Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-04-20

part OF the steamer as far back as the
first watcrtight bulkhcad. carried
away the foremost with the wireless
antennac and killed or injured about
| eighty OF the persons on board.
| NDerlaration of Captain Mouffctt: re-
port OF Rear Admiral Grassett: deposi-
ton OF Henry S. Beer) AZ tho time
no other vessel was i'm sight tAf-
Gdavits Of Samuel j.. BemiS. r w.
cuibcrtso,i, John II. Eariy aud othcrs)
APPROACH or TORPEDO
WITNESSED by SEVERAL
! The approach Of the torpedo was wiz
messed by several other persons on tho
vessel CAniduvits of Samuel j.. Bemis
Henry s. Beer. Gertrude w WARREN
one OF these. an American citizen,
named Henry s. Beer. was leaning on
the port rail about ten feet behind the
bridge and gazing scaward when he
saw the approaching torpedo about 100
yards away and exclaimed to his wife
and companion. ~ torpedo! Immcdi-
utcly following his exclamation the
missile struck the vessel. dispositions
OF Henry :. Reer and Mrs. Henry $.
Bccr)
In further Confederation Of the fact
that the captain saw the torpedo com
irr toward tho vessel Is the sworn
statement of the engineers on duty that
the order to port the helm and to stor
; the starboard engine was received and
obcycd. CRcport OF Admiral Grassctt.)
No reasonable explanation can he given
for this unusual order other than that
tho captain saw something which
caused him 10 change his course
sharply to starhoard.
III addition 10 this evidence. which
would in itself appear 10 he conclusive
that the agen; OF destruction was a
torpedo, is that % Lieutenant Smith.
United States Navy. attached" to the
American embassy 81 Paris. who ac-
c"mranied by Major Logan. United
states Army. of the embassy. went -
Houlogne. Inspected tho hull of The
Sussex and personally found hcraatli
Tho mass az watcr-soa kcd debris OF the
wreck iftecr pieces OF metal which
they retained in their possession as
they did not believe tho pieces formed
part Of the vessel The inSpcc,!on of
The hull disclosed that the vessel was
wrecked by an external explosion the
boilers being intact. and that short
distance forward Of the bridge was a
large dent showing; that the vessel had
tho impact being from abaf, the beam
along line AZ an acute angle with the
keel Of tho vessel (Repor, OF Lieu
tenant Smith. cabled April - This
evidence comedies with and corrob
crates the statement that the vessel
"as swinging TO starboard ana away
from the torpedo when struck
PIECES or METAL PARTS
OF GERMAN TORpEDoL:S
The pieces OF metal which the
American officers had collected were
compared by Lieutenan, smith, Lieu
icnant-Cpmmander Sayies and Major
Logan with mines and plans Of mines
IN possession Of the French naval au-
thorities at Bculogne. Rochefort aud
Toulon. and British naval authorities
at Portsmouth. These officers are
poSiiiv" IN their opinion tina, these
pieces of metal were not parts OF
mine. 'Kcport OF Lieutenant smith
chb!ed Apri! and 81 Among those
Fifteen pieces of metal were two screw
bolts. showing the effects Of an cx-
p!oSlon which were stamped with TX"
and 90 faces OF the head OF ono
and * and "5s" on faces of IN.
head Of the other. On examining Ger
man torpedo.s IN the possession OF
the french naval authorities at TouIon
ana Of the English naval authorities
at Portsmouth, the American officers
found that identical screwr with the
letter Is and Il number were employed
I" laaicn the war" head (kopf) TO
The air chamber. i.ieutcnant Smiths
reports, cabled April ., ) and l2D
The screws used in French and Eng
!ish i"rpedoes have no markings and
are Of Il slightly different size Same
rop"rtsD Furthermore. the Amer-
can officers were able by coinpAri-
son and close examination to posi-
lively identify and locate all the re-
manning thirteen pieces Of metal as
parts OF a German torpedo. az follows:
Fragment 3. part Of inner seat OF
water relief valve Of engine valve
Fragments { and ), punto bands Of
cmG!nc-room casing.
Fragments 20 10. inclusive, and ~.
parts OF engine cylinders.
fragments IL, 10. Ii, 10, parts of
steel war head, still bearing the dis
nhi0hfEt kHhUrc