Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1916-01-07
lover 400 PERISH
AS BOAT WENT DOWN
BRITISH LINER PERSIA TORPE.
DOED NEAR ISLAND OF CRETE
AMERICANS ABOARD.
PROMINENT PEOPLE DROWN
Away-Steamer Carried Small Car
go but Heavy MaiI-Washing-
ton Awaits Official Details.

London.-The India-bound British
liner Persia was torpedoed and sunk
near the island of Crete Thursday aft
ernoon. The Persia carried more than
200 passengers and a crew of between
200 and 300.
Reports received here have given
rise to a fear that a majority of the
passengers were lost, which, if true,
makes the most disastrous result of
the submarine campaign since the
sinking of the Lusitania.
Among the passengers were three
Americans, Robert McNeely, American
consul at Alden; Charles Grant of Bos-
ton, and Edward Rose, of Denver
There were also 80 British officers on
board the Persia bound for India, in
Guiding Lord Montagu.
A majority of the Persia's passen
gers were British, bound for India, in
Guiding many women.
Four Boats Escaped.
Four boats got away from the sink
ing vessel. Each was capable of car
rying 60 persons, but it is not known
if the boats were full.
The officers on board the Persia, il
is learned, were ordinary booked pas
sengers, and were not in active service
in the British army.
The crew of the Persia were virtu
ally all Lascars.
There was not much cargo ABOARD
the Persia, but she was carrying yer!
heavy mail
Graveyard of Other Ships.
The scene of the catastrophe, tn
seas between the island of Crete AM
Alexandria, recently has been tn
graveyard of a number of fine ships
Officials of the Peninsular and Or
entail Steamship company announc
that the Persia carried no war mate
rial
Lord Montagu Aboard.
The p. & o. steamship office will il
', sue a list of the actual passengers a
soon as possible At present only pal
tial bookings are available. Thes
show that among those on board wa
: Colonel Lord Montagu of Beauliel
t who is known in America. Lord MOI
: tagu was born in 1866. He was prom
+ inent in athletics and has travelled e.
+ tensively.
+ Lord Montague was proceeding t
/ India to assume the post of inspecto
of mechanical transport vehicles.
Y Vessel Was Torpedoed.
A message from the admiralty to tn
, Peninsular and Orient company make
the definite announcement that tn
. Persia was torpedoed.
The Peninsular and Orient Steam
ship company state officially that tn
Persia had left London December
and Marseilles December &c, carryin
d British mails bound for Bombay an
e that she was sunk off the island
r Crete. Only four boats got away fro
e the ship. These boats were picked l
l. by steamer bound for Alexandria.
Carried Many Passengers.
Sixty-one first-class and SO secon
cabin passengers, including eight CHI
e dren, boarded the steampship Pers
e at London. At Marseilles 35 of Il
ID first-class and 80 of the second ca
" in boarded the boat.
Ig The company estimates that aft
i, deducting the number of passenge
m leaving the ship at her various por
% of call about 100 passengers were
- board when the vessel was sunk.
y, Americans Aboard.
- In addition to DR.. McNeely, two o.
cv er Americans are known to have be
- passengers on the Persia when S
es left London. Charles H. Grant of b
nd ton, Mass, was on his way to 30
re bay. Edward Rose, a schoolboy, "
IN, on his way from Denver to Gibralt
on Rose probably landed at Gibraltar a
ge was not on board the boat at the til
Sc she was sunk.
at
his AS Viewed in Washington.
iy Washington.-Of Washing
he anxiously awaits details of the
9edoing of the steamship Persia,
nd which American citirens were kno
III to have embarked.
az While it was realized that repo
80 expected from consular and diploma
he representatives might show that
We submarine commander was justified
lie sinkig the vessel, officials were
a. inclined to minimize the gravity of
cff,,o fior CONFRONTING tho TTpifad Geo