Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-07-17
HOLDS LUSITANIA
FULLY EQUIPPED
English Court Finds Loss of Ship and
Lives Due to German Subma-
rine TorPed0es.
CLAIMS PLENTY OF LIFE BOATS
Verdict Surprise to Americans, Who
Maintain Captain Turner Should
Have Been Condemned


Have Been Condemned
/ London. July "Torpedoes fred
by a submarine Of German national
+ ity' caused the loss Of the steamship
Lusitania and its passengers, according
TO the findings Of the court of inquiry
appointed to investigate the disaster.
! The court held that no blame for
i the tragedy attached either to Captain
/ Turner, commander of the vessel, or to
the Cunard line, her owners.
After having carefully inquired in
to the circumstances of the disaster"
says the report Of the court, the court
finds the loss of said ship and lives
was due to damage caused the ship By
/ torpedoes fred by a submarine Of Ger
man nationality.
/ In the opinion of the court the act
was done not merely with the inten-
ton of sinking the ship but also with
the intention of destroying the lives
/ of the people on board.
/ Other salient features Of the report
are that the life boat and life belt IA
ciIities of the vessel we're adequate;
that the demeanor of the crew was
above blame and that the conduct Of
the passengers, barring a slight panic.
when the steeEage passengers came on
deck, was praiseworthy.
The court ais ofound that the ship
was unarmed and carried a cargo of
general ammunition consisting only Of
5000 cases Of cartridges, from which
there was no explosion
A small gathering, composed almost
entirely Of survivors Of the Lusitania
and their relatives, listened 10 the
reading Of the findings by Baron Mer-
sey.
Americans Blame Turner.
The report was a disappointment to
the American survivors, who expressed
surprise at the portion which exonerat-
ed Captain Turner and the Cunard
liae from all blame and commended
the discipline of the crew.
Several attorneys representing
American clients listened closely 20
the reading Of The judgment which NAV
have Il great effect on actions brought
against the steamship company.
Webb Ware. representing the Wander
bilt family Major f. Warren Pearl
and Mrs Pearl of New York, and F. B. /
Jenkins Of Chicago, survivors; and
William C. Richtou of New York, /
whose wife was lost
Before the reading began Major
Pearl who has followed The whole case
closely, expressed the opinion that the
decision would sharply condemn the
officers OF the ship and Of the Cunard f.
line for negligence.
NO doubt there were mishaps in
handling the ropes of the boats, Baron /
Mersey said. "but in my opinion there !
was no Incompetence or neglect"
Baron Mersey found that Captain /
Turner was fully advised by the Brit I
ISL admiralty as TO the best course 10 (
follow. In some respects he did not
follow these, but the court pointed out
that the admiralty instructions were +
not intended to prevent Captain Tur- .
ner from exercising bis judgment and .
that his failure to follow the adj
mialty's advice to the letter was no .
reason for blame.
Instructions Concealed.
The reduction of the Lusitanias .
speed from 2411a to q knots still left the
vessel faster than any other boat on
the Atlantic. said Baron Moersey. and
he found there was no reason to blame
the Cunard company for this economy
during war time,
Relative TO the admiraIty's instruc-
tons the court said this phase Of the
inquiry was in camera and that it
would be contrary to public interest 10
discuss it.
Officers Perform Duty. L.
Lord AIersey in handing down the
judgment said n part;
The captain of the ship. Thomas
Turner, gave his evidence truthfully
and we'll am quite satisfied that the
two captains and the officers are com
petent man and that they did their
duty. Captain Turner remained on the
bridge till he was swept into the sea
and Captain Anderson was working on
deck until he went overheard and was
drowned"
The court here praised Leslie M.
4dDfbGus d ulEHUcE JL tAE crew WIZ
shipped at New York and was acting
as extra lookout at the time the Lusi-
tania was torpedoed, saying:
He was only IS years old but he
seems to have exhibited great courage, 4
seIf-p possession and resource. He was
the first TO observe the approach Of the
and before they had touched
the ship he had reported them to the
bridge by means of a telephone"
Though knocked of his feet when
a torpedo hit the Lusitania, and later
having to swim for his life, Lord
Mersey said, the youth aided by
of the crew named Parry, i
righted a coIIapsible boat and was in
strumental in saving nearly a hun
dred lives"
No General Panic
The court here analysed the passen-
ger list, giving the saved and lost by
sex and by nationality and comment
ing on the lack of a general panic. He