Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-06
TRO0PSH|P SUNK
BY U-BOAT;; $50
WOUNDED DROWN
England Shocked at Fate of Her
Stricken Soldiers Sent Down
by Hun Pirate at Night.
TWO AMERICANS ABOARD

evening issued the following communica-
ton:
The homeward bound ambulance trans
port Warilda was torpedoed and sunk
on the Sd of August Saturday.
Two American officers and five prl-
Yates were on the Warilda. Both the
officers are officially reported as saved;
They were Captain J. T. Beatty and
Lieutenant II. L. Hubert.
The Warilda was built at Glasgow in
1912 She was Al feet long, had beam
of 56 feet, and depth of "a feet. Her
registered tonnage was 7,713. She was
owned bv the Adelaide Steamship Com
pany of Port Adelaide, Australia.
600 SICK ABOARD.
A British Port. Aug. 6.-The torpedoing
early Yesterday morning of the British ship
Warilda was one of the most narrowing
disasters in the history of submarine war
fare. The number of dead is variously
estimated from 105 TO 130 and upward,
and includes several women nurses.
The ship carried COO sick and wound
ed. Among them were seven Amer
leans. two officers, and five enlisted
men. all of whom have been accounted
for except Corporal Buckman.
There were aboard 50 nurses and
members of the Voluntary Aid Depart
ment, and the crew comprised about
ZOO men.
More than ESQ survivors, brought here
shortly after o'clock, received first aid
treatment, food and clothing. The pa
tients were placed aboard special trains,
which had been waiting 10 receive them,
and sent to hospitals in various parts
of the country.
The torpedo struck the afterpart of
the engine room, killing the third engl-
ncer and two other members of the en-
gine room force The dynamo was de-
sIrovcd, plunging the vessel into dark
ness.
PATIENTS Gagged IN wARDRoON.
Just over the DYNAMO was the ward
room. which contained more than 100
patients Most OF these were killed out
right bv the explosion, and the others,
many Of whom had been freshly injured
bv the torpedo, found themselves trap
ped 1t was impossible for outside
aid 10 reach them and all. evCept a
few who jumped overheard and were
picked up, persisted. This part OF the
ship quickly settled and water flooded
the wardroom, drowning the men Gagged
there.
Stories Of the fearful struggle in the
darkness TO rescue the helpless invallds
are told hv survivors The ship re-
NAMED ahoat more than two hours,
but for a great part OF the time contin-
ued under Roadway because the engines
could not be stopped. This condition
greatly hampered the rescue work, and
In addition three or four boats were
smashed while being lowered, throwing
their occupants into the sea.
All the soldier patients and the nurses
testify to the heroic efforts of officers
and crew Notwithstanding the excite
ment and confusion, which were in
creased BY the inky darkness, the crew,
under the mastery direction Of the Of
fcers, went coolly and mcthodically on
deck.
As many as could be handled in this
manner were placed IN sings and low
cred to the escorting deStroyers which,
by wonderful seamanship in the rough
water. managed TO work IN close enough
TO the sinking ship 10 take of men.
WOUNDED WERE HEROIC.
The morale of the wounded. living on
deck waiting to be taken off, Is de-
scribed by members Of the crew as too
fine for words They never complained
and they never urged the rescuers to
hurry.
The less seriously disabled assisted
their more unfortunate mates to go
first Women were placed IN the first
boats lowered, Notwithstanding their
protests that they should not precede
the patients.
One boat, containing six women, was
thrown against another just before
touching the water and upset. Three
women from the capsized craft were
picked up by another small boat, with
five wounded British soldiers, all Of
whom had managed to keep afoat, al
though each had an arm IN a sling
The Warilda had been in the channel
service two years, and this was her first
crossing from France in which she did
not carry number of German wounded
prisoners. Members of the crew re-
marked over this fact and some ex-
pressed the opinion. that it was of SIN
lister significance.
STEWARD S REMARKABLE ESCAPE.
T. Z. Redmsn, one Of the stewards,
had an unusual escape. He had been
placed with the SIX women IN the first
boat, and when the rope broke he seized
another line and claInbered hand over
hand to the top. There he managed to
swing In from the end of the davit to
the rail where a wounded Tommy"
awaiting rescue, seized the stewards s.
hand and aided him TO Chamber aboard
This man described now one woman,
becoming entangled In the ropes as she
was being placed in the boat, was caught
between the boat and the side Of