The Washington times., 1916-03-26
SUSSEX TORPEDOED,
OFFICIAL REPORT
High English Official on Chan
mel Liner Aided in Work Of
Rescue. :.
tcontInued from FIrrt Pagel

FtTbt EdkND
went raving mad when the explosion
occurred and jumped overheard.
Premier Asquith, Lord Kitchener, and
other members Of the British cabinet
were expected to go to Paris late this
week or early next, to attend the allied
war council. IL In possible the very
high English parsonage" referred to
WAS one o. these.
The statement. issued by the ministry
OF marine. said that the Sussex's captain
saw torpedo about lOp yards distant.
and made a vain effort TO maneuver his
ship to safety The ministry OF marine
estimated that fifty. lives were lost!
Another party OF Sussex SURVIVORS
reaching London late tonight quoted the
| captain as saying that he saw TIVE wake
OF the torpedo fifty feet from the ship.
He signaled to the helmsman to swing
the steamer about In n desperate effort
to save the vessel, hut was too late.
Ambassador sharp has obtained afh-
davits from several A American survivors.
lie Is not yet convinced that anv Amer
leans lost their lives. In view OF the con-
| Trajectory reports. -... 't >.
The naval and military attaches OF
the American embassy including Perl
| val Dodge. are In Boulogne. They plan
| to question the officers OF the channel
| steamer and to examine the hull OF the
Sussex when she Is dry locked.
AmeTiCAHb lcbtuys
Three American passengers are ready
| to testify that a torpedo struck the Sus-
| sex.
The first train carrying survivors OF
the Sussex reached Paris yesterday.
Among the arrivals in Parry were sew
eral Americans, who went to the Ameri'
can embassy and made dispositions. Sew
eral OF the Americans said they dis
tinctly saw the furrow of n torpedo fol
some 400 yards before II reached the
! steamer
For n. time It was believed at the
| embassy here that Robert W. Bliss. sec
rotary OF the embassy. and his wife
were on board the Sussex. Later. or
| definite news reached the embassy tina
! Mr.. and Mrs Bliss were not aboard
but that they had taken the South
ampton-Havre route in crossing thu
american passengers on the SUSSEX
| say that several were killed ABOARD I'M
vessel and that several were thrown
| into the water and drowned. Lists o
the survivors or the lost are not We
! available.
| The various accounts OF the sinkinI
! OF the steamship vary in regard 10 me-
! position at the time OF the disaster. Ac
| cordinC to one version she was nttl.
moro than halfway across the channel
Other versions say that she was abou
| six miles from the French coast. Tn
| embassy IL convinced that the SUSSEX
was sunk by torpedo. not by mine
| and that sufficient evidence on tht
point was taken from persons who saw
| the track of torpedo.
An English passenger says thirty per
/ sons were killed aboard and twent!
drowned through falling overheard as
| result of the shock OF the explosion o
OF jumping for the boats.
The whole forward part of the bow
WAS blown OF. This passenger says h
saw q woman lying dead on the decl
whom he knew from previous converse
| ton with her to have been an Ameri
can. he did not know her name. n
placed the thine of the explosion at
| o'clock.
Survivors say that the only hysicial
aboard was an American woman. wnos'
work in caring for the wounded ant
those rescued from the water Ia hignI!
praised. The survivors seen did no
know the woman's name.
Several British naval officers are SAT-
to have been aboard the Sussex and 4
have sent reports to the admiralty CIV
| ing details of the disaster. 1t IL re
ported that these officers picked M
| pieces of steel from the deck anu ar
forwarding them to the admiralty.
Conflicting Reports.
! A dispatch said that Elizabeth Bald
win was in a BouloRne hospital SUI
fering from broken leg and other In
Juries.
J; is possible that this may be true
and that her father and mother re
manned behind with her at Boulognr
| though none OF the Americans reaching
| Paris tonight could recall having seer
the Baldwins after the explosion. Th
tear Is growing that they may nav
been lost.
A Lloyd's dispatch from Dover TO
night reported What Miss Baldwin, TN
American girl reported injured. Is deau
The dispatch also added G. II. Croker
OF fttchburR. Mass, to the number o
injured, stated that Crocker and W. q
fenfield, OF Hudson, MS. have rrac
tured skulls.
Lloyd's listed among the MISSING
Americans, Miss Gertrude Barnes, o
New York. buyer for Wanamaker's
who was en- route for Paris and Mis-
Hilton. of New York. Both Miss Barne
and Miss Hilton. however. are reporte
rescued In other dispatches.
Edward Huxley. president OF tn
United States Rubber Export Company
and Francis f. Drake. European man
ager OF the company, were rescued an
are safe in London. They report tina
there was heavy loss OF life on tn
vessel. MIR. Huxley says that .severa
passengers and n, number of the GREY
were undoubtedly killed by the ex
plos!on.