The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-10-16
1881. SUMTER S G, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16 1913
TRANSPORT WRECKED.
THREE HUNDRED AND SEVEN
TY-TWO AMERICANS UN-
ACCOUNTED FOR.

TH-TWO AMEhlCANS ON.
ACCOUNTED FOR.
Only One Vessel Able 60 Make At
tempt at Rescue, British Destroyer
Taking off Three Hundred, and Sew
cnteen Men Picked up Alive on
Scotch Coast.
A British Port, Oct. 10.-A large
number of American troops have been
lost as the result of the sinking OF
the transport Otranto in the North
Channel between the Scottish and
Irish coasts in collision with the
steamer Kashmir.
The Otranto after the collision was
dashed to pieces on the rocks OF the
south Scottish coast with a probable
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 N
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, 80 were landed.
Seventeen were rescued alive at 1slay,
leaving 372 unaccounted for.
The Otranto 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 disability so bad that the
Kashu,ir, a former Peniusular & Orl-
entia1 liner, crashed into the Otranto
squarely amidships.
The Kashrnir backed away badly
damaged but was able to make port
AS the bows Of the Kashmlr were
pulled from the great hole in the
side of the Otranto, the water rusneo
ir but for a time it did not serve 20
stop the engines. The Otranto trleo
to proceed but made no head"aS
against the gale in her crippled con
dition.
Within a short time the water pu'
ont her. fires and the Otranto DRIFT
ed helplessly toward the rocky coas'
of Islay Island where. most OF Tie
Tuscania victims met their deans.
The Otranto struck the rocks sun
oay night south of Saligo Bay, 1sla1
island. an uninhabited section wher'
the coast line in many places rise
straight out Of the water to the rock!
peaks many feet above.
Thirty minutes after the crash TN
British destroyed Moursey, hersei
damaged by. the heavy seas, appeare'
out of the haze in answer to the dls
tress calls on the. Otranto. When tn
destroyed maneuyeIed to get along
: side Captain Davids0a Of the otrant
warned LieuteRaaRatt aaRatt-Irayen,- ccn
/ 1nanding the destroyer, NOT to max
: the attempt.
e When it was seen tha& Crave
r would make the attempt aay1Tay tn
men were ordered to remove tnel
shoes and heavy clothing and tIE
y save themselves as best they cousd
, The destroyer stood off about ~
feet and then tradually came neaEre
! against the great odds Of high wsve
: and the WIND, which threatened m
t mentarily to cary her entirely awd
: from the Otrants or dash her 4
pieces against the side Of the wound
: eu AS us the destroyefsssasSsd he Side {
s the Otrauto the menBegan to jum
t from 80 to 40 feet from her deck
? The more experienced sailors of IN
r crew Of the steamer had better sue
cess than the soldiers, many OF who1
4 had never seen the sea until this trll
2 AS the destroyer steered toward tn
3 side of the steamer many of the me
: leaped too quickly and missed thei
Z reckoning and dropped between tn
: boats. Some of these disappeared j
the water, but others Of them wer
caught and crushed to. death betwee
the boats and the life boats whic
had been lowered to act as buffer
{ The destroyer was badly shattered:
The captain of the destroyer, eac
= time it was brushed away from tn
side Of the Otranto, again would rus
s near enough for many more men I
jump to the deck of his vessel. II
e described as veritable rain the mum
= ber of men landing on the destroyer
. Many of those who reached tn
s decks of the vessel suffered broke
t bones or otherwise were hurt. Thos
s who missed the deck Of the destroye
. went to almost instant death.
!, Four times the battered destroye
came along side, and each time tn
5 previous scenes were repeated. At tn
, end of the fourth trip she had 81
e Americans, 236 Of the crew, 80 Frenc
sailors and one British officer o
board. The boat was full and, hav
Y ing done all possible she started fc
= port.
/ The survivors saw the Otrant
: drifting helplessly towards rocks a
Z they pulled toward the Irish coas
E The destroyer barely had time to sen
f a brief message when her wireless
was carried away. The little over
loaded vessel had a rough trip I
: port.
J One of the American troopers @
board the Otranto pictured the seen
: when the vessels collided. Soldier
lined the decks as though on parade