The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1918-02-14
ACCOUNT FOR ALL
BUT rs SOLDIERS
LATEST OFFICIAL ADVlCES TO
WASHINGTON CUTS DOWN
LOSS OF LIFE.
WAY BE REDUCED FURTHER
Eiqures Not Final And High Hopes
Are Entertained That Death
List Will Be
Smaller.

Washington, Feb. 9.-Latest official
advices to the War department &C.
counted for all except 113 of the 2,lo6
American soldiers who were on board
the british liner Tuscania when sub
marine sent her down off the Irish
coast
This figure was not final, and high
hopes that the loss of life would
prove mucl smaller were built up on
cabled reports saying just 101 men,
most OF them members of the crew,
we're missing among the entire force
OF soldiers, sailors and passengers.
Virtually no story Of the sinking Of
the Tuscania has reached the govern
men: through official channels. Dis
patches from the embassy at London
and other sources so far have been
confined to terse statements and an
uouncements of the number saved
Press accounts consequently have
been read with more than ordinary
interest by every one. Army officers
are proud Of the way the troops be-
navcd and point to the story of how
the partially trained boys lined up on
deck and sang national airs while
awaiting their turns in the boats as
evidence of what may be expected Of
American soldiers.
Washington, Feb. 8. Carrying
2,179 American soldiers, the Cunard
liner Tuscania has been tor
pedoed off the Irish coast, but late
Official reports said 207S of the Of
ficers and men had been saved, indi-
eating the loss OF 1O1 lives. These
reports suggested the list of rescued
might prove even larger.
The troops were composed chief
ly of detachments of Michigan and
Wisconsin National guardsmen.
The Tuscania is British vessel
and was under convoy OF British war
ships.
Greater Loss First Reported.
A brief dispatch to the War depart
ment from London early in the even
ing announced the disaster and re-
ported the landing OF only LOO sur
vivors and for more than two hours
it was feared that probably 1,40O
men, including members of the lin
er's crew, had gone down.
When a message came to the State
department from the embassy at
London later saying 1912 of the
Americans had been accounted for,
the joy of officials almost swept
away the distress occasioned by the
earlier news.
The first LOO survivors were land
ed at Larne and Buncrana, two wide
ly separated Irish ports, and this.
coupled with the evident fact that
rescue ships were quickly at hand
gave rise to hope that nearly every
body on board the Tuscania except
those injured by the explosion might
have been saved.
President Waits News.
The President. Secretary Baker
and, in fact, all official Washington
were up late waiting for further
news. Only the briefest dispatches
were received, and none gave details
of the attack on the liner. Even the
thine was not given. but it was as
sumed that it occurred early in the
morning, as the first message was
filed at London at 3 o'clock in the
afternoon. probably within an hour
after the relief ships reached the
Irish coast.
The President was at the theater
when the news was received. and he
was not told until he returned to the
90 White House. In the meantime the
War. Navy and State departments
had sent urgent messages by wireless
and cable instructing their represen-
tatives in England and Ireland to for
ward every available fact immedi-
ately.
List Of Units Aboard.
Because Of the nature of the mill
tary organizations carried by the ship
the War department announced that
II would be impossible to say def