Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-02-09
RElTERATE CLAIMS CALIFORNIA
WAS roRpEDoED WITHOUT
WARNING.
FIVE KILLED BY SHELL.
THlRTY.sIx DROWNED
Reach Shore Only Partially
Clad and Suffer Severely With Gold
mo Panic on ship-one Lifeboat
swamped-california Carried Gun
For Defense.

Ger steamer California of the Anchor
line, bound from New York for Glass
gov was torpedoed at 9 O'clock We'd
nesday morning off the Irish coast,
and sank in nine minutes with the loss
OF forty-one lives. The stricken ship
was able to send out IS. o. s." calls
and help arrived promptly Neverthe-
less five persons were killed by the
explosion and thirty-six were drowned
In the launching of the lifeboats.
News of the sinking of the Califor-
MIA reached London Wednesday after
noon. before the survivors had landed,
Dut publication was not permitted till
more than twenty-four hours later.
Gunner Was Aiming.
The California was an armed liner,
carrying single NJ gun mounted on
the stern. The gunner was Just train
ing the weapon on the spot where oil
bubbles had revealed the presence Of
the underwater enemy when a torpedo
struck the port side with an explosion
SO violent that most Of the people
were thrown off their feet, five being
killed and score injured
second torpedo followed in an ap-
parent effort to accelerate the sinking,
but the second shot missed, altho both
torpedoes were fired from a distance
OF less than 800 yards.
There was only one American aboard
the California and he is among the
survivors.
There Was No Panic.
Captain Henderson, commander of
the California, declared that the con-
duct of the passengers and crew was
exemplary. There had been careful
drills on the ship on the way across,
and every person aboard had been as
signed a place in lifeboat and pro-
,vided with life belt.
But, despite the GOODNESS Of the pas
sengers and seamanship Of the crew,
the successful launching of the boats
was made impossible by the shortness
Of the time between the torpedoiny
Of the vessel and her disappearance
beneath the waves, which did not per-
init waiting until the ship had lost
Roadway.
While the boats were being lowered
from the sloping decks, the California
continued to move forward, lurching
like a drunken man. and the roar Of
water rushing thru the gaping wound
In her side could be heard above the
shouts Of officers and men.
One Lifehoat swamped.
In number of cases it was neces-
sary for the passengers to jump into
the boats after they were in the water,
and in one case a. boat with its app.
portioned load was swamped and sank,
many of the occupants being swept
under the ship before the other boats
could give help.
Some Of the lifeboats in the after
part OF the ship were actually in the
water when released from the davits,
SO rapidly did the ship settle by the
stern. A considerable number of the
crew Jumped from their stations into
the sea and swan to the boats. 1t
was extremely fortunate that the
weather was calm and the sea CLASSY;
otherwise it probably would have
boat.
Many ThinIy Clad. y
The townspeople (name Of port
omitted) who crowded the quays. car
ried blankets. clothing and food and
were eager to be Of some assistance to
the survivors when they were brought
ashore. Aside from those injured, few
Of the survivors needed much help.
but some we're thinly clad and gladly
accepted gifts of clothing.
Naval and military Red Cross con-
tingents were present to care for the
injured. who We're removed to hos
pitfalls.
According to the reports received by
the American embassy, from some OF
the survivors, there was only one SUBJ
marine, which, however, fired two tor
pedoes, one Of which missed by few
yards, the other hitting the California
squarely on the port quarter.
No Warning Given.
n 1t was the captain from the bridge
who discerned suspicious oil bubbles on
the surface of the water 800 yards dis
tant He instantly OWNED that sub
marine was there and ordered the
gunner to fire. Before this could be
done the ship was torpedoed.
The track Of the torpedo and the
periscope of the submarine could be
seen, but no warning was given, and
the submarine did not shell the boats
after the survivors were In the water.
Captain Henderson and the other
OFFICERS remained aboard the California
until the ship went down. Among the
officers missing are Chief Engineer
Smith, Engineer Cunningham and
Third OFFICER Simpson.