Republican farmer., 1918-10-18
OTRANTO SINKS 366 AMERICAN SOLDIERS DROWN Armed Mercantile Cruiser in Collision With Trans
 port Kashmir. SHIPS SMASHED
 IN HEAVY STORM Number of Troops From In terior of U. $. and Could
 Not Swim.

scotland and Ireland, last Sunday.
 Three hundred American soldiers and 30 French sailors and 266 mem bers of the crew of the Otranto have oeenl anded at a port in northern RIeland. Sixteen other survivors have been picked up at Islay.
 More than 200 bodies had been re- covered this morning and many of them have been buried.
 The Otranto Is a total wreck on the Island of Islay. The Kashmir landed It's troops at a Scottish part without loss of life.
 Thetroopshipsc collided while a heavy storm was raging and the Otranto, with a gaping hole in her side then , drifted helplessly towards the rocky coast. A number of troops on board were from the interior of the United States and were without experience at sea. They had preferred to remain on the bigger ship rather than risk | jumping to the small destroyer Noun ! sey, and they seemed to be cheered by the sight of land,
 The hopes of the men that they would be able to make a safe landing, however, were dispelled by the Otran- to's captain when he shouted from the { bridge:
 { Well, boys, we will have to swim for it."
 About that time the troopship slid with hardly a jar onto a shelving rock, which, as a wave receded, held the vessel in a vise-like grip. { The vicious sea began to rend the ship to pieces. The steel deckhouse was wrenched bodily from it's fasten- | ings by the enormous waves and hurl- ed into the breakers, sweeping many men away with it.
 | The ship had struck about a mile | from shore and on the cliffs stood groups of islanders eager to send aid, but which 1t was impossible even to attempt. Owing to the terrific wind l there was no chance of getting a line to the ship, which now was fast breaking up.
 Scores of men began to jump and many immediately were seized by the waves and hurled against the sides of the ship.
 About noon the Otranto was lying on the crest of a high comber and dashed back to the rock so heavily . that the vessel broke squarely in two. The mast snapped short, killing men as it fell
 One section of the hulk turned side wise, emptying all hands still cling ing to the deck into the surf The other section speedily was ground to pieces on the rocks.
 The ships remaining company now were struggling in the water. The slim chance they might have had of getting ashore virtually was dissipat- ed by the wreckage from the ship through which the best swimmers were unable to win their way.
 The experience related by William ' Richards typifies that of the others but perhaps is bit more sensational. EIe said:
 The fellows were fine. We knew that when the ship went fast on the rocks so far out we would not have much chance to save our skins. But we all seemed determined to make a good try.
 "A wave washed me off and I man. aged to get clear of the ship The first man I recognized in the water was the captain who was thrown over- board when the mast broke away He was standing straight up tread dinI water and Joking about for something to grasp.
 There were three men on a mat tress riding in to shore as though they were enjoying life, but while watched them and wishing I were or it too a. big roller swept them all of and banged them against the rocks
 r5s.- On a bench. Some managed to climI on the tin rafts lowered from the shiI but every raft I saw was smashed tC pieces against the vessel or on tn, rocks.
 The nose of the wreckage grind \ing on the rocks was fierce and an fellow who got into the wreckage wa as good as gone. There were dozen of the boys floating around me, al dead, with nothing but their blu faces out of the water.
 "A big roller carried me into lkind of a cleft in the rocks and I wa thrown upon the side. I must hay passed out. When I came to I say two British soldiers on the other sid of the ravine. They threw me rope which I made fast and crosse hand over hand"
 Joseph Pollock said he believe many more of the soldiers would hay been saved but for the steep bank of the cliffs. In one little cove twer ty-eight bodies were counted.
 All the Americans voiced their dee gratitude to the islands for the tef der care they gave the men. Tn survivors were put to bed in privat houses and were so well provided fc in every way that no one wante to leae when the relief ship arrived.
 All the names of the survivors ar where they will be checked again. the full list from the port from whic the vessel sailed. In this way th dead will be ascertained.
 An officer of the Young Mems Chri. Iian Association named brown
 among the missing.
 A British admiralty statement o rthe sinking of the transport Otrant 6ollows:
 "At Il o'clock on Sunday the arme mercantile cruiser Otranto, actin Captain Ernest Davidson in con mand, was in collision with the steam ship Kishmir. Both vessels were cal rying United States troops. I'll weather was very bad and the shiI drifted apart and soon lost sight each other The torpedo boat dt gtroyer Mounsey was called by wir, less and by skilful handling succeede in taking off 27 officers and 239 men