The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-07-17
GERMAN PLUNCER
PERILS YANKEES
ON Liner ORDUNA
Submarine Shells and ChaSes
Big British Vessel.
Pursues Ship After Failure to
Sink 1t With Torpedo.
227 PASSENGERS ON BOARD
SeafarerS in New York Tell of
Thrilling Escape.
Attacking Boat Uses Uses u. s.
Bark as Shield.
Pursues Ship After Failure to
Sink 1t With Torpedo.
227 PASSENGERS ON BOARD
SeafarerS in New York Tell of
Thrilling Escape.
Attacking Boat Uses Uses u. $.
Bark as Shield.

New York. July 1.-THE British
passenger liner Orduna, Whh 227
passengers aboard, 21 of whom were
Americans. was attacked without
warning by a German submarine at 6
o'clock in the morning of July 9. six
teen hours out of Liverpool, on her
way to New York. Announcement of
the attack was made by the ships,
captain. Thomas McComb Taylor. and
passengers when the Orduna reached
here today.
torpedo was fired at the steamer
and missed it by ten yards. Twenty
minutes later a submarine rose to the
surface, possibly a different sub
marine from the one that launched
the torpedo, and for half an hour
thereafter pursued the steamer, fir
ing shells which whistled over the
decks and above the heads of the pas
sengers standing there with their life
belts on.
Vessel With q. S. CoIors.
Ten minutes before the attack a
sailing ship with two American flags
painted on her side was sighted. Cap
tain Taylor became suspicious of this
craft and began maneuVering his
ship. Then came the attack, the first
warning of which was the streak of
torpedo, which whirled through the
water and missed the Orduna's stern
by ten yards or thereabouts
Stewards ran below and aroused the
passengers. With clothes hurriedly
fastened haphazard, they made for
the upper deck. There they were as
sembled near the bridge Life belts
We're adjusted and life boats swung out
The crew stood ready to launch the
boats.
PIunger Has Range.
Prom a submarine off The starboard
kicked up a miniature geyser in the
| Crduna's wake. The submarine had
the range. Captain Taylor turned the
stern of the ship toward the assailant
and ordered full speed ahead. Within
from tow to five minutes, another
shell, this time passing over the heads
of the Assem- bled passengers, was fired
AS it OVershot the mark. it's landing
place was marked by a rising column
of water. A third she'll passed over
head and so close that it seemed to
clip a l1fcboat.
Captain Taylor ordered the passen-
gers to go to a lower deck. They
obeyed, and the life boats were ad-
justed lower still. so that the passen-
gers might step into them without de-
lay.
The shelling continued, shots fall
ing about the steamer at intervals OF
from two to five minutes. For about
half an hour the submarine pursued
the steamer with the span of water be-
tween them lengthening each minute.
Seven shots were fired in all Four
of them passed over the decks. The
OIneF three Iell close 10 the snip. Inen
the submarine, distanced, gave up the
chase.
Baron Tells of Attack.
Early risers who had left their
berths to enjoy the fine morning
were with the captain on the bridge
when the attack began. Among them
was Baron Marcus Rosenkrantz of
Denmark, who married Miss Rebie
Loewe Of Atlanta, Ga. Baron Rosen-
krantZ described the attack in detail:
we left Liverpool about 2:3O
o'clock on the afternoon of Thursday.
the 8th." he said. AT 5:55 o'clock by
my watch the first missile. a torpedo,
was fired.
"A few minutes before that, how
ever, we saw a small sailing ship just
ahead of us. She had two American
flags painted on the side that was
turned to us. She was broadside to us
and seemed to be beating up the wind.
Captain Taylor apparently became
suspicious of this boat We noticed
that the course of the ship was i'm
mediately changed, so that the little
vessel ahead would be given a wide
berth
Some of them aboard believed that
the sailing ship was hiding a sub
marine behind her. OF this l can't
say.
Torpedo Is Fired.
I'VE passed the ship al a consider
able distance" Baron Rosenkra ntz
continued. "A few minutes after we
had left her behind. I looked through