The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-06-16
ENGLAND

United Press Leased Wire SeFvice.l
LONDON, June 16.-Fifteen persons
were killed and fifteen wounded In a
Zeppelin raid on the English east
coast last night. The admiralty an
nounced today that "some" fires were
started.
This Ia the heaviest loss Of life re-
corded In any Of the Zeppelin raids on
England. In the recent bombardment
Of London six persons lost their lives.
Following its new policy Of sup
pressing the names Of localities at
tackled, the first official statement from
the admiralty today simply stated that
thu ''norheast coast" was bombarded.
LUSlTANlA HEARING.
LONDON, June 16.-chairnnan A.
A. Booth, Of the cunard company
board Of directors today adn'ste'
that the Lusitania was proceeding =
a comparatively slow rate OF speed
when she was torpedoed, because the
company wanted to save money.
Booth was the first witness al to-
days session Of the inquiry Into the
sinking Of the big liner, with heavy
loss Of life off the southwest coast OF
ireland. He eorroborated the state
ment Of Captain w. T. Turner that
he had been given orders to work
only nineteen boilers to save coal
and labor cost.
"In November, the company consid-
cred whether to continue the sailings
Of the Lusitania and the Mauretanta.
Because Of the war, there had been
a heavy falling off In trans-Atia ntie
travel. We finaiyI decided to con-
tlnue the sailinss Of the lus'tania,
but at reduced speed to save operat-
ing expenses"
Cross examined, Booth admitted
that after warnings OF the dangers
from submarines, the company recog-
nized that speed was very essential
if the Lusitania was to escape attack.
"But we concluded that the lusl-
tania was too speedy for any subma-
rne," he said, land that It made lit
tie difference whether she was travel
ina at twenty-one or twenty-five knots
an hour. On the morning Of May Z,
tho day the liner was sunk, we re-
quested the admiralty to communI-
cate instructions to Captain Turner
to make Liverpool at such an hour as
ito make Il unnecessary for him TO
take OH . pilot
Booth said he feared If the liner
stopped to take on a pilot, she would
be at the mercy Of submarines.
Thomas Quinn, a seaman, who was
In the crows nest when the Lusitania
was struck, followed Booth.
"The LusitanIa couldn't have es-
capped II she had been rushing along
at one hundred knots an hour" said
Quinn. "There was absolutely no
warning.
~ saw no periscope or anything,
just the torpedo ripping through Che
water"
Leslie Morton, another seaman who
was on the starboard side Of the
crows nest, said that he saw two
separate streaks Of foam as If two
torpedoes were approac, ing the Lusi-
tanla.
Other officers of the Lusitania re-
fsted the charge that proper precau-
t!ons had not been taken to ward
against submarine attack. Third ~.
sineer Little denied that the 'lusi-
tania was moving more slowly at the
time she was attacked than at other
periods Of her trip from New York.
Second Engineer Coburn testified thar
the buIkhead doors were ordered
closed when the liner entered the war
zone. Wireless Operator Link Of the
lusitania testified that he received
four messages from the admiralty
while approaching the war zone. He
was net pressed as to what these
messages contained.