New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-08
First Optimism Fades as
Later Reports Show
Loss Of.Life.
SHIP HAD BOATS
FOR ALL ON BOARD
Carried Cargo Valued at S725,'
900, Fully Covered by
Insurance.

]
Cunard Line, % State Street, yesterday
when 5hc first news-an unconhrmed
report-told of the sinking of the LULU
tania. Those who had been present al
the White Star Offices when the hrst
rumor Of the Titanic disaster was made
public drew a comparison between the
scenes then and yesterday
In the Cunard Offices no news OF
deaths vas given out. None had been
published on the day the Titanic sank
To-day, however, with the knowledge
that many have gone down with the Luz
sitania spread abroad, the State Street
rooms will probably be besleged by a
crowd as frantically anxious as that
which waited day and night within the
White Star, Line Offices for news OF
their loved ones.
The meagre announcement was re-
ceived shortly before noon, and was
given to the few persons who had
gathered in the Office before l o'clock.
Subsequent messages were made pup
lie as they reached the steamship
Office during the afternoon and even
ing. But none of these had any de-
tails of the sinking, nor did any before
the cable received at $3.50 o'clock last
night tell whether. any lives had been
lost.
Late into the night handful of per
sons, eager TO learn the fate OF rela-
tives and friends who had sailed on
the giant liner, despite the warning
which had been advertised, crowded the
counters at the office, and telephone
calls and inquiries by telegraph came
from all parts of the country. More
than 500 telephone inquiries were
answered by the troop of clerks who
we're kept late last night at their
duties. Some came from as far as 81.
Louis, Atlanta and Montreal.
In the middle of the afternoon re-
mort that the liner had been beached
without casualties kept down the at
tendance at Cunard headquarters.
Later, when announcement was made
that the Lusitania, according to all the
advices that had been received, had
been sunk and not beached, seekers for
information again crowded the rooms.
The first message which mentioned
the passengers at all came into the
company's Office at 4:30 in the after
noon. 1t told that Cork newspaper
had r,1orted the landing of 300 per-
sons at Queenstown. Soon after 1t was
given to the press the number OF visi-
tors began to increase, but until the
$3.50 cable nothing more was said re-
garding the passengers safety.
Some Died in Hospitals.
admiralty has had message from
Queenstown" said this announcement
leaving between 500 and 900 have been
! landed at Queenstown, including many
bospital cases, some of whom have died
| Also a number landed at Kinsale." TIC
| this was appended a sentence telling
| that the family of Cyril H. Bretherton
| of Los Angeles, second cabin passen'
gers, had reached Ireland safely.
All day officials had been hoping
against hope that there had been no
[ fatalities, for until this cable there had
/ boen no mention of death, and all were
counting upon the best news. But
I shortly after 10 o'clock there came an
other message. This was Queenstown
wire 70 Liverpool, and was as follows:
"First Officer Jones thinks about SOC
70 500 saved. This includes passengers
and crew, and is the only estimate we
are able TO make. We are going through
I the hotels and lodging houses tonight
ard will wire tomorrow fullest posi-
HE list. In the mean time, the injured
and dead are taking all our attention
This notice created a distinct shock
UNION the few who remained late at the
Cunard rooms, and the optimistic feel
ing of the earlier evening that perhaps
/ sl1 had been saved seemed to disappear
/ Immediately.
In addition to the passengers men
/ toned in the previous dispatches, q
bulletin, dated 9:40 p. m, cheered
| the crowd by telling that other boats
/ Rad landed more men and women
This was as follows:
"Wire from Queenstown says that
| boat Storm Cock is landing $50. Re-
ro~t nv Admiralty says the trawlers
/ Dock and Indian Empire have about
/ 500. FLYING Fish has 100. Three tor
nedo boats have forty-five and four
dead Putting landed passengers 10
! at hotels and lodging houses, but can
not give complete list Of survivors be-
fore Tomorrow. Passengers are in
such state that their immediate
wants must first be considered"
500 May BE Lost.
These messages account for 1909 OF
| the 1000 passengers and crew believed
10 have been on the Lusitania. Those
| in charge of the New York Office esti-
| mate the latter about 500.
Among the first inquiries was one
! from the Grand Central Terminal ask
| ing about Alfred G.. Vanderbilt. 1t was
reported early in the afternoon that
/ Cornelius Vanderbilt mad received a
message from his brother, but this was
denied last nightl There were several