The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-09-08
liner TORPEDOED?
PASSENGER BOAT ATTACKED
WITHOUT WARNING
ALL ON. BOARD SAVED
London Says Submarine Hit Liner
or Coast of Ireland Just as Dark
ness Fell Saturday-No Cndersea
Terror Was Seen Nor Was Wake
of the Torpedo Visible.

of the Torpedo Visible.
The Allan line steamer Hesperian,
with $50 passengers and a crew of
three hundred aboard, bound from
Liverpool for Montreal, was attack
ed, it is believed in London, by a
German submarine of the Irish coast
just as darkness was falling Satur-
day evening Although the explosive
found it's mark, the vessel remained
afloat and, according to statement
issued by the company Sunday night,
every soul aboard was saved.
No submarine was seen and prob
ably it was too dark to observe the
wake of a torpedo, but. passengers
and members of the crew who arriv-
ed at Queenstown on rescue steamers
Sunday agree that the attack was
made by German underSea. boat,
basing their opinion on the force OF
the shock and the great volume of
water thrown into the air.
: Accounts Of the occurrence differ.
The steamship company reports all
saved, but the American consul at
Queenstown reported to Washington
that the loss of life was about eight.
He also conveyed the information
that the Hesperian had 4.7-inch
gun mounted and visible on the
stern. Allen line officials at Mon
trea1 declare the ship carried no gun
to their knowledge.
The force Of the explosion was tre-
mendous. Of the passengers landed
at Queenstor lbout twenty We're
injured. There were no American
passengers aboard, so far as the
American consul could learn Sunday
night, but two members of the crew
were Americans and both were saw
ed. About thirty Canadian soldiers,
wounded in Flanders, were going
home to recuperate. Most of the
other passengers were Canadians re-
turning from a visit to England or
English people on their way to Can
ada to settle.
The torpedo struck the Hesperian
in the forward engine room, and the
ship Immediately began to settle by
the head Capt Main ordered the
passengers and crew into the boats.
but with his officers remained on the
bridge, although at that time he must
have felt sure that his ship would go
down.
The wireless operator instantly
sent out call for aid, while Capt.
Main ordered the boats over the side.
Three are said to have been upset in
launching and twenty persons injur-
ed have been landed at Queenstown.
So far as known all those thrown in
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, Capt. Main insisted on return
ing to the ship to await the arrival Of
admiralty tugs, which he. hoped could
take her to Queenstown. Twenty Of
his men went back with him.
The discipline was perfect, but one
boat capsized and those in her were
theown to the water. All were pick
ed up, and with other passengers and
the crew were transformed to rescue
steamers which arrived in answer to
wireless calls. Passengers landed. at
Queenstown asserted that the attack
was without warning. The United
States embassy received no conirma-
tion on this point.
The Hesperian, a vessel of 10.920
tons gross, was outward bound from
Liverpool for Montreal. Many pas
sengers were wounded Canadian sol
diers on their way home from the
front.
London learned of the torpedoing
of the Hesperian through Sunday
newspaper, which issued an extra
late Sunday covering meagre details.
AS the paper printed an Allan line
statement saying passengers and
crew had been saved the news arous-
ed no excitement comparable to that
caused by the torpedoing of the Lusi-
tania and tho Arabic.
It was noticeable that wherever
groups assembled to discuss the mat
ter, principal interest among them
centered in the probable effect the
torpedoing would have on the nego
tiations between the United States
and Germany concerning Germany's
submarine policy.
A request at the Allan line offices
for the names of the passengers OF
the Hesperian met with refusal tc
give them. It was stated that the
company's officials had decided to is
sue 10 list now.