The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-06
SUSSEX TORPEDO
SEEN, FRENCH SAY
Passenger Thought 1t a Big
White Fish, Official Re-
port States.
SHIP TRIED TO DODGE

WASHINGTON. April 6.IThe first Of
fetal evidence showing that the Channel
liner Sussex was torpedoed was made
public tonight by NJ. J%usserand. the
French Ambassador. with the permission
Of Secretary Of State Lansing. 1t Ia
the finding of an inquiry conducted by
Rear Admiral A. Grasset. assistant chief
OF the French General STAFF, for the
Vice-Admiral Of the French General
STAFF. and is embodied in the form of a
report by Rear Admiral Grasset. The
text has been cabled to the French Em-
bassy here.
Admiral Grasset's Report.
Admiral Grasset's report says:
~"BoUL0GNE. March 30, 1916.
''ln conformity with your instructions
I proceeded to Boulogne. where I con-
Quoted an inquiry relative TO the attack
OH tho Sussex. On March "a the Sus-
sex. belonging to the State Railway
Company. and running the regular SER
/ vice between England and France. left
Folkestone at l :25 p NJ. for Dieppe. This
boat carried about 1926 passengers OF all
| nationalities, a great number being
women and children. as well ~ the
Indian mails. This approximate figure
Is given by the captain. According to
| the company there were ass passengers.
The officer in charge Of the control of
tickets was severely wounded and taken
to Dover. lie II not In Q fit state TO
furnAh particulars.
The Sussex was not possessed Of any
srmamsnt The crew consisted Of fifty
three men. From the start the speed
was set at sixteen knots. After having
passed at one mile distance from Dun.
geness the captain headed south. 8 de-
[ grees east. The weather WAS very fine.
the sea almoe calm n most OF the
passengers were on deck. Suddenly with
not the slightest warning the captain.
who was on the bridge. saw before the
port beam some $50 meters away the
track OF a torpedo. 1t was now $50
=. NJ, the time OF the disaster being
exactly registered by the stopping OF
the clocks on board the vessel. The
second officer n deck officer, who were
on the bridge. also distinctly saw the
torpedo.
with great presence OF mind the cap
tain ordered the helm hard aport and
stopped the starboard engine in order
TO avoid the torpedo by turning to star
board. These two orders were exc
cuted Immediately. as is proved by the
statements Of the engineers OF the
watch. The ship was beginning to swing
on when eight seconds after the tor
pedo haS been seen a terrific explosion
took place, throwing up an enormous
column OF water. Calculating from the
distance at which tho torpedo had first
been seen and the time which passed
before the explosion. the speed OF the
torpedo rIgust have been thirty-six knots.
the normal speed OF a torpedo. The
ship was cut in two opposite the bridge.
The after part, thanks to the solldity
i NJ the l.,1khnn10 continued a. 10
"On deck several passengers who hap
pened to be on port side saw the tor
pedo when quite close TO tho ship. one
OF them even telling his NeiKhDor TO
look AT that great fish swimming towards
the ship Everybody who happened to
he in the bows disappeared with that
portion Of the ship. which was engulfed
among others the passengers or the fore
deck and In the FIRST class saloon. The
men OF tho crew who were In the ore
castle, the lookout IN the bows and the
lookout In the crowrnest on the foremost
also disappeared. >
The captain. who had been knocked
down by the column OF water resulting
from the explosion, ordered the crew to
go to their emergency stations. The fire.
men aud engineers went to their stations
after having stopped the port engine and
closed the draught plates OF the fur
"a NV sohft iiiA' NV
operator tried to send out distress sig.
Nais, but without success, the antenua
having fallen with THE foremost.
The crew proceeded to their stations
to aunch the lifeboats and RATS there
, were six lifeboats capable OF carrying
, ls& persons. twenty-five RATS capable OF
/; carrying 26+ persons, and in add
ton SIG life belts; 1t appearing from
dispositions made that these If. belt,
l SuarA m fta anar finnls E1A .hn+ a ~
Der OF them were in Il bad condition)
but the crowding on deck AZ the time
made It very difficult TO move about.
Pieces Of Torpedo Found.
!. "a number OF pieces OF the torped,
, were found on board the Sussex, SOM
Of them have been hande over to III,
, American delegation, which had pro
a ceeded TO Boulogne. The others will b.
forwarded to the Ministry of Marine b.
/, the maritime authorities.
i THE submarine which torpedoed tn
a Sussex could not be ignorant Of III
fact that she was attacking The ma
r packet OF the regular cross-Channel ser
vice between England and France, No
only are the outlines OF these boat
well known to all sailors, but tho cours
OF the Sussex and the time Of her cross
ing were clearly indicative OF her ser
r vice. II is, therefore. obviously a pre-
meditated attack on an unarmed me-
chant ship. carried out without tn
o slightest warning.
zone last fart shows NJ still nor
clearly the preneditated and implacahl
character of the submarines operations
A boat was despatched at s =. NJ.
% the Colbart lightship to tn
Is catastrophe. This boat arrived at IN
lightship at II 40 p. n. her crew wer
picked up by a British torpedo hoa
- destroyer at 3 o'clock in the mornin,
le During the transshipment a torpedo wa
o fired at the destroyer and passed n fe'
IS meters astern Of her. This fact Ia
been confirmed by the British Admiralt!
Judging by the course covered b
this boat TIE l!ghtship must have bee
ut most six or seven miles from III
/. Sussex. 1t follows that the submarir
e must have remained in the neighborhoo
d Of the Sussex in order to torpedo an