped
overheard and had been picked IN
they were lined on the sloping decks
awaiting their fate. doubtless ever
then believing that with land so close
they would still be saved.
However the torpedoes had tori
such gaping holes in the liner tina
she did not remain afloat for NOR,
than twenty minutes, and the calls TO,
help which the wireless sent ont al
though answered quickly, could no
orlng the rescuing steamers to the
spot in time to be of any service.
Marine Superintendent Dodd of tn,
Cunard line said that the Lusitanif
sank in sixty fathoms of water ant
would never be raised.
Ihe names of seventy-three suryiy
ors OF the lSS Americans aboard tn,
Lusitanla has been reported to tn,
state department at Washington.
insurance on the Lusitania, il T.
sara amounted to $500, 900. The YES
sel was valued in round figures a
SiVVoo'OoO. The worth of the carg,
She carried was reckoned at S735 900
An irish coast guard. who witnesse,
the sinking of the ship believes sh,
SANK within eight minutes. His stor,
Is confirmed by a farmer who wa,
working near Old Head Kinsale wher
he heard shots and looking seswar,
sa" steamer with her bows in m.
ar. he said hardly ten minutes late
she keeled over and snnk -