The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1917-03-01
Believe Laconia Sinking Is the
Overt Act That Will Bring Crisis

: UVeIT Au HAT
Washington, Feb. 27.-Many OIL
Gals here believe that Germany mas
committed the overt act against the
United States with the receipt OF con-
firmation of the sinking OF the Cunard
liner Laconia by German submarine
without warning, when two American
women lost their lives. President WILL
son is brought face to face with one
of the most critical situations since
the sinking of the Lusitania, is the be-
lief. That the overt act Whlcn the
president said Il will recognize ana
so will the country recognize when 1t
comes" has occurred in the opinion
expressed in many quarters here to-
day, but that it will not call for de-
claration of war. 1t is believed the
president wants only money and ex-
plicit authority to protect American
lives on the high seas. Some call the
sinking of the Laconia more ruthless
and lawless than the sinking of the
Lusitania, after which Germany prom
ised not to sink an unarmed vessel
with American passengers aboard. The
sinking of the Laconia, according to
the highest officials, is clear cut case.
No investigations are necessary. This
became known following conference
between the president and Secretary
Lansing today.
OFFICIAL FIGURES GIVEN OUT
London, Feb. 27.-Cfticial figures of
the Laconia disaster show the magni-
tude of the disaster. The total num-
Der of passengers and crew was 293,
of whom PSI survivors were landed at
Queenstown, IA survivors were landed
at Bantry, five were drowned, eight
died of exposure and were buried at
sea, and six died in hospitals. These
figures were furnished by the Ameri-
can consul at Queenstown and sent
to American Ambassador Page here
today.
London, Feb. 27-The Cunard COM
pany this afternoon issued the follow
ing bulletin: Laconia passengers
dead 8, missing 3, crew missing, 6,
crew in hospital s.
London, Feb. 27.-TwO American
women were among the II killed in the
summarizing of the Cunard liner La
coma. They were Mrs. Mary Hoy and
her daughter, Elizabeth Hoy. They
being due to exposure. Both were bur
led in the open sea. Consul Frost at
Queenstown made this report to the
American embassy here, adding that
there were four other Americans
aboard. They were S. L, Gibbons,
Mrs. S. E. Harris, Arthur T. Kirby and
Rev. Father Waering.
Chicago, Feb. 27-Mrs. Mary Hoy,
wife of Doctor Albert Hoy, of London,
and her daughter, Elizabeth, reported
killed when the Cunard liner Laconia
was torpedoed, were prominent in Chi
cago society. They first moved here
from Racine, Wis, II years ago and
lived here IL years before going
abroad. Mrs. Hoy and her daughter
still maintained their social connec.
lions here and have visited relatives
and friends here frequently Doctor
Hoy and his son, Austin, are in Lon
were on their way home to rejoin them
after spending several months here as
guests at the Congress Hotel here.
When they left Chicago they informed
friends that they intended to sail on
an American liner and it was much to
the surprise of their friends when II
was learned that they were on the ILL.,
fated Cunarder. Arthur Hoy is a rep
resentative of the Sullivan Machinery
company. The elder Hoy is about 70
years old. Miss Hoy was Is years.
Queenstown, Feb. 27.-Wireless Op.
orators Dennis and Taylor were the
heroes of the Laconia disaster. They
were the last survivors to leave the
sinking Cunarder and they stuck to
their posts, sending out S. O. S. calls
until British warship responded and
then jumped overheard. A lifeboat
commanded by Captain Irwin rescued
them, little the worse for their exper-
fence. All survivors are in unity in
eulogy of the splendid conduct and
discipline of the officers and crew. The
first torpedo was a vital blow at the
Laconia, and Immediately after it was
seen that she must sink. Lifeboats
were ordered off and they were being
removed by officers when the second
torpedo made strike. Captain Irwin
and the officers were the last to leave
the sinking vessel with the exception
of the two wireless operators. The
weather was apparently calm, but
there was a heavy swell running. The
vessel was struck at p. m. Sunday.
Lifeboats with survivors were afloat
until a. m. Monday, when rescue
ships arrived and picked them up. All
survivors agreed today that the vessel
was torpedoed twice and without
warning, p. m. Sunday being the
first time. Eight lifeboats were
launched with considerable difficulty,
casting them free of the ships sides
which by then had considerable list,
being hard task. Two of them were
damaged, one of the damaged being
believed to have been the one that
Mrs. Hoy and her daughter were in.
The explosion caused most of the casu-
alties. The attitude of the passengers
and crew was calm, although the lights
went out after the first explosion.
London, Feb. 27-After the Laconia
had been summarized and the surviv-
ors had taken to lifeboats, the sub.