Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1915-09-10
Canadian Ship Hitby
Submarine.
VESSEL. STAYS AFL0AT
All Passengers and Grew Are
Believed to Be Safe.

London, Sept 6.-The Allan line
steamship Hesperian was torpedoed
at 500 p. m. Saturday off the south
coast Of Ireland. about $50 miles south
west of Fastnet. Approximately $50
passengers were on board. All were
saved, according to the latest report
issued by the Allan line. There were
no American passengers aboard, SO
far as the American consul could
learn, but two members of the crew
were American citizens and they both
were saved.
The steamer did not sink and is re-
ported proceeding under convoy to
Queenstown, to which port most Of
the passengers and crew were taken
by rescue steamers summoned by
wireless calls for help.
Passengers landed at Queenstown
asserted the attack was made with
out warning. The United States en-
bassy here has not yet received any
information on this point. The Ameri-
can consul at Queenstown telegraph
ed the embassy, however, that there
were one or two Americans aboard,
adding that none was lost.
The Hesperian, a vessel of 10,920
tons gross, was outward bound from
Liverpool for Montreal. About thirty
of the passengers were wounded Ca
madam soldiers on their way home
from the front. Most of the passen-
gers were Canadians returning from
visit to England.
Passengers Number About $50.
Early reports from Queenstown
were that there were fifty passengers
in the first cabin, $50 in the second
and $50 in the third, but it later was
announced at the Allan line Offices in
Liverpool that the passengers num-
bered only about $50. There were
800 in the crew.
The attack upon the Hesperian
came just as darkness was falling.
Passengers who have reached Queens
town express the belief that 1t had
been chased for some distance by a
submarine, which fired as soon as it
was within range. The attack came
so suddenly. it is said, that great
alarm was felt aboard the steamer.
No submarine was seen and prob
ably it was too dark to observe the
wake of torpedo, but all the passen-
gers and members of the crew who ar
rived at Queenstown in the rescue
steamers agree that the attack was
made by q German undersea boat.
basing their opinion on the force of
the shock and the great volume of
water thrown into the air. This
dropped back on the deck, drenching
the passengers who were taking an
after dinner promenade, feeling quite
safe in the belief that they had passed
the submarine danger zone.
Wireless Summons Help.
The torpedo struck the Hesperian
forward of the engine room, tearing
away the forward part, so that water
rushed into the forward compart-
ments. The wireless operator in
stantly sent out call for aid, while
Captain Main ordered the boats over
the sides. Three OF them are said TO
have been upset in launching and
twenty persons who we're injured
have been landed at Queenstown. So
far as known all those thrown into
the water were saved.
A fleet of rescue steamers soon
reached the scene and all the persons
in the small boats were taken aboard.
When it was seen that the Hesperian
was likely to remain afloat for some
time Captain Main insisted upon re-
turning to his ship to await the ar
rival of admiralty tugs, which he
hoped would be able to take it safely
to Queenstown. Twenty of his men
went back with him.
The Hesperian was vessel OF s.
1874 tons net. 1t sailed from Montreal
Aug II for Liverpool, where 1t was
Il Apvuw