South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-07
La TOuraine AbIaze 700 Miles
West of the French Port Of
BreSt When Wireless Call is
Sent Out.
ROTTERDAM IS FIRST;
DOES NOT NEED HELP
Other Liners Notified to Keep
on Their Course - English
Cruiser to Convoy Two Ships
Into Safe Port.

! LONDON. March 7.-Q:20 a. mD-
/ With a fire in her hold burning fierce
ly the French liner La Touraine was
. picked up soon after midnight by the
Holland-America liner Rotterdam and
I Is being towed 20 the nearest English
! port An English warship viii be at
/ her side before daylight and win
convoy the two liners TO safety.
When the first call for help was
flashed across the seas the French
liner was afire 700 miles west of the
French port OF Brest. -Four steamers
picked up the message and then be-
gan race for her side which has not
been equalled since the news was
flashed through the air that the tt
tanic was sinking. The rescue fleet
included the Rotterdam. Swanmoor.
COrnishman ana Arabic
Arabic Mas Nearest.
The Arabic 200 miles away. was
nearest to the harniug vessel. Her
captain pushed the ship TO her ton
speed in an effort 10 cover this dis
tance in record time. ~ would have
required ] : hours for the slow White
Star liner TO have reached the dis
tressed ship. But the Rotterdam.
from New York on Feb. %. had also
picked up the message. and although
almost an equal distance from la
Touraine as the Ara bic. she was able
by her greater speed. 10 reach the
burning steamer first
with the arrival or the Rotterdam
! the other liners were notified that
their assistance would not be required.
and continued on their way.
In the meantime the distress signal
also had been picked up by a British
cruiser on patrol duty in the Atlantic
l a nn ch fra hn Il q
liner. The cruiser. whose Identity IS
not YET known, viii proceed to- the
scene although the captain OF the
Rotterdam has given assurance that
he is capable of handling the situa-
tion and is prepared 10 render every
! assistance, including the transfer OF
passengers il necessary"
Meagre Information.
In view of the meagre Information
that is obtainable as 10 the character
OF the ire this latter sentence is con
sidered Of special significance.
When the Rotterdam reached the
/ La TOuraine the crew Of the burnin2
ship was fighting the fire with an the
apparatus available The bulkhead
doors had been automatically closed
and every effort was being made TO
4 keep the flames confined % the COM
| partments in which il had originated.
Great clouds Of smoke hung over the
| liner as the Rotterdam came in sight
and the passengers were lined up
along the rail
The greatest excitement prevailed
, aboard because it was generally
known that the cargo of the French
! liner included large quantities of gun
cotton, cartridges and other ammuEi-
/ ton shipped from New York f0r the
allies.
1t is believed here that the crew
! succeeded in keeping the flames from
the ammunition as So far no explosions
/ have been reported
First News J. Received.
The first news that the liner WAS
afiTe was received here al 1880 yes
| terday by Lloyd's The message came
/ from the wireless station at Nalenua.
county Kerry, on the southwest coast
! Of Ireland. The station had picked
/ up one OF the first messages that came
| from the imperilled ship Her own
| ers. the Compagnie Generate Tra'.s-
AtlanuQue, issued the following state
ment.
la Touraine New York to Ha-re.
| is afire OFF the coast at ireland. She
was due at HaEre tomorrow. ConSe-
quently she cannot bee IN great dan-er
I owning 10 her nearness 90 the coast.
/ There IS plenty OF assistance en- route
/ The White star liner Arabic and other
/ vessels are rushing 20 her assistance.
/ The only news we have received -
from the Nalentia wireless station.
The company's statement thal The
liner IS near the shore conflicts with
the location of tae ship al, given hE
Lloyd's which is at latitude $500
north. longitude 24.14 west or aboul
zoo miles from the coast
Carried - Passengers.
When La Touraine sailed from
[ New York she had "A passenger list or
/ So persons. SO first cabin and fH steer
! age. Five American physicians and
/ 10 American nurses are aboard bound
/ Tor the French battle fields Included
/ in the passenger list also acre a mum
ber OF persons well known ON both
sides OF the Atlantic 1'aul FagI~t.
/ general agen- or ;Ee 'aae IL New Nork.
IS sooaSd
p ner holds arr A5o4 cases of
] cartridges IN addition to iar-e quau-
! titv OF gun powder. 1es automobile
| guns and other war munitions. Np
J Information h ohtainahle as 10 tie
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