Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1918-07-04

night of March 2O-21 (1917). The torpedo1ng Of
this hospital ship is included in the list of achieve
ments claimed by U-boats as reported in the Ger
man wireless press message yesterday"
Ihe Asturias didn't sink, although 43 died in
the tragedy, including two women and 80 were
injured. The torpedo rendered her helpless, as
her rudder had been carried away. Captain Laws
drove the sinking ship for shoal water. AS she
was off the rocky shore of Cornwall If he did sue
coed in Bleaching her the chances of saving the ship
would be slight. All Captain Laws thought Of was
to get her somewhere where she wouldn't sink ere
her wounded had been removed.
AS luck would have 1t, the Asturias took matters
into her own hands and in the darkness missed
reef, rounded a headland and brought up on one
OF the few sandy beaches to be found along the
Cornwall shore line. After three years in com.
mand OF her, several times a week crossing the
Channei and running the risk of mines, as well as
seeing the agony OF human beings he transported,
Captain Laws. like many other hospital ship skip
pers, collapsed. He's made several attempts to 60
to sea again, but his nerve is gone.
The nation responsible for the murder of Nurse
Cayell accepted the Asturias incident with COM
posure, ii not with satisfaction. For the Germans
stated blandy:
1T would, moreover be remarkable that the
english In the case Of the Asturias should have
apstalned from the customary procedure of using.
hospital ships for the transport of troops and mn
nitions."
LIE tAsturlaS was returning from France. That
is sufficient answer to Germany.
Ten days later the Gloucester Castle was for
pedoed without warning in midchannel All the
wounded We're successfully removed from the shin
and the casualties We're five medical officers nine
nursing sisters and 3S Royal Army Medical corps
men, On April IL the Berlin official wireless again
cynlcaHy published notification that the Glouces-
Ter Castle was torpedoed by a U-boat, thus re-
moving any possible doubt in the matter.
linen April II the hoSnital shins nonaro1 ord
Lanfranc were sunk by U-boats The British adj
miralty announced:
The Donegal carried slightly wounded cases.
all British. OF these, 90 men, as well as 70 Of tho
crew, are missing and presumed drowned. The
Lanfranc in addition to 234 wounded British off
GERS and men, carried 1877 wounded German nris.
oners medical personnel of SO and n crew Of
l2S OF these the following are missing and nre
sumed drowned: :.
1.-TWO wounded British officers.
Eleven wounded British. other ranks.
zone r. A. NJ g. staff.
Give crew.
1.-Two wounded German officers
Thirteen wounded German, other ranks.
"One hundred and ffty-two- wounded German
prisoners were rescued by British patrol boats at
the imminent risk of being themselves torpedoed"
And then on the 26th of February they sank the
Glenart Castle bound from France to England
Yes she carried troops, but they lay in white cots
within the Genart Castles white sides. Nice chap
Fritz for he'd agreed to respect hospital ships If
they carried Spanish officer to guarantee their
Red Cross mission The Glenart had her Spaniard
and he too was nearly drowned in the catastrophe
One pleasing thing about the tragedy was that it
gave an American destroyer. at the risk of being
herself torpedoed chance to do rescue work
which makes the blood run faster in ones veins.
The sea was vile and the destroyer couldn't launch
boat. Yet as she passed men clinging to wreck
age-men too weak to catch the life-lines thrown
to thena-American seamen jumped overheard
into Icy water swan to the poor devils and held
them up till they could be rescued. Mr. Daniels
I'm glad to say, has fittlngly rewarded such GAL
lantry.
And shortly after the Glenart Castle the big
Llandovey Castle, on mercy bent, was torpedoed.
She also carried Spanish officer. l have a letter
from an officer ON the hospital ship Araguaya.
which has been transferred from passenger and
food service to the work of mercy to replace lost
hospital ships and he tells me his ship is most par.
ticular about living up to the Geneva convention.
No nurses are carried except those who make the
round trip between England and Canada For il
Canadian nurses worked their passage home Ger
many might say they were troops