The sun., 1918-07-29
LINER IN AFTER
ESCAPEFR0M
JUSTICIA FATE
Torpedo That Hit White
Star Boat Barely Missed
Arriving Vessel.
ANOTHER ATTACK FAILED
Ship Fought U-BOat $50 Miles
OFF Sandy HOOk-Fired on
I. s. Submarine.
ANOTHER ATTACK FAILED


'he colossal White Star steamship JUS
ticia July 10 missed by yards only n
British liner that arrived yesterday at
an Atlantic port. whose passengers gave
their version of the tragedy and the ex-
perience of their own ship, one of a con-
voy OF eight merchantmen and trans
ports bound for America.
The liner was attacked later by one OF
the supertype Of U-boats about 7s0 miles
east of Sandy Hook and fired three shells
Saturday at a distant American subr1a-
the that did not make her nationality
known in time to avoid being a target
for alert British gunners.
In the list Of the liners forty-thres
cabin passengers was Edward II. Butt.
brother OF Major Archie Butt, lost on the
Titanic. and his wife, who have been
Iesdents of England twenty years. Mr..
Butt was a cotton broker. with offices
in Liverpool He and Mrs. Butt spun
the best yarn of their ships vicissitudes.
Naturally. none Of the officers or crew
would talk for publication, but they COM
municated to passengers the impression
that they believed the squadron Of at
tacking submarines had orders to get the
AH'cllCdl tTdHspVTt LcNldtHai, anu ehos
they mistook the Justicia for the greater
ship, which she resembles.
Decision to Attack.
The conveyed vessels. including one
otaer big liner than the luckless Justicia.
we're steaming in echelon to the west
ward about seventyfive miles OFF the
,oast OF ireland, escorted by destroyers
and other patrol boats, when seven or
more submarines decided to attack from
the land side. The liner that got in yes
terday was on the inshore side OF the
formation. about 800 feet from a sister
ship. About the same distance from the
latter was the Justicia. The eight pas
eenger carriers had been held up at a
British port twenty-nine hours awaiting
word that the lane they were to take
north of Ireland was clear of danger
They got away on the afternoon of July
u. Two days later, on the afternoon
of Friday. July 10, Mr.. Butt said the
booming OF guns and screaming Of sirens
and whistles indicated that the subma'
rines had attacked.
The sea was smooth and the air clear
None of the passengers who put on life
saw n submarine. Mrs. Butt says they
learned soon after they got on deck that
torpedo had been seen glimmerine
astern, only few yards away. 1t just
missed the next ship and hit the Justi'
'ia, not more than 800 yards from the
arriving liner, entering her engine room
The British Admiralty instructions re-
Cuire all conveyed merchantmen when
attacked while In squadron formation &c
lose no time escaping, paying no atten'
ton 10 the fate of the ship that may be
'orpedoed. That is why the other threat
'Hed liners fed at top speed from the
scene, while the destroyers let loose with
heir guns. dropping depth bombs by the
score
part of the destroyer feet accom-
panied the merchantmen racing fol-
safety and did not leave them until the
following morning. The long distance
view some passengers got OF the Justicis
snowed her heeling to port.
Ncrved for Any Ordeal.
During the night following that attacl
wireless messages revealed to the pas
sengers that the Justica had put up 6
hne fight with her own guns, but ulti
mately had foundered. Rumors of the
sinking of submarines by the destroyer
came with the wireless. Passenger
who landed yesterday were prepareS
for later attacks and nerved themselve.
for any ordeal.
The liner speeded through placit
summer sea without seeing anything
portentous, not even a sportive whale
that often has thrown a scare into wa
time sea travellers. until last Friday
afternoon, when she was within tw'
days OF her American destination. J
call TO quarters came at 12:45 In tn
afternoon and while all hands wer
adjusting life belts the ship,s gunner
began firing at an object about sever
miles of. The object was recognized
later as a supersubmarine, which ais
,ndulged in some vain practice at tn
lneT
Shells from the Germans burst hal
nile astern Of the unfrightened pas
sengers The guns of the liner blaxet
away more than half an hour In al
unsuccessful effort to reach the sub
marine, whose commander apparentl,
d'd not care to take the risk of draw
zig rer TO tho merchantmen 80 h
might launch torpedo. The passen
gers at their stations were cool as tn
gnnners themselves and Viewed the loni
distance duel much like spectators with
out personal interest In II as fine Sc;
show
While this particular submarin
wasted ammunition on the liner anothe
u-ooat was attacking British freighte
only few miles away. The freighte
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