The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-04-06
TORPEDOING
Continued from First Parel

three men From the start the speed
was set at sixteen knots: after having
passed at n mile distance from
Dungeness. the captain headed south
three degrees east: the weather was
very fine. the sea almost calm. mos,
OF the passengers were on deck
Saw Torpedo Track.
Suddenly. without the slightest
warning. the captain. who was on the
bridge. saw before the port beam some
$50 metres away the track OF a tor
pedo. II was not $3.50 y. m: the time
of the disaster being exactly register
ed by the stopping Of the clocks on
board the vessel. The second officer
and 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 s~tarboard engine. in order
10 avoid the torpedo by turning 10
starboard. These two orders were ex-
ecuted Immediately. as is proved by
the statements OF the engineers of the
watch.
The ship was beginning 10 swing
off. when, eight seconds after the tor
pedo had been seen. a terrific explo-
scion took place. throwing up an enor.
nous column OF water. Calculating
from the distance al which the tor.
pedo a first beer seen and the time
which passed before the explosion the
speed OF the torpedo must have been
thirty-siN knots. the normal speed OF
a torpedo. The ship was cut in two
opposite the bridge. the ~afterpart.
thanks TO the solidity Of the bulkheads.
continued 70 float.
"nn Iaok ..,..r-f ]
happened 70 be on the port side saw !
the torpedo when quite close 10 ne
snip. n OF them even telling his
mother 10 look az that great fish
swimming towards the ship" Every.
body who happened 20 be in the bows
disappeared with that portion of tho
snip which was engulfed among 9th.
ers the passengers on the foredeck
and in the first class saloon. Among
the men OF the crew who were In the
forecastle. the lookout In the bows
and the lookout in the masts also dis.
appeared.
orders Crew to Stations
M captain who had been knocked
down from the column OF water 70.
sultinR from the explosion ordersd m.
crew TO 20 70 their stations
The firemen and engineers weor .,
their stations after having stopped
The port engine and closed the draugbt
plates OF the furnaces. At the Same
time the wireless operator tried 10
send out signals. but failed az the
antennae had fallen. The crew pro
ceeded 10 let down the Hfeboats
There were six H~feboats and 20 rafts
and SIC hfebelts. u appears that these
llf"belts Were on the ships deck and
that a number Of them were in bad
condition. but the crowding on deck
ar tn" ilme made DO very difficult 10
move about.
"a number NJ pieces Of tho ,or,edo
we're found on board the SUSSEX. some
81 them have been handed over 10 Tho
American delegation which had pro.
oeed"d 10 B~ouloEue. the others will be
forwarded 90 mo ministry Of marine
The submarine which f-orp.do,d
me Sussex could not have boon isnor
ant ~ tho faet that she was ATTACK
Ing The mail packet of tho regular
cross channel service between FrF
land and France nOt only arc tho
outlines az these boats UoiI know
To- al sailors. but Tho courro az tine
"Ias'h and The time N her crossing
Wrr" clearly indicative of her 4ar
'r" u is Therefore obviously ID prr.
m"di'a'nd attack ON an unarmed NOR
chant ship carried out without tho
slightest warning
Fermentation Shown.
conc I4.f fact show. ODD .rIu moro
clearly Than tho nrrmpIlfafrd and
impla'allr character OF fHr .rtms
rIr''a operations s. boat va. dI..
patched OF - n u tu .n. ,o.lrrf 4
.-N'rhIp In announce 'hf catastrophe