Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-14
FATE OF THE LUs|TAN|A
AWAITS TRANSATLANTIC
Every One at Queenstown Expects
That Cunarder VIII Be Pyey
OF Submarines.
THESE ARE DAYS OF HORROR
Bed Is Place OF Hideous Nightmares,
bringing Chill of Terror as All
World Sleeps-Men's Minds Dull
ed to Point Of Callousness.
by HADES TALBOT.

Especial Cable to Tho Times Dispatch.l
QUEENSTOWN. May 13.-Everybody
is now waiting for the Pennsylvania.
which is due here on Saturday.
Nobody of the Cunnrd Line here ex-
poets anything except she Will meet
the Same fate as the Lusitania. But
ali is quiet in the realization that moth
Ing can be done in advance to prevent
such fate. There Is undoubtedly
covey of submarines outside waiting
for the Pennsylvania. and no matter
what her course may be some one will
get her.
II has been SO long since Queens
town slept the night through that now
most Of US find bed surely n place of
hideous Nightmares to visit until COM
piete mental and bodily exhaustion
drives US TO seek a few hours uncon-
seriousness. This statement refers not
only to the several score Of survivors,
relatives and friends, who are still
here hoping against hope that their
loved ones may be among those brought
In by tugs, but also to the hundreds
or newspaper men and ....;zzled vet
Grams of the Cunard Line.
When one has seen countless bodies
or women and children carried ashore
DAY after day, and lain on sawdust-
covered floor in shed. ones mind final
~ becomes dullcd to a point of callous-
ness wherein only tho silent long hours
or the lonely morning. when all the
| rest of the world Is asleep. can bring
the consequent chill of terror
l. Ihus 1t happens that many of us
SIT up until dawn. each silently ad-
uniting his dread of sleep, all eagerly
forwarding every excuse for the pro-
| lonSation Of conversation that means
another hour Of Compa nionship
thus 1t was that l got early this
| morning the Cunard Company's own
version OF the story from the lips OF q
| man who has been working eighteen
hours day In feverish activity. He is
captain who has commanded many
Cunard liners In his day, but Is now re-
! tired.
One submarine could not sink the
Lusitania. he said. From the chief
engineer got accurate information as
10 where the first torpedo struck 1t
was between the first and second boiler
rooms 1t tore a hole about twenty
| feet square in the side OF the ship But
this alone could not have sunk the ship,
although the explosion of the boilers
was enough to cut off all power.
! The first engineer was saved by net
! ting slung along the lower deck TO pro-
tect the stokers from being washed
| overheard by n wave. Almost immdi-
ateiy the ship sank below the level of
this deck. The chief engineer was
swept aft by the onrushing water. He
was not swept overheard. however,
\ thanks TO the netting. He managed TO
get on the deck above, when water
swept him clean aft and out into the
! open space.
The captain told me a curious story
| of his escape. When the ship made
the plunge he dived forward of the
bridge and caught the signal halyards
| AS the shin sank he went up hand over
| hand. actually remaining level with the
| water. but overcoming the suction by
| his hold on the halyards. He had just
succeedes in lodging the crosstrees on
| the foremost and swan about until he
| got hold of a piece of wreckage."