Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1915-05-14


Ash owned passenger vessel, was tor
pedoed by a German submarine off the
Irish coast on Friday, May z. and went
down twenty minutes after being
struck by two torpedoes, 1900 lives
being lost, 100 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,
1851 passengers and $50 crew. The
passengers were made up of 291 in the
first cabin, 500 in the second and 361
in the steerage. The list of survivors
shows so far that about 80 first-class
and IS second-class passengers were
saved. It is noticeable that compare
lively few first-class passengers we're
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 submarine sud
denly appeared and began firing. The
first torpedo struck between the frs
and second tunnels. The Lusitani1
shook and settled down 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-
n 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 afioat 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
q 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 secosd-
class passengers had such confidence
in the ability of the Lusitania, be-
cause Of her watertight compartments,
10 remain afioat after she received the
first blow that they did not concern
themselves about taking to the boats
or even providing themselves with life
preservers.
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 seen
OF them by the most fortunate passen-
gers who had secured places on the
starboard boats or who had iumped
overheard and mad been picked up.
they were lined on the sloping decks
awaiting their fate, doubtless even
then believing that with land SO close
they would still be saved.
However, the terpedoes had torn
such gaping holes In the liner that
she did not remain affoat for more
than twenty minutes, and the calls for
help which the wireless sent out al.
though answered quickly, could not
bring the rescuing steamers to the
spot in time to be of any service.
Marine Superintendent Dodd OF the
Cunard line said that the Lusitania
sank in sixty fathoms OF water and
would never be raised.
The names OF seventy-three suryiv
ors of the 1888 Americans aboard the
Lusitania has been reported to the
state department at Washington.
Insurance on the Lusitania, 1t Ii
said, amounted to $7,5OO,OO0. The yes
sci was valued In round figures al
$lO,0O0,00O The worth of the cargo
she carried was reckoned at $735, 900
An Irish coast guard, who witnessed
the sinking of the ship believes she
sank within eight minutes. His story
is confirmed by i farmer who was
working near Old Head Kinsale, when
he heard shots and looking seaward
Frohman May Have Lost Life.