The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-03-28
AMERICANS on STEAMER
BELIEVED U-BOAT VICTIMS
Sixty to Eighty Persons Killed or In
jured on Cross Channel Ship
SuSSeX.


vices. Some estimates Of the number
dead run as hi2h as so Most of those
Killed were French women.
Little doubt exists at the ,uerican
embassy tonight that some American
lives were lest. several Americans
are known to have heen badly inIred.
Twenty-Five of the $50 passengers
board had been Officially registered as
Americans
About % persons. it is stated, were
killed by the explosion which liter
ally tore away the bow o the snip.
where many passengers were gather
ed. Numerous witnesses agree tina;
an American girl was among those
killed by the explosion.
The girl is believed to have been
Miss Elizabeth Baldwin, daughter OF
Prof. James Mark Baldwin of Balti-
more. Her mother, Helen Baldwin, is
now in the hospital at Bologne. Her
Tather was saved.
All accounts agree that the steam
ship was torpedoed without warning.
Affidavits to this effect we're received
by the American embassy tonight from
Samuel Flagg Bemis, Harvard re-
search man; John H. Hearley, a news
paper correspondent Of Albany, \. Y,
and T. S. Culbertson of Pennsylvania.
The French minister of marine also
announced officially tonight that the
Sussex was torpedoed, The official
announcement failed to state whether
she was armed.
Despite statements that good dis
cipline was maintained, it is evident
that panic reigned after the explosion.
Many passengers jumped overheard.
More than hall: of those who leaped
into the water are believed to have
lost tnelr lives.
There was wild scramble for the
boats. The second boat lowered was
overturned. 1t contained forty per
sons. Passengers say that fully half
the persons in this boat were drowned.
Great difficulty in ascertainng eX-
actly who /are saved and who lost has
been caused by the fact that British
destroyers which came to the rescue
of the passengers, took about 20 Of
them to Dover. About $50 others have
been landed at Bologne. There isl now
no means of knowing who is missing
until the various lists of the survivors
can be put together.
The ship was torpedoed at 3:05 p.
m. off Dieppe. The torpedo tore the
fore part OF the ship away and it seem
ed inevitable that she. would sink. She
was, however. syved by her water tight
compartments and foated, helpless for
several hours before other ships were
encountered.
The explosion wrecked the wireless
apparatus, rendering the calling for
help impossible.
The wireless operator rugged up
temporary contrivance, but it failed
to work we'll, and when it did WORK
he gave the wrong location to would
be rescuers.
Miss Gertrude Warren of New York
and st. Louis was one of those who
saw the torpedo before it hit the Sux-
sex. She said tonight:
81 was sitting aft on the upper deck
reading when the commotion caused
me to look seward. There I saw
ripple of the water showing the track
of the on coming torpedo. I shrieked a
warning, but simultaneously there
was a terrific explosion.
"a column water rose high above
the boat and crashed on the deck. The
missile tore at least 25 feet of the
deck away.
The captain Immediately shouted
an order 10 close the water tight COM
partments Fortunately the fore bulk
heads kept the steamer afoat
Miss Baldwin, who was seated on
the fore part Of the upper deck, was
hit by the full force of the explosion.
saw her mangled body rise high in
the air. 1t fell back on the deck with
a sickening thud.
"She had been killed outright.
There was an instant rush for the
boats by some of the passengers who
themselves cut the boats clear. Un:or-
tunately a number of people jumped