South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-10
THINK 800 WERE
KILLED BY BLAST
ON THE LUSITANIA
Captain Doubts Theory That
Ammunition Exploded, But
Possibility That the Boilers
Blew Up Still Remains.
WIRELESS MAN TOOK
PICTURE OF DIASTER

QUEENSTOWN. May 10. More
than 500 passengers and sailors on the
Lusitania are believed to have been
killed or injured so badly they were
rendered helpless. by the explosion
which followed the impact Of the sec
Ond torpedo fired by the German sub
marine against the liner.
Information TO this effect was today
given TO officials OF the Cunard line
who are here making an Investigation
and assisting in the care of injured
survivors and the search for bodies.
Capt w. T. Turner. of the Lusitan-
ia was in conference for hours with
representatives of the Cunard line.
When asked by press representatives
if the explosion which resulted from
the second torpedo had been caused by
the blowing upon ammunition stored
in the liners hull Capt. Turner said:
mo, if ammunition had exploded
that would probably have torn the
ship apart and the loss Of life would
have been much heavier than it was"
Boilers May Have Let Go.
The statement of Capt. Turner gave
further basis to the belief that the
liners boilers blew up.
The master of the lost Cundarder
declared that from the bridge he saw
the torpedo coming toward the Lusi-
tania and tried to change the ships
course to avoid the missile but was
unable to do so in time. The only
thing left for him TO do was to rush
the liner ashore and beach her and
she was headed for the Irish coast
when she foundered.
Capt. Turner declared that the Ger
man submarine did not flee at once
after torpedonig the liner
while | was swimming about after
the ship had disappeared / saw the
periScOpe of the submarine rise amidst
the debris. said he. Instead of Of
fering any help the submarine i'm
mediately submerged herself and l saw
nothing more of her"
Capt. Turner further verified earlier
statements that the Lusitania had
been struck by two tOrpedoeS.
81 did everything possible for my
passengers. That was all I could do,
said Capt Turner in conclusion.
Operator Remains Calm.
When the German submarine at
tackled the Lusitania and the great
ship was heeling over on her side and
settling in the water with tumult on
her decks, there was one man on the
ship who stuck grimly at his task
swayed neither by panic nor fear. He
was David Mccormick. a wireless op-
orator, who sent out the distress calls
which gave the first notice to the out
side world of the greatest sea disaster
which has occurred since the outbreak
of the war
81 heard a thud and almost instant
| ly the ship began to list" declared
| Mccormick, a young Scotchman. Il
didn't know we had been torpedoed.
but l knew that a hole had been
Knocked in the ship for we were
settling over in the water. Involun-
I =
and / flashed out the international call
for help that all men of the sea know
and dread: "S. Q. s. Then I flashed
| it again and again. Next / gave the
ships position and added: We are
| listing badly
Takes Picture of Scene
After sending out a number of
calls / went back upon the deck. All
was intense excitement on board and
! / COtld feel the ship going down under
my feet. / felt strangely calm.
guess / was Influenced a whole lot by
| the SIGHT of the peaceful coast of Ire
/ land in the distance. 1t was reaSsur-
4 ing 10 know that we were in sight of
! land. / remember one act especially
| of mine. A lifeboat had just been
swamped in the water and as men and
women were struggling among the
wreckage / had a pocket. camera with
me and l made a picture of the scene.
thinking at the time it. would be a
valuable mementO for me for life. The
! thought of death did not enter my
mind"
Mccormick had just replaced the
| camera in his pocket when tie ship
went down and he was thrown into
I the water.
Il was submerged so long that
} things began TO get black and l was
on the point Of Inconsistencies when
/ suddenly popped TO the surface and
saw the water around me dotted with
the heads OF men and women" con
tinued the wireless operator.
| After being in the water for three
hours. Mccormick was picked up. The
London Daily Sketch attempted TO re-
produce McCormick's 5 picture OF the
scenes enacted at the sinking OF the
Lusitania. but the film had been ruin
ed by the long immersion in salt wa
ter