The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-04-29


Explosion Took Place-Sea Perfectly
Calm, But the Attacking Ship Was
Not Seen.
BRINDIST, Italy, April 29-The French
armored cruiser Leon Gambetta, which was
torpedoed by the Austrian submarine No
) in the Straits of Otranto early Tuesday
morning sank with all the officers and
about $50 of the crew.
Vessels sent to the rescue by the italian
authorities saved 1876 members of the crew,
some of whom were wounded by the eff
fects of the torpedo Part of the rescued
had been in the water several hours
From information gathered from various
survivors it is possible to construct the
story of the disaster as follows:
The Leon Gambetta parted company
with the French cruiser Jules Ferry Mon
day night to cross the Straits of Otranto
with view to cooperating with other
Frnch ships in an attempt to block the
Austrian fleet if it should seek to leave
the Adriatie
| This was not an unusual maneuyer, as
1.-THE Leon Gambetta for months had been
| going up and down the coast from Cape
Santa Maria Ieuca to Brindisi, Bari or
across to Corfu and Vallona.
! The sea was perfectly calm and the moon
shone brightly. Although the Leon Gam
beta showed no lights and adopted the
Iuther customary precautions, there was no
suspicion of danger.
! At midnight the warship was about 20
miles from Cape Santa Maria Leuca The
lookout could see distinctly the lights on
the Italian coast. At sea nothing appeared
on the horizon.
/ Suddenly there was frightful explo-
sion, which shook the cruiser fore and aft
| Officers and men remained calm, and, the
survivors say, their first thought was not
for their own safety, but rather to detect
and attack their assailant. They scanned
the sea for periscope, but in vain
! As the cruiser was listing rapidly, the
commander gave orders that signals for
help be sent and that the boats be low
| cred. 1t proved to be most difficult to
lower the boats, owing to the position of
the ship in the water. Some of the men
leaped overheard in the bare hope of saw
ing themselves Others were washed off
the decks. The commander, although
urged to abandon his ship, refused to do
so.
! None of the survivors were able to say
how long It was before assistance arrived.
1t is probable that several hours elapsed
before these men were rescued.
Ships which went out to suceor the Leon
Gambetta are still cruising in the vicinity
where she was struck, looking for possible
survivors. Those of her crew who have
been brought ashore are receiving medica
care, and supplies for the survivors are
being sent to laramie.
1t il believed the Gambetta had a crew
numbering ia men, including % officers
A majority of the men were asleep at tn,
time the cruiser was struck
Those who have been saved are virtual,
without clothing. They were taken from
the water in a pitiful condition, SOM
were wounded and others were almost un
conscious, while all suffered from exposure
Since the beginning Of Anglo-Frencl
operations against the Dardanelles Frenc
warships in the Adriatic have limited thei
activities to watching the Strait of Otrant
with the idea of preventing Austrian wal
ships escaping from the Adriatic and reacl
ing the coast of Turkey.
The submarine which attacked the Leo
Gambetta came from Cattaro, an Austria
port
Three French cruisers were Tuesda
night watching the strait between the
land of Corfu and the Italian coast Th
strait, when the various islands are take
into consideration, does not measure MOI
than 40 or 80 miles wide