The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-10-18
SHIPS COLLIDE AND
MANY SOLDIERS DIE
fNRUSHING WATERS PUT OUT
FIRES AND STEAMER CRASHES
ON SCOTTISH CLIFFS
THINK 372 AMERICANS LOST
British Destroyer Makes Heroic Res
cue of SIG men.-DiscipIine of SOL
ders on Doomed Vessel Was
Perfect, Says Survivor

A British Port, Oct.s IA large
number of American troops have been
lost as the result of the sinking Of
the transport Ortranto in the North
channel, between the Scottish and
Irish coasts, in a collision with the
steamer kashmir.
The Ortranto, after the collision.
was dashed to pieces OH the rocks off
| the south Scottish coast, with prob
able loss of 372 American soldiers.
Three hundred and one men were
taken to Belfast by the British de-
stroyer Mounsey, the only vessel which
made an attempt at rescue in the ter
rifle gale when the Kashmir, another
vessel in the convoy with the OrtrantO
rammed the Ortranto amidships
Seventeen men were picked up alive
on the Scottish coast.
Oh the 500 American soldiers on
board the Ortranto. 80 were landed.
Seventeen were rescued alive at Islay,
leaving 372 unaccounted for.
Crash Occurs.
The OrtrantO and the other vessels
of the convoy were battling with the
heavy seas and high winds Sunday
morning. The Storm was so severe
and the visibility so bad that tile
Kashmir, former Peninsular and
Oriental liner. crashed into the Or
tranto squarely amidships.
The Kashmir backed away badly
damaged, but was able TO make port.
AS the bows of the Kashmir We're
pulled from the great hole in the side
of the OtrantO, the water rushed in,
but for time it did not serve TO stop
the engines. The Otranto tried to
proceed, but made no Roadway against
the gale in her crippled condition.
Tuscania Recalled.
Within Il short time the water put
out her fires and the Otranto drifted
helplessly toward the rocky coast of
IsIay island. where most of the Tus-
cania victims met their deaths
Thirty minutes after the crash. the
British destroyer Mousey, herself dam
aged by the heavy seas, appeared out
of the haze in answer to the distress
calls of the Otranto When the de-
stroyer Unanswered to get alongside.
Captain Davidson of the Otranto.
warned Lieutenant Craven. command
ing the destroyer, not to make the at
tempt.
When it was seen that Craven 1
would make the attempt anyway. the \
men were ordered to remove their
shoes and heavy clothing and try to
ave themselves as best hey could.
Towering Sea Running.
The destroyer stood off about n hun
Ired feet and then gradually came
Iearer, against the great odds of high
waves and the wind which threatened
to carry her entirely
way from the Otranto or dash her to
ieces against the side of the wounded
essel.
As the destroyer steered toward the
ide of the steamer, many of the men
eaped too quickly and missed their
and dropped between the
oats. Some of these disappeared in
ne water, but others were caught and
rushed to death between the boats
nd the lifeboats which had been low
red to act as buffers. The destroyer
as badly battered.
The captain of the destroyer, each
me it was brushed away from the
de of the Otranto, would again push
ear enough for many more to jump
the deck of his vessel He de-
ribbed as a veritable rain the number
men landing on the destroyer.
Many of those who reached the
,cks of the vessel suffered broken
mes or otherwise were hurt Those
no missed the deck of the DESTROYER
emit almost TO instant death
-Four times the battered destroyer
me alongside and each time the
eyious scenes were repeated. At
e end of the fourth trip she had 80
nericans, 236 Of the crew, 30 French
ilors and one British officer on
ard. The bow was full and having
ne all possible, she started for port.
One of the American troops on
ard the Otranto pictured the scenes
len the vessels collided. Soldiers
ed the decks as though on parade
d at the word of command stood at
.ention like statues. They never
vered. remaining there in military
exemplifying during the
sis the noblest traditions of the
ny for heroism and discipline. The
ne thing, said the soldier, applied to
seamen.