The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-10-16
TRANSPORT WRECKED.
THREE HUNDRED AND SEVEN
TY-TWO AMERICANS UN-
ACCOUNTED FOR.
Only One Vessel Able to Make At
tempt at Rescue, British Destroyer
Taking off Three Hundred, and Sew
enteen Men Picked up Alive on
Scotch Coast.


A British Port, Oct. 10.-A large
of American troops have been
lost as the result CT the sinking or /
the transport Otranto in the North
Channel between the Scottish ana
Irish coasts in a collision with the
steamer Kashmir.
The Otranto after the collision was
dashed to pieces on the rocks on the
south Scottish coast with propaple
loss Of 372 American soldiers.
Three hundred and one men were
taken to Belfast by the British de-
stroyer Mounsey, the only vessei
which made an attempt at rescue IN
the terrific gale when the Kashmlr'
another vessel in the convoy with the
Otranto rammed the Otranto amid
ship.
Seventeen men were picked up alive
on the Scottish coast.
OF the 500 American soldiers on
board the Otranto, $40 were landed
Seventeen were rescued alive at lslay,
leaving 372 unaccounted for
The Otranto and the other vessels
of the convoy were battling with tae
heavy seas and high winds SUNDAY
morning. The storm was so severe
and the disability so bad that the
Kashmir, a former Peninsular & Orr
entail liner, crashed into the Otranto
sGuarely amidships.
The Kashmir backed away badly
damaged but was able to make port.
AS the bows Of the Kashm1r were
pulled from the great hole in the
side of the Otranto, the water rusheo
ir but for a time it did not serve to
ston the engines. The Otranto tried
to proceed but made no head"a9
against the gale in her crippled con-
dition.
Within a short time the water put
out her fires and the Otranto drl1t-
ed helplessly toward the rocky coas'
Of Islay Island where. most Oh the
Tuscania victims met their deans.
The Otranto struck the rocks sun
oay night south of Saligo Bay lsias
| Island, an uninhabited section Wnere
the coast line in many places rises
straight out Of the water to the ROCKY
peaks many feet above.
+ Thirty minutes after the crash the
British destroyed Mounsey hersen
damaged by the heavy seas, appeared
out of the hazs in answer to the dls'
tress calls on the. Otranto. When tne
destroyed maneuvered to get along
side Captain DavidsoR7 of the otr@nts
warned Lieuteaaa E. Craven copo
,nanding the asstroyer, Tot to make
: the attempt.
When it was seen thas CravsI
would make tAe attempt any way tn
men were ordered to remove: thei
shoes and heavy clothing and Try t
save themselves as best they cou'1.
The destroyer stood off about ao'
feet and then gradually came neare,
: against the great odds of high wave
and the wind, which threatened mo
mentarily to carry her entirely ava
from the OtrantoS or dash her
pieces against the. side of the swoune
ed vessel. ! ezssssss9sssAA 7zassss;;
AS the destroyer iasas;dt the side q
the Otrauto the men began to juml
from 80 to 40 feet from her decks
The more experienced sailors Of tn
crew Of the steamer had better sue
cess than the soldiers, many Of whom
had never seen the sea until this Trip
i AS the destroyer steered toward tn
side Of the steamer many of the me,
leaped too quickly and missed thei
reckoning and dropped between tn
boats. Some Of these disappeared il
the water, but others Of them wer
caught. and crushed to death betwee:
the boats and the life boats whict
had been lowered to act as buffers
The destroyer was badly shattered:
The captain of the destroyer, eacl
time it was brushed away from tn
side of the Otranto, again would pus:
, near enough for many more me1 Il
lump to the deck of his vessel. III
described as veritable rain the mum
ber of men landing on the destroyer
Many Of those who reached tn
decks of the vessel suffered broker
bones or otherwise were hurt. Thos
who missed the deck of the destroye
went to almost instant death.
Four times the battered destroye
came along side, and each time tn
previous scenes were repeated. AT tn
end of the fourth trip she had 81
Americans, 236 Of the crew, 80 French
sailors and one British officer OF
board. The boat was full and, hay
ing done all possible she started TO
port.
The survivors saw the Otrant'
drifting helplessly towards rocks a
they pulled toward the Irish coast
The destroyer barely had time to sen'
a brief message when her wireless
was carried away. The little over
loaded vessel had a rough trip L
port.
! One of the American troopers OF
board the Otranto pictured the seem
when the vessels collided. Soldier
lined the decks as though on parade
and at the word Of command stooe
at attention like statues. They nevei
wavered, remaining there in nail:tar!
formation, exemplifying during thu
crisis the noblest traditions OF the
army for heroisnl and discipline.
The same thing. said the soldier
horc ~