The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1917-02-15
Liner T0RPEDOED
!. WITHOUT WARNING;
AMERICANS SAVED
Seven Of Crew Of British Ship
Killed.
CONSUL TELLS OF ATTACK
DR.. E. M. Rice Of Oregon, Surgeon on
the Manitoba, Escapes--Says S. o.
S. Calls Were Answered With
Shell From Submarine.


Washington, Feb. l2.--One Ameri-
can, Earl NJ. Rice, ships surgeon, of
CPS Salmon street, Portland, Ore, was
ON board the BRITISH India liner Man
lola, which was torredoed 1S3 miles
southwest of Fastnet, Ireland, on Feb
yinry s. Consul Frost at Queens
town cabled the state department
that the steamship was torpedoed
without warning. Seven lascars were
lost, but all others on board were
landed ut Queenstown.
The Manitoba, Consul Frost reports,
was Of $500 tons, bound from London
to Calcutta, carrying crew of 1853
ard 10 passengers.
Seven Killed by Explosion.
London, Feb 12.-Earl NJ. Rice of
Portland, Ore, ships surgeon of the
Manitoba and the only American on
board her, was among the survivors
of the torpedoed steamship who ar
rived in London. He gave the follow
ing account of the sinking:
Of q violet explosion, which shook
the ship from end to end, at 40 p. IN.
OH Thursday. The sea was fairly
rough. but the ship maintained an
even keel and excellent order was pre-
served. Captain Chavas Immediately
! ordered the boats launched.
Seven lascars We're killed by the
explosion. The remainder of those
on board We're unhurt Everybody
got safely into the boats with the eN-
ceptiOn of the captain, the chief en-
g,neer and the wireless operator, who
were to follow us later.
Answer S. o. S. With Shells.
"Nobody had yet seen the subma-
rine and everybody in the boats was
peering into the haze in a vain eff
fort to catch glimpse of the tell
tale periscope. An hour and n half
after the torpedoing the engineer and
the wireless MIN got the wireless
working and began sending out S. @.
$. calls, giving details of the posi-.
ton,
THE reply came almost instantly,
hut from an unexpected quarter. The
submarine, which evidently was lying
off in the haze two miles or so away,
picked M the wireless and be-
gan Smelling the Manitoba from 1000
yards distance, meanwhile approach
ing Mt full speed so that the range
rapidly decreased.
nF ha ShDllc Loaded
with shrapnel, which burst about the
Manitoba and around the llfebOats.
The latter had returned close to the
Manitoba, but the sailors now put all
their muscle into the oars to increase
their distance FROM the submarines
target. Nobody was hurt by the shells,
although everybody was badly fright
ened.
az Shells Fired by Diver.
"By this time the submarine was
plainly visible to everybody, her guns
emitting angry little flashes rs they
sent their missiles toward the Man.
tola. A coOl-headed passenger on my
boat took out pocket notebook and
carefully marked down cross every
time the submarine fired. His record
shows that II shells were fired.
"'rhe submarine was within 200 or
eco yards of the Manitoba when an I'M
identified vessel began to loom up on
the hazy horizon. The submarines
commander decided that discretion
was the better part of valor, closed
his matches quickly, submerged and
disappeared, TO the unspeakable relief
of us all. The new arrival proved to
be a British sloop, which gradually
picked up the survivors.
In Boats Six Hours.
1--WE were in our boat about six
hours. The Manitoba sank in the eve,
ming"
The survivors who reached London
showed plainly the effects Of their ex.
rericnce in their pale, nervous, worn
appearances The 100 Lascars of the
crew still clung, without exception, TO
their life belts and various nautical
Aparaphernalia, which made them an
edo spectacle in the busy metropolitan
station. Most Of the survivors were
Unwilling to talk. displaying disincli-
nation to let their minds go back TO
the narrowing experience.
Eleven Men Perish.
Lloyds reported the loss of two other
vessels. The Italian bark Luiginag,
LOO tons. ran aground. The captain
/. and ten men persisted. Five men were
rescued The other vessel lost was the
steamship Sallagh. S,sl1 tons, believed
10 be a vessel of that name owned by
Elder. Depster & Co., Liverpool.