The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1916-03-31
WILSON WANTS OFFICIAL lNFoR.
NATION AS TO SINKING OF
BRITISH STEAMERS-AFFi.
DAVIS ARE MADE.
DEATH LIST Is LARGER
THAN FIRST INDICATED
Latest Figures Show as Many as 1O2
Persons Missing, Including Five
Vessel Was Sunk without
slightest Warming

London, March 28.-AIthough there
life in the disa ster to the cross chan
mel steamer Sussex last Friday there
no longer is any doubt that the death
list is much larger than the early ad-
vices indicated. The latest figures in
London show as many as 1902 persons
missing, including five Americans.
The Sussex had 436 passengers
aboard Of whom the following have
been accounted for: Landed at Dow
er y; landed at BouIogne $50; dead
at BouIogne 9; dead at Dover 8. This
is the total accounted for.
The casualties occurred in tive ways
first, in the explosion when the ship
was struck, and second. by drowning
when two iifeboats eapsized and only
a few of their occupants could be res
cued.
Wilson Gathers Facts.
Washington. March 2S.-Ofiicial in
formation upon which President Will
son will decide whether the sinking
of the steamer Englishman and the
damaging by an explosion of the chan
mel steamer Sussex We're the result
Of acts in violation OF international
law is being gathered from every
available source by representatives OF
the United tSates in England and
France. Tangible evidence Of some
kind is momelltarily expected by the
state department.
Dispatches already received indi-
cate hat several Americans were in
jured or killed in the Sussex disas-
ter. Four American citizens who
were said in dispatches Saturday not
to be among the rescued still are I'm.
accounted for.
saw Wake of Torpedo"
Only one dispatch of importance
concerning the explosion which dam
aged the Sussex was received by the
state department during Saturday.
This contained ar affidavit made in
London at the American embassy by
two American survivors, Edward S.
Huxley ard Francis E. Drake, of New
York. Both swore that the explosion
occurred without the slightest warn
ing" and they credited the command
er OF the Sussex as saying that he saw
the wake of a torpedo before it struck
his vessel.
Strange Vessel Seen.
Another statement in the affidavit
officials seemed to consider significant
had to do with a strange sailing YES
sci which lowered near the Sussex
after the explosion and which, in re-
Spouse to signals for assistance from
the channel steamer, sailed away and
disappeared. Press dispatches quot
ing a Belgian army officer as saying
that the submarine probably had hid
den behind the strange vessel, which
apparently disregarded all the tradi-
tions and laws of the sea in failing to
succor a vessel in distress were read
with interest.
Neither of Ships Armed.
Should either the Sussex or the
E~nglishman have been torpedoed the
United States would consider the act
to be a most fragrant violation of the
liShsa ~ huiidHits, IHC plln1lpltS VI
international law and the broad as
surances regarding the conduct of SUBJ
marine warfare which have been Civ
en- by the German government. There
Is no evidence or even a suggestion
that eithar Of the ships were armed,
SO no defense could be offered on that
score
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