The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-07-18
And 1t Escapes the Fate Of the
Lusitania by One Halt Sc
cond in Time.
MISSED BY ONLY TEN FEET
German Torpedo churns The
Water That Distance Be-
hind the Liners Rudder.

hind the Liner S Ruduer
tpY AssociATgp pREsss
NEW YORK, July 17.-The Cu-
nard liner, Orduna, bound from Law
erpool to New York, with - passen-
gers Including twenty-five Amerds
cans. which was attacked without
warning. by German submarine On
the morning of July 8, was twenty
miles from the graveyard OF the Lus-
itania, on Old Head of Kinsale. ana
the Orduna escaped the Lusitaniass
fate by one-half second of time or
ten feet of space. the German torpedo
churning the water that d2sSance ne-F
hind the liners rudder. Then the
Orduna sped away. It was foHoweu
by the submarine, which rose to the
surface, manned gun on deck anc
shelIed the fleeing steamer.
Most Passengers Asleep.
The attack was timed at ten min,
utes to O'Clock in the morning, when
all but a few of the passengers lay
sleeping In their berths Aroused by
stewards the passengers hurriedly
dressed and went to the upper decks
where they put on life belts and took
their places at the life boats. They
heard the scream of the shells ana
saw the ocean spit up columns of water
where the shells struck. When the hre
grew hot they we're ordered, for their
own protecttons to the next Geek De-
low.
For half an hour the Orduna
showed its heels to the assailant.
Through marine glasses the passen-
gers watched the dark splotGh on the
waters surface astern. They saw the
|low-lying German warship coming on
with a bone In its teeth. But the Or
dumas fight was faster than the pur-
suit and after seven shot had been
fired without effect the submarine
gave up the chase.
Wireless Call for Help.
A wireless call for help was sent
out by the Orduna when the torpedo
was seen. 1t was then thirry-seven
miles south of Queenstown. The re-
ply. Captain Taylor says In his ofmciats
report. was that help wouio ne given
within an hour. It was four hours
after that the first British vessel,
small armored yacht, the jeanette,
appeared:
Protest will be made to the Amert-
can government by at Yeast one citt-s
zen of the United States and possibly
others. who was aboard. William e.
Thompson, of Chicago, counse1 to the
federated Industrial relations com
mission, who went abroad IN his Of
acial capacity last Marcn and was re-
turning to complete his mission by
make vigorous protest to the Amer1-
can government.
at probably will be several days
before / shall make my report OF the
attack and my protest. nfr. ThOn1p-
son said. 'sI consider I am In duty
bound to do so. AS an American citt-
zen, employed in an Official capacity
by the government to go abroad, I
feel that / should bring the govern
ment,s attention to the attack.
Attack Deliberate.
.I felt that had right to return
home on the Orduna, a1tnougn It MES
the British flag, because ft+fs q pas
senger ship. The fact that it had mo-
munitions OF war aboard fortifes this
opinion. The Orduna. an unarmed
merchant ship. carrying no mun1-
tions. was deliberately attacked with
out warning, pursued and subJected
to shell IRE. It Is little short Of mar
velous that it was not sent 20 the bot
tom with all aboard.
I'm making my protest to Washing
ton I shall proceed along these lines,
combining with the protest q report
OF the attack as saw It," 4
Whether the submarine hid behind
an American ship-the bark Norman
dy. from Gulfport, Miss.-was
point, upon which passengers held
varying opinions. A small sailing
ship with two American flags paintedLE
on its side, was sighted ahead shortly
before the attack. Captain TayIor
suspicious of the craft, cnanEed mrs
course Soon thereafter yne torpedo
was sighted. a
Ship Used as Shield. 81
There was no certainty as to the
identity of the ship that dfspiayed the
two painted American flags, but one
Of the passengers thought that he
made out its name to be "Normandy,s
through his glasses There Is no such
vessel listed. The American bark
Normandy. was known to be In tkfsS
vicinity at the time. When It reached
Liverpool July 10 some of It's crew
said that submarine had used H.
as a shield from which to maneuyer
against and torpedo the Russian
steamer. Leo. = story that the Nor
mandy's captain denied.
J The Leo was torpedoed tweuk
miles approxim9tel$ from the place
whore the Crdlfna was attacked. The
NQfmandyss crew said the subn1a
he'd held them tlp on the evening pk
July The Drduna W AS attac ked the
econtinned on rage tsEst