The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-05-15
TORPEDO SHOT
WITHIN TEN FEET
Continued from page IL

dpOdru OF drowning tnem. she wa!
bound from Nigeria to Liverpool
! According to the version brough
here, the Abosso was steaming 30t
miles south of Fastnet on the might
of April "a. About nine o'clock 6
lookout saw lights ahead.
! Almost Immediately afterward the
torpedo exploded against the ships
l side. No submarine was sighted then
or later.
The Abosso was armed and fitted
with wireless. An admiralty patrol,
summoned by wireless. picked up the
survivors within forty-fye minutes
| and landed them in Liverpool.
Thomas w. Cooper, Of Watonga,
Oklahoma, a passenger and Louis NJ.
GoDous. Of New York, member Of
the crew, were both among those
saved.
More than week ago the London
Chronicle printed a story demanding
to know why the British admiralty con-
cealed the torpedoing of certain big
ship with Toss of more than sew
enty lives"
The Chronicle probably referred to
the Abosso.
StOiy
NEW YORK, May 15.-An affidavit
by Louis Debouse, one OF the
Abosso's survivors was quoted today
as giving graphic picture of the
disaster. He said the life boat lii
which he obtained a place, contained
flfty-nire others. It was tangled in
the davits and hung suspended and
unevenly with its passengers clinglng
to the sides for forty minutes. Then
the Abcsso and threw their human
lurch, throwing the 1ifeboat against
another boat and dumping the whole
sixty into the sea. Many persisted by
drowning. Two other lifeboats SINH
larry collided because of listing of
the Abosso and threw thier human
cargoes into the water One of the
remaining boats was lowered uneven
ly. several being spilled out
Eighty minutes after the Abosso
capsized, Captain loft of the vesse,
with Debouse and six others. clam
bored aboard the upturned hulk of
the vessel clinging to the keel Then
the Ahosso went clear under. All
were sucked below the surface, hut
managed to fight their way to the top
again and were later taken aboard
other lifeboats
From the same source as that
which gave details of the Abosso
disaster, It was Learned that there
were two Americans who survived 4
torpedo attack on the British steam
er Hesperides on April 25. They
were Milton P. SAKE of Evanston,
H., and John NJ Simms of Law
renee, Mass. One member OF the
Hesperides' crew was lost It was
asserte dthat survivors swore that
while their vessel was sinking and
heir wireless appeals for assistance
we're being flashed, the German u |
boat shelled the sinking hulk.
Nets are Abandoned.
WASHINGTON, May 15-The |
United States has abandoned use OF /
steel nets on war ships as means Of |
combating the q boat torpedo, 1t de- |
,eloped in .he senate today.
Senator Lodge declared that expert |
nents with nets had led this country, !
England and probably Germany" to |
top their use.
At the same time this government |
S centering its attention on other |
means Of offsetting submarines, Sen |
tor Swanson, acting chairman of the |
enate naval affairs committee, declar-
ID
First. we are working to increase /
he effectiveness OF the torpeuo |
.gainst an enemy. Second, we are /
working on plans for defense against |
t." Swanson declared 'fThe prob
ems are parallel and the work is go
ng arm in arm, as it were"
Discussion of the anti-submarine in
entions came when the senate took /
p the navy increase bill
Senator McCumber assailed con-
ress for its criminal delay in adopt
ng some plan to combat the u boat
menace and introduced and amend
lent to the navy increase bill Great |.
ng board to test out all anti-U boat
INVENTIONS.
He read copious German official ut
erances saying the submarine cam
align is surprising all expectations
nd that America would be too late
18th her wooden ships.
THE toll of the U boats in one
lonth continues greater than the
hole output of the worlds shipping
4 1916" ne said.
THE navy. department has studied
ne SuDN2TlNe pEUDlSH lHFee years Z,
nd accomplished nothing"
wadsworth and PoiHdexteT retorted
ecent developments indicated Nc
lumber was wrong.
This war is not lost" Wadsworth
aid. Your figures are utterly mac I
urate and this cry about a desperate
ondition is hysteria"
MANY TRANSFERS