Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-05-08
TERRIBLE FATE Of
TIE LUSITAN|A
Appalling Loss of Life Fol-
lows Torpedoing of Giant
Cunarder
1,5oo PEOPLE DROWNED
Steamer Attacked Without Warning
and Sinks in 200 Feet of Water
in About Fifteen Minutes.
1,5OO PEOPLE DROWNED
Steamer Attacked Without Warming

Yesterdays early dispatches stat
ed that no lives had been lost by tn.
sinking Of the Cunard steamer Lusita-
MIA by German submarine. Lat
advices, however, dissipated all hopes
that torpedoing of the steamer
had been accomplished with
out fatalities, and now it is feared
that the loss of life will equal that
of the Titanic disaster three years
ago last month.
1t is believed that approximately
fifteen hundred persons have perish
ed. u
Queenstown, May 8-The Cunaru
liner Lusitania, which left New York
for Liverpool last Saturday with q
passenger list of 1851 and S16 mel
in her crew, was torpedoed twice by a
German submarine, eight miles of
Kinsale, at PIP p. M, yesterday and
81 minutes later had disappeared
from sight. Of those on board lSS
were Americans.
Survivors, many of them so critical
" injured that some have died and
others will die have been brought
to Kinsale, Clonakilty, and this port
at intervals ever since the disaster.
but the total loss Of life can only be
estimated tonight. A steward in the
first boat which landed here said that
he feared that ut least 900 persons
had perished. Other estimates in
creased this number to as high as
1900.
This steward came on the Storm
Cock, which brought about $50 sur,
!. viyors, principally passengers, among
whom were many women, and seve'
raj Of the crew.
Describing the experience of tho
Lusitania the steward said:
'sThe passengers were at lunch
when q submarine came up and fired
two torpedoes, which struck the
Lusitania on the starhoard side, ono
forward and the other! in the engine
room. They caused terrific explosion
Captain Turner Immediately ordered
the boats out. The ship began to lis
oadly Immediately.
s'gTen boats were put into the wa
ter. and between 400 and 500 passen'
gers entered them. The boat II
which l was. approached the, lane
with three other boats and we; were
picked up shortly after o'clock b!
the Storm Cock. ! fear that few o.
the officers were saved. They actee
bravely.
"There was only Is minutes from
the tins the ship was struck unit
she foundered going down bow fore
most. It was a dreadful sight
The Lusitania was seen from tn
SIGNAL station at Kinsale to be IL
,,;fI;culties at 2:12. Her lfeboat'
wara over her side and it could b
sean that they were being filled wit
passengers as rapidly as possible. :
wireless call for assistance was re
ceived here at 2:l5, and Admiral Cok
immediately dispatched all avaliaol
+ros and steam trawlers to the seen
at least two hours steaming ava!
The weather was fine, and, BESIDE
her own boats the vessel had the as
.;st,nce Of other ships in the Vlcinlt'
The first persons to reach lan'
from the Lusitania were sever
boatloads of survivors who were low
cd into Kinsale by a Greek steamer
Soon afterward motorboat town
two boats containing so passenger
and two tugs with passengers passe
Kinsale, and, like majority OF IN
rescue boats proceeded to Queens
town. Several hundred passenger
were landed at Clonakilty. Thet
were some dead and many in]ure
among those brought ashore witt
+be survivor and the wounded brougi
brought here were taken to the NJ
val and military hospitals.
So great was the demand for re
cue workers that TO time was spe