The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1915-09-10
TWO AMERICANS
LOST WHEN ARABIC
WAS TORPEDOEO
British Liner Sent to Bottom by
Submarine.
is u. S. CITIZENS RESCUED
Germans Fired Missile at Steamer
Without Warning as She Was
Seeking TO Aid Another Which
Had Been Hit.


line issued a statement on Friday
night saying that IA passengers of the
Arabic, which was torpedoed on Thurs
day by a German submarine, were
missing, and that it was feared they
were lost.
Ambassador Page has sent a cable
gram to the state department at Wash
ington, saying that eight Americans
are among the missing They are:
Mrs. Josephine L. Brusiere of New
York.
DR.. Edmund r. Wood of GAINESVILLE,
Wis.
Torpedoed While at Rescue.
All the information that is coming
TO London and which was allowed to
become public confirms the fragmen-
tary stories that the Arabic was tor
pedoed without warning. AS a matter
or fact she was sunk by a German sub
marine when proceeding to the aid Of
Wilson liner which shortly before
had been assailed by German under
sea boat. tbs vessel had been shelled
by the submarine and was slowly sink
ing when the Arabic hove in view.
The testimony of officers, crew and
passengers is unanimous that no sub
marine was seen. The torpedo was
sighted just before it struck the ship.
Heroism Saves Arabic's Many.
The heroism displayed by the en-
gine-room staff is solely responsible
for the large number of persons saved.
Captain Finch Of the Arabic whistled
down to the engine room, ordered full
speed astern to check the way of the
ship. and in less than three minutes
she came to a standstill. This three
minutes spelled death to the engineers
who stuck to their post, but it made
possible the launching of the lifeboats
and the saving Of such a large percent
age OF the human beings on board.
Survivors Drift Five Hours.
The lifeboats, most of them. were
not picked up for five hours. Captain
Finch was the last man to leave the
boat. He jumped as the vessel, which
went down stern foremost, capsized.
Wreckage kept him afloat until he was
picked up by a boat. He said at
Queenstown that if he had only a few
minutes more time not a life would
have been lost.
The survivors. some of whom were
in their night clothes, suffered severe
ly before they reached Queenstown.
There was little panic among the pas
sengers. A number of them were TAX
ing advantage of the beautiful weather
TO have breakfast on deck.
Captain Finch Tells Story.
The first official statement from an
officer Of the boat came from Captain
Finch.
I'VE were forty-seven miles south of
Galleyhead at $50 in the morning." he
said, when | perceived the steamer
Dunsley in difficulty. Going toward
her ! observed a torpedo coming for
my ship. but could not discern a sub
marine. The torpedo struck 100 feet
from the stern, making terrible havoc
OF the hull. The vessel began to set
tie Immediately and sank in about |
eight minutes.
My order from the bridge about |
getting the boats launched was
promptly obeyed. Two boats capsized |
We had taken every precaution while |
in the danger zone. There were plenty |
of life belts on deck and the boats were |
ready for immediate launching. The |
Onlcers and crew behaved excellently
and did everything possible in the cir
cumstances. getting people into the
boats and picking up those in the sea.
II was the last to leave. taking the
plunge into the sea as the ship was
going down. After being in the water
some time | got aboard a raft m
which also assisted two men and
Captain Finch paid special tribute n
The heroic conduct of several engineers
and fremen who remained at their
posts 10 the last and sacrificed their
ives to execute orders from the
bridge. thus insuring the safety of the
Among those lost was the
captains nephew
Fifty in 5erths When Hlt.
-hoSt Vi the passengers were IN
ieck or at breakfast when we were
struck said Joseph G. De Lorrimer
Montreal lawyer and son-in-law of
ormer Canadian minister of marine
Possibly fifty of the passengers ere
still in their berths.
1T was about nine O'Clock. or u,-
lie after. when several of us sipbted
what We thought was submarine
luite a distance to starboard an.
a steamer we later found
ut was the Dunsley of London While
We were watching we caught tho
amt sound of an explosion and tool,
I for granted that the Dunsiey had
'een torpedoed.
Our course was taking us over in
he direction of the Dunsley. We pre-
jared for an attack at once. The crew
an about distributing life preservers
nd swinging out the boats.
Il adjusted my life preserver and ;
an below TO get a suitcase full of