The Washington herald., 1915-08-20
REPORTS SHOW TEN
AMERICANS MISSING
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

ment. there was no panic. Passenger.
below hastily made their way to deck
buckling on life belts. Stewards
worked rapidly assisting the passengers
to don the cork preservers. and the
seamen of the crew, who had been put
through life-boat drills daily. hastily
and smoothly manned the boats. There
were comparatively few passengers on
board and under the direction Of Capt
Finch and the ships officers they were
hastily put into the boats.
| The sea was calm and the men at
the oars pulled away fast from the
rapidly listing steamer. Eleven boats
in all are reported to have been
launched.
/ Excitement gripped a few. and some
Of these leaped into the seas, according
to the stories of survivors. The few
casualties among passengers were suf-
fered from this cause. 1t is believed.
The Arabic sank within eleven minutes.
four less than it took the Lusitania to 60
down. although representations were
made in Berlin that the reason for the
Lusitania's speedy sinking was a Sec
ond explosion. due to the ammunition on
board. had caused the great ship to
| sink before all the passengers could be
taken off. and that the heavy loss Of life
IN that disaster was due to the nature
| of the vessels cargo.
Sought Escape In Zigxas Flight.
Survivors give great credit to Capt.
Finch. one of the most trusted and capa-
Bile commanders in the White Star fleet,
| that the loss of life was not much
greater. 1t was in large part due to his
personal efforts. they say. that the work
of getting away the lifeboats was con-
Quoted so expeditously. Dispatches from
Queenstown tonight state that a large
number of the passengers and crew of
the Arabic were injured by the torpedo's
terrific explosion.
Their stories throw much new light on
the sinking of the Arabic. Just a few
fatal blow, the British steamer Dunsley,
off a comparatively short distance from
the Arabic, had been torpedoed.
The explosion on the Dunsley had
caused the passengers and crew of the
Arabic to swarm to the rail. Suddenly
they realized the cause. for Capt. Finch
had flashed his engine-room for full
speed ahead. and under forced draught
the great liner began a mad dash on a
zis-zag course to escape the scene.
Survivors Picked Up.
When the change in the Arabic's tao
tics brought to the passengers the reason
for the disaster to the Dunsley. a hasty
search for life belts began. Officers pass
ed along the deck. assuring men and
women that the liner could outrun her
undersea enemy. and that there was no
reason for alarm
Hardly had the words been uttered
when the explosion caused passengers at
the rail to be thrown to the deck. and
those in the chairs, who were amused at
the pycitpmeOt nf their fellnw-ypya
we're hurled about and piled on the slop
ing boards. some being painfully bruised.
Then for a moment there was panic,
but it was quickly quieted
The boats and number of life RATS
We're quickly put over the side and the
passengers scrambled into them. few
fell into the water. while a few more
jumped from the listing vessel. One
woman. who fell into the sea. shrieking
wildly. was rescued and towed to a raft
by two sailors.
Rescue steamers. including several war
ships sent out by the admiralty, rescued |
the occupants of the small boats. some |
of whom were suffering from the wounds |
received on board and from exposure |
and hurried with them to Queenstown !
and other towns along the coast
number of ambulances and other con-
veyances were waiting at the dock at |
Queenstown when the rescue ships be-
gun to put in. and the injured survivors
were hastily placed upon stretchers and
taken in charge by the Red Cross.
Ships Omcer MissinR.
Nurses and doctors quickly Quilted the
nysterical and the rest were taken to
hotels. where accommodations had been
for them.
Capt. Finch and all the deck officers of
the Arabic were rescued. The chief en-
sineer. ships doctor. purser and assist
ant purser are all reported safe Third
Engineer Lugon Is missing.
The Arabic had a gross tonnage of
J.SOl and since the beginning of the
var had been on the run between New
FORK and Liverpool. She was built in
iarland and Wolffs shipyar rds, at Bel
asst in 1903 and was 600 feet long, S.
eet wide and 400 feet deep. She had
'een in the Mediterranean trade from
3oston until the opening of hostiities .
She was known as an arsenal from the ,
ast amount of war material she was
Die TO carry in her roomy hold, and
lad previously been the object of a
ubmarine attack, but escapedu She was
Commanded by Capt. W. Finch, one of
he best known officers in the service.
lie is veteran skipper. having sailed =
he Pacific for years out Of San Fran