Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-07


WAR DEPARTMENT STATEMENT
Here is the official announcement OF
the War Department:
Tho War department has been Of
nciallv advised that the steamship
Tuscania was torpedocd and sunk
and that survivors numbering 1872,
as far as could be ascertained, were
landed ut Buncrana aud laruc, ~
Ireland
There was total of 2lT9 United
States troops on this vessel 40
names Of persons lost have been re-
ported to the War Department and no
names of survivors were reported
additional particulars are promised
as soon as received.
At first officials of the department
thought it would be unwise 10 publish
the list of soldiers on the ship until the
names of survivors could be given, fear
ing it would cause unnecessary anxiety
on the part of the families of the men
saved. Later when il was shown delay
in giving out the list would give heart
breaking hours to nearly every family
in the country with boy In tho service,
Ma ior General Mcintyre. chief censor,
announced it had developed II would he
impossible To give the names from the
departments records. but permitted the
list of units 10 he announced.
RELIEF Is RUSHED
The state Department issued this
statement:
The latest adviCcs to the state Dc
partmcnt from the embassy at London
regarding the TUsCania Is that ut ! |
~ NJ. February 6. the latest infOrma-
tion was that 1912 officers and mon on
the Tuscania were accounted for. out
of 2l73.
The ambassador has sent an as
sistant military attache and another
army officer to Belfast, Ireland
Representatives Of the American Red
Cross aud the Y NJ G. A. also have
gone. with full power TO spend All the
money needed and authorizations from
the British Red Cross to use It's cnup-
ment at Belfast The Ambassador
further reports that the Lord Mayor at
Belfast is giving all tho aid possible
FEARED LOSS or 1900 MEN
Announcement of the disaster was
made public soon after 10 o'clock last
night, and for more than two hours II
was feared that possibly 1900 men, in
cluding members Of the liners crew
had pcrishcd.
When the message came to the state
Department from the embassy at Lon
don, saying 1912 Of the Americans had
been accounted for. the joy of officials
almost swept away the distress oC'
casioncd by the earlier news The first
100 survivors were landed at Larnc
and Buncrana, two widely separatcc
Irish ports and this, coupled with tho
evident fact that rescue ships were a,
hand quickly, gave rise to nope tha'
nearly everybody on board the Tuscania
except those injured by the explosion OF
the torpedo, might have been saved
PRESIDENT EAGER FOR NEWS
President Wilson, Secretary of Wal
Baker and, in fact, all official washing
ton were up late waiting for further
news, Only the bricfcst dispatches were
received. and none gave details of th'
attack on the liner Even the time wa'
missing, but it was assumed thht IL oc
cured early Yesterday morning, as tn
first message was filed AZ London a
| 3, o'clock i'm the afternoon ptobahI!
within an hour after the fellci shlp
reached the Irish coast.
Ma ior General Henry =. Mccain, th
| diutant general Of the army ana TN
| chief of staff were the only oi'lclals pos
sessing information of the IDENTITY
| the officers and men aboard the luS
cana. ,, =,
Efforts are being made To op'alh tn
records that would enahie 'he urpir'
ment to give the nation more "ccurdu
information regarding the .'hei' ap", !, y
* ofBciaIs NJ the War Department, Will
boninr to establish definitely the lGenti
tirs Of the troops within short time
did not regard as likely however ina
n complete list of survivors wouii
reach Washington for twcnty-tour hours
and to complete the list of the misain
would reouire at least forty-eight hour'
4 1t was believed.
BATTLE BELIEVED FOUGHT
President Wilson was at the theatr
when the news was received ana II
was not told until he returned to IN
White liouse.
Neiiae. the dispatch 20 the War Da
partmcnt nor that to the STATE Depart
ment referred TO the fate OF the member
of the Tuscania's cre"' 'hooupteoi
many of TEN We're saved ana Whe
all reports are IL officials nope ,he LOS LOS
Of Iifc will be remarkably small. Th
corvovinr warships apparently wer
quickly alongside LOT rescuo WIN ""'
the torpedo struck.
The State departments dlSpa'ch gaV
the number of soldiers on board as 2lI'
civ less than the War Departments rt
mort, It told of the plans promptly mad
1 for caring for the survivors. =,
Excitement grew in intensity as IN
night wore on. Cabinet officers Gale
up for information, and Mr. Tumult!
secretary to the President, showed dec
concern for every available olt OF u
formation to transmit to the President
THE fact the Tuscania was und'
convoy led 20 the belief some sort {
engagement with the u-boat had hee
fought
IL is presumed the survivors wei
landed by vessels In the British convo
There was a manifest tendency
official quarters not 20 despair OF furth'
announcements OF survivors IL wa
pointed out in cases like this tho ~
=. "