The Detroit times., 1915-05-08
MANY WOMEN
AND CHILDREN
AMONG DEAD
tCoati.usd from Page o.ej

ohly Il rev or those on board were
rescued by another boat.
Town Hall a Morque.
The big town hall here has been
turned into IA temporary morgue.
Lines OF collins bearing the bodies
OF victims OF the Lusitania tragedy
are being placed In the main room.
IL Is announced that all will be TAX
en- there for identification. and that
as fast as the names are ascertained
they will be made public.
II Is now proposed that the funer.
ais OF the victims be held on sun.
day.
d. A. Thomas. the Welch colliery
owner, who was among the saved,
told a succinct story OF his expert.
ences. He said;
we were al luncheon when sud
denly the vessel was stopped and
shook from stem TO stern with the
force OF an explosion well forward
that seemed 10 throw her on her
beam ends. The explosion was fol.
lowed by another equally forcible
and the big steamer shuddered and
almost Immediately began TO list 10
port.
Officers and men rushed for their
stations almost without orders and
the work OF clearing the boats was
begun. There was little panic so
far as could see: everyone was
too dazed 10 realize Just what actu
ally was happening For a few min
utes we believed that the stories OF
the safety OF the big liner would
prove true and that she Would stay
ahoat but the constantly increasin g
list showed that this hope was vain
Women .Hystericsi
MANY OF the passengers ran here
and there about the decks although
Capt. Turner and his officers tried
their best To pacify them. Many OF
the women however were hystericai
and some OF them with infants In
their arms caught al the fastenings
Of the boats and hampered the
launching. Altogether 10 boats were
finally swung of. Lady MacW orth
was picked up unconscious after she
had been in the water for three
hours. We had no warning and the
Tx steamer sank within IL or Is
minutes after we first were hit.
1T was a dastardly outrage, de
serving the condemnation OF the en-
tire civilized world.
1T was a beautiful sunshlny day.
The sea was smooth and to that is
due the fact that any one was saved.
Had the water been rough. or had
It been night. everyone would have
been lost
Il doubt very much whether any
q the port side boats were launched
They were In such position that they
could not he swung oversides. The
steamer was headed for the shore
the moment the explosion occurred.
Cart. Turner stuck to the bridge 20
the last. and was picked out OF the
water three hours after the Lusi-
tania foundered"
Ernest Cooper. a newspaper man
from Toronto. who was among the
reso ned, said
Boats Carried Down
II am afraid that many OF the
boats could not be cut away in
time The vessel sank very fast
and carried many people down with
her There naturally was some con
fraon. but saw no real panic.
There were n large number OF WON
m and about 40 children in the sec.
oud cabin who were under one year
old"
Wrapped In a blanket and with
out clothing. Julian De Ayala, the
Gnban consul at Liverpool. was most
cheerful. although he was suffering
from a great cash In his leg from
watch the blood streamed
Il boarded three boats before !
finally got on In safety he said.
The only reason that | was saved
was that remained on the boats
and trusted in the Lord. prayed
that I might be spared for the sake
OF my three children who are in a
convent in Liverpool believe that
there were many on board who made
no effort TO get into the boats, be
licving that the steamer could not
sink"
The steamer Heron and two trawl.
ers were assigned 10 gather up the
dead. They returned to Queenstown
at 8 o'clock this morning. with more
than 100 bodies. OF which the ma
jority were women. All are being
taken TO the temporary morgue in
the town hall as fast as recovered.
end the admiralty has ordered that
every effort be made TO secure all
victims.
In Wretehed Plight
The scenes on the quay here as
the survivors arrived were pitiful
In the extreme. Women wet and
hedraggled and their faces lined with
terror from the experience they had
teen through. were clinging to men.
many OF whom wore only shirts and
trousers. Nearly all were without
shoes. Little children chung to their
parents and cried bitterly. Two lit
tic tots helped ashore elderly
lady who had been a long time In
the water, and who collapsed on the