Omaha daily bee., 1916-04-07
DESCRIBES ATTACK
UPON The SUSSEX
French Rear Admiral Certain Tor.
pedo Responsible for
Disaster I .
REPORTS TO GENERAL STAFF

deliberately torpedoed and without
warning by an enemy submarine, u
contained In o report BY Read "A.
mlrai Graeset 10 the French general
staff. made public here tonight BY
the French embassy
The report, dated ~ Bonlogne,
March 30, says
TN conformity with your instructions,
proceeded 70 BopioRBe whore J con
Quoted ~ inquiry relative ~ the attack
on The suasex On March n. the susDeH,
belonging 70 the etats Railway company,
and running the regular service between
England and France, left Folkstone ~
III D. m. Tor Diepps,
May Women ana Children.
This boat carried about N, passengers
Of ~ natlonaiitlss, Kre1t number "
fhese being wornfn AMI children. a. well
ss fhe indian nails This approximate
figure II given BY the captain Accord.
iBa ~ tha company there we're as3 pas.
senfefF, The officer In charge IT the
control ~ tiebsis vas severely sounded
and taken 70 Dover. Ne n not in M
siafe 70 furnish particulars
vas not pessesasd ~ my arms
ment The efew consisted ~ nhy-fbrss
meb, From the start the aDeed vas ~
A. Y knots. after having passed one mite
frDGi DunReness The captain beaded south,
degrees east the weather wss very fine.
che ssa almost calm, U0si ~ The paaaen
aefe we're ~ deck
suddenly, without TIE slightest wan
ieg, the captain who vas on the bridge,
Aa* befefe The p0fl beam, some iO
ustcrs away, thf track ~ y torpedn n
WA nov 40 D. M tho tif1e ~ The dis
hs'ef being exactly registered ~ The
stopping NJ The ei6ekA On board the vss.
ssl. The second officer and deeil officer,
who we're % tbe bridge, also distinctly
ssm The forpedo
Executed ~ once.
With great presence of mind. tie c1p
tain ordered thu helm hafd-a-poft. ami
stopped the sterboafd engine IN order 10
AVOID the torpedo ~ turning 10 star.
hoard Thee two orders we're exaenied
Immediately ~ IA proved b. the state
nnuis N UBe enginaefa ~ the wateh.
THE slip wos beginning 70 rwinq on
wien. Digit Seconds after the iospsao bpd
bfeD seen. . terrific explosion took place
throwing up ~ enormous column ~
Naier. calculating from fbs distance
~ which The torpedo first had been soen
and The time which passed bsfors TIA
explosion. the speed ~ Tie torpedo mus
have been ilbriy-siR knots. the normal
fpeed ~ torpedo.
The ship wss rot IN two opposite NJ Il
bridge the after part thanks 10 The
teiidity ~ The buikheada. continued 10
flat.
ION deck yeyerai passenger Who hap.
pened 70 be on fhe port tlde saw the
torpedo whom quite elofe ~ the ship. ong
4 them fFen selIlna bis nolahbof 10 foo,
u that great fish SWIMMING toward to
hin
AZ Dlssppsar.
"Fycrybody who happened 10 be in me
bows disappeared with tiIat portion 81
he ship. which was sneufed smona
sthsrs tie passengers on the fofedsok ana
n the saloon. The nen n lie efeW who
wsss In the fereessile. tie lookout IL The
low. and The lookout in the crows nest
On tie foremost also disappeared
The captain, aho had been knocked
down BY The column Of watsr resulting
from The explosion. ordered the crew 70
ihelr emergency stations, The nremen
md engineers vent 10 their stations after
having stopped the port engine and closed
The draft plates of the furnaces
~ lhe ammo time the wireless operator
tded 10 send oct distress signals. bat
Without success ~ the antenae had
fallen With the foremost, THE crew pro,
eetded % their stations - launch Inc
ilfeboata and raftA uhefe we're ala ne.
boats capable d carrying lst persons
twenty-five RATS capable ~ carrying ~
peraons and N addition so lifc belts. II
appears from dispositions made that these
life belts were on The apsr deck and that
number On them wore IL bad nnndi.
lloni bnt The ctovdlng an deck ~ the
time made Il very difficult to move
about
Torpedo Pieces Toond.
- number of pieces Of the torpedo
we're found on board the sussex. some of
Them having heen handed over fa thu
Ameflpan delegation which had proceeded
- houlosne. The others will be Tor.
Aardod 70 the ministry ~ marine Or the
maritime authorities
The submarine which tarnedoed the
Sussex could not be- Ignorant ~ the fact
Inst y sss aiihehinR the mail packet
~ me regular Ffnsa+ehRHnni service ha-
fseen Enaiand ard France. not only ate
The outlines N these boats Well knaan 10
~ sailors. bat The course IN the SUSSEX
and The time ~ lie crossing asfe clearly
Indicative ~ ha sfrvlco Il u therefore
obviously pfemsdltatod attack en- an
tnhflned merchant ahlp. carried 0ut with
eul ihe slightest vafnlnaa
One last fact shows an aun more
clearly The nfemsallaied and mplaeahle
character % the submarines operations
hest Vas Dispatched Al 3 N. "a lhs
foilaH liAhtshlp % snnaHnes the fsias.
uaphf fhla hasi aFflRpd a. the nshlf
shlp 81 lllh "a lls ereN sas lAptad
~ ~ q British t9fpfas haat destroyer
a pfiasA Ia ths m0Fhios uuflns lht
ffMnA'shlliasHi torpedo Maa tlisA At
ne destroyer All Passed : fee mftefs
ss'stH e g rus hei has hssn opat
fltmfi % me iilltish aauifaiA Iads
Ns w tHR gaufAs pFhfsA ~ thIa taat
SO llshiahip mWss hsNs tsan n maai IA
81 tefsn Hllss tnaM ugs sasssk
q iHilaws mai ihf saHmhflHa must
Haff lstnalNrd lH ihe nsishtafhHad N
fhs eNsstk b. nfAeg i0 itfaaaa aaY 5hlF
ehHh mlshi saHs % iha fsssNs y lii
sssumA
tsw - rtstssa sfeNe
Nhsa ne rtna i sltlsai IA sttasba a.