Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1916-01-07
over 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
90 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 crew of between
200 and 300
Reports received here have given
rise to 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-
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, it
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 very
heavy mail.
Graveyard of Other Ships.
The scene of the catastrophe, the
seas between the island of Crete and
Alexandria, recently has been the
graveyard of a number of fine ships
Officials Of the Peninsular and ORR
entail Steamship company announce
that the Persia carried no war mate
rial.
Lord Montagu Aboard.
The P. & o. steamship office will is
sue list of the actual passengers as
soon as possible. At present only par
tial bookings are available. These
show that among those on board was
Colonel Lord Montagu of Beaulieu.
who is known in America. Lord Mon
tagu was born in 1866. He was prom
inent in athletics and has travelled ex-
: tensively.
Lord Montague was proceeding to
India to assume the post of inspector
of mechanical transport vehicles.
Vessel Was Torpedoed.
message from the admiralty to the
Peninsular and Orient company makes
Persia was torpedoed.
The Peninsular and Orient Steam
ship company state officially that the
Persia had left London December Is
/ and Marseilles December 26, carrying
British mails bound for Bombay an6
. that she was sunk off the island oil
r Crete. Only four boats got away from
3 the ship These boats were picked III
! by steamer bound for Alexandria.
: Carried Many Passengers.
Sixty-one first-class and S3 second
cabin passengers, including eight chill
@ dren, boarded the steampship Persia
Q at London. At Marseilles 35 of the
d first-class and 80 of the second cab
y in boarded the boat.
6 The company estimates that aftel
q leaving the ship at her various port
u of call about 100 passengers were OF
!, , board when the vessel was sunk.
:, Americans Aboard.
In addition to DR.. McNeely, two 9th
- er Americans are known to have beef
passengers on the Persia when sh'
"a left London. Charles H. Grant of Bos
d ton, Mass, was on his way to BON
g bay. Edward Rose, schoolboy, wa
l, on his way from Denver to Gibraltar
n Rose probably landed at Gibraltar an,
q was not on board the boat at the tim
70 she was sunk.
s As Viewed in Washington.
y Misunderstanding Washington
70 anxiously awaits details of the tol
2edoing of the steamship Persia, o.
q which American citirens were know
u to have embarked.
= While it was realized that report
- expected from consular and diplomat
= representatives might show that tn
q. submarine commander was justified i
la sinkig the vessel officials were nc
l. inclined to minimize the gravity of tn
situation confronting the United State
should it develop that there has bee
Of violation of American rights. Me-
st dangers, it was admitted. threaten th
is relations between the United State
lie and the central powers, which seen
lie ingly had just been placed on the roa
ID to satisfactory adjustment by the a