The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-07-03
Submarine Torpedoes Vessel
Without Warning 70 Miles
From Irish Coast.
234 PERSONS MISSING
Only Twenty-four of Those on Board
the LIandovery Castle Are Saved
Boat Was Under Charter of
Canadian Government.


expresses the conviction that the
torpedoing of the Llandovcry
Castle was deliberately done,
consequent upon information sent
by spies from America.
London, July 2.-The 1900 ton
lospital ship Llandovery Castle,
which had been chartered by the
Canadian government and had been In
the service of carrying wounded and
sick from England to Canada for
many months, was torpedoed by a
German submarine 70 miles from the
Irish coast on the night of June 81.
The ship was on her way to Eng
land. She had on board 25S persons,
including so men of the Canadian
army medical corps and IA women
nurses.
Twelve Sisters Seen to Drown.
Up to the latest reports only "a Of
those on board, including the captain,
have survived the treacherous attack,
which came without warning.
One Of the ships boats containing
size, according to latest information.
The sisters were drowned.
The commander of the destroyer
Lysander, which rescued the captain
and those in his boat, describing the
rescue, said circumstances of the
sinking as he learned them from the
survivors, made 1t quite clear that
this was aonther instance of sinking
at night, and that it was obviously
intended to follow the policy Of
Leave no trace" for when last seen
the submarine was apparently she'll
ing in the darkness one of the seven
boats launched.
The sisters lost were thrown out
and were either drowned directly or
caught beneath the boat. A Canadian
sergeant who was in the same boat
managed to crawl on the keel.
Nothing had been seen of the re.
naming five boats.
Whether they had been destroyed
by shell fire the commander of the
Lysander could not say. The sub.
marine was observed charging wreck
age, on which might have been sur.
vivors, and in the locality where 1t
was likely some of the boats were
drifting.
The submarine commander who or.
dered the captain of the Landovery
Castle, several of his officers and
Major T. Lyon of the medical corps
aboard, declared that he had sunk
the ship because 1t was carrying Am.
erican aviation officers and others in
the fighting forces of the Allies. He
added to this later by asserting that
the vessel was carrying munition
stores, because OF an explosion which
had occurred aft
Red Crosses Illuminated.
All lights were burning when the
Llandovery Castle was torpedoed
These consisted OF huge electric
cross over the bridge aud strings of
white and green lights on either side.
The red crosses on the sides of the
vessel were also illuminated by cleo
trio lights.
According to Red Cross informa,
tion many men were Killed in the
engine rooms. There is hardly any
doubt OF this, as there was no re-
sponse to Captain Sylvester's signals
from the bridge after the torpedo
struck. AS the enginemen were
either killed or left their posts, there
was no one TO shut off the power
and the ship kept on her way not
withstanding the great holes torn by
the torpedo, not beginning to slow
down until the water rushed into the
boiler room, extinguishing the fires
This added to the confusion In
launching the lifeboats. There was nc
panic, however. and by the time the
H,landovery Castle had lost her mo
mentum most of the boast were ovel
the side. Those above decks begar
climbing into them in good order
But many were unable to reach the
boats and the ship was sinking rap
idly. They umped into the sea and q
few OF them were picked up.
-Fpraro Candy rs. the Latest.
Washington, July 3.-Potato cand
is the latest war time offering Il
sweets, the, food administration an
nounced. 1t comes in the form O
bon bons, which look like chocolates
taste like cocoanut and have dell
cate brittleness about them. Whel
munched slowly, says the announce
ment, an agreeable flavor is apparent
Potato candy, 1t is added, is logica
followup with tapioca -four bread
whale steak, porpoise fillets, mes
quite syrup, cottonseed flour muffina
and canned shark meat