The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-05-09

{X1G11f Inquiry Will HeEtn ivuay.
Turner will be able e tell denni,e-
what happened. for he was on the
Xf<1Ne when the first torpedo struck.
~ ship swung In towards the Irish
- and the danger zone. His phy-
1c1ans have refused to permit him
70 make any public statement. and
& NJ VIII hold II for the official in
Huify which lie to begin tomorrow
3 4l1ey viii ascertain from him what
&>farninr he had Of the German de-
s ferrafnation to sink his ship; what
&recaations he took: what precau-
Il Mons. IL any the admiralty took to
HuArd him; when the submarine was
Uref sighted. what WAS done Them
that chance his ship hads what was
# done TO save passengers Only Tur-
4 iier and his first and second officers
Y ne alive OF the men of the bridge
The officers of the engine room per
l1hed almos ito a man. and only a
lev of the stokers are living.
S This much is fairly well establish
4 "a. unof7eially. from the statement
4 s0f.sarvivors now.
II Captain Took All Usual Precautions
~ The Lusitania took precautions as
she came into the danger zone. tust
8~Eha. they we're cannot be learned III
I. FetAii The lifeboats. both TO star
4 board and port, we're swung out ready
TO he lowered The waterueht bulk-
heads and compartments were cIoseo,
Y and q course near TO the coast was
i lekeu in order that in case OF being
8 Rfruck there would be chance l"
II run rbr the choai waters.
The speed OF the ship al O'Clock
vesf. rday afternoon was around 10 or
SIS knots noe rly all she was capable
&s0f under the conditions Of her null,
Thers were double watches OF look
nuts forward, aft and on the bridge.
s-at.f a.
off@srs and crew were under the
Z tfronrest tension Nothing of this
Nas known 10 the passengers
TIE excitement, which was shown
4 bv she passengers OF ali classes whet
sFshe ship entered the danger zone In
Il the eariy morning, had been lulled by
The hrfehsnesr Of the day, the relative
sscnl..a of the water which permitted
$ even iandsmen TO see great distance
L without espying a single suspicious
lssnbtest Laughing al their own fears
S4lhey went below for luncheon at $50,
1.-The geo first class passengers joking
Il Ahoas the undersea boats, the women
~srervonsiy expressing their belief that
nothing could touch them.
Matuhman sees pcffscope 1000 Yards
Nj Away.
s They were all below al O'Clock
3 Except a very few on the upper decks,
MvEheH lookout on the bridge caIIght
the reflection Of the slender hooded
--Erod OF a peLtscope- nn-the ktarhoarc
rfde. about 1000 yards distant. the
snkmariue then was on the forward
81 aaarter. moving slowly towards them,
n and when this was reported quickly
q sefore the clang of the bridge engine
room teiegraphed could register tho
" fNfi for full speed" ahead, other
spokouts picked up the white froth
IN the deep color of the sea telling OF
- apet ding torpedo. One was canght
-*snn an instant and another was seen
e5nss to the rear sf- (" There Waa
~ hardly time, for that whitened streak
sssttrass1ed into the hull of the ship, ano
xszAenyx ms she is, the big ship iurched
4t,sassr the force Of an explosion that
Il sirnply tore great section OF plates
|e*natD twisted steel rihbors. There was
ssgsaarciy time for the stricken ship to
~ .igtf herself before the second streak
4 anded. jnsi at point ahsft the main
M engine room, hnd again the great
ahfr lure he'd swung and settled back.
r@ M this came rs quickly almost as
man can clap his hands There
nas nu time for q shout, or crv oil
alsf.m THE passengers sat Mt the
u abb, the crew at their quarters could
n ,nty sway forward whiten. and
A,rlag up speeches..
II Then il ii likely there was a third
q III 4doslon. but this ii not settled de-
inifriy. Some of the survivors have
n sorted such thing. but it cannot
4 ,e told whether this was the blowing
~ If the explosives II. the cargo, or
nest OF boilers. There was some
Bang for nc Lusitania big as she
NsAas. powerf'il as she was was noth-
re more than "a sieve of steel on the
4 Nafeas.
e. captain Turner on the bridge. after
ssxisina hurried orders for full speed.
T bad ordered the ship turned towards
&sgase hcadlands Of ireland. SO near to
~ss11cm. but ii that very instant tae
ssfagthfs ceased to act Everything
IAN BY steam or electricity, or any
ather power aboard the Lusitania
sH.as dead
The ship itself starting long
sMing from her course. dropped her
s DOW into the water and began to slow
d How'll, StTaishtway. as the water
pushed through the great breach
NJ made by the torpedoes came the list,
sleeper and sleeper to the starboard,
4 sntil walking on the deck was well
aigf impossi BILE. Above all and pene
& rating everything. came the strong
Acrid fumes of the pieric acid of the
,orpedoes-
Those below decks, caught in pas
mEeways and CA bins. suddenly found
n Fsheulselyes choked and suffocating
Snrvivors have told OF seeing women
and children drop on the decks Ia
toll 10 the rail unconscious as they
AFNa+hAa The fumes iffte their lungs
xs All Make ~ 4Rasis for tIsss Boats
sssas BY that time the passengers on all
saocke and the crew were rushing to
q the upper decks. The elevators. OF
s#rourse, were out Of service, and II
q WAS u rush up the conpanion~ay
j stairs through the wide doors Those
that turned UP the sloptng decks to-
u ward the port side were almost GER
tsiniy doomed those who came to
81 stsrhoard. the side of The list had 4
hare chance
Il The I>usitania had lifeboa's ac-
Eofnmodatiops for 2.604 persons,
q Aaunting hfcboats on both sides, and
eefts slpng amidshlps. but almost
livery boat 10 the port side was for
yver useless from the start. Only those
"a Aoats on the port side were availa bic.
There were about twenty Of them in
3@Aii. and under the most favorable cir
81 tunsstances capable of carrying / Loco
b persons. But that would mean sew
bFaf hours TO disembark, deliberate
action. absolute GOODNESS, and fat.
q sAlr. sea. There was not more than
1ftecn or twenty minutes 20 save who