Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1918-02-15
U. S. Troops on Tuscania Sing
"Star-Spangled Banner"
FIFTY AMERICANS MISSING
Army Officer Tells of C'isaster-Brit-
ish Destroyers Rush to the Rescue
Soon After Torpedo Hits Liner
Number of Men Who
Leaped Overheard Are
Saved.


cania disaster were reduced to 101, ac-
| cording to dispatch from Ireland.
| The latest revised figures are: Still
| missing so soldiers; 81 others. Total,
| 1O1.
The message reported 2296 of the
1897 aboard the liner had been ac-
| counted for. 1t added that 2,106
American troops and 100 of The British
| crew had been rescued. Among the
| American survivors are rs officers.
| Eighty-one American soldiers are in
| the hospitals.
The British admiralty previously
had estimated the dead or missing at
| 30. OF that number, it was said on
another authority 113 were United
| States troops and 81 were members
of the crew.
Three of the number landed have
| died from exposure. 1t is not known
| whether they were Americans.
Survivors Tell of Disaster.
Virtually a complete story of the
| sinking of the Tuscania has been COM
| piled from the wealth of narratives re-
| lated by the survivors.
One American officer, who told of
| the probable sinking of the U-bOat,
was one of the very last men to leave
| the sinking liner.
From the mass of details given by
| survivors at the various points they
| were landed, the following connected
| story of the disaster is woven:
The Tuscania, surrounded by her
| British convoy, was steaming east
| along the northern coast of Ireland at
dusk on Tuesday. She was within
| sight of the Irish shore.
Submarine Not Sighted.
At $40 o'clock the liner was at
| tackled from the starboard side by an
unseen submarine, which lay between
| her and the coast. The first torpedo
| fired missed it's mark and passed
astern of the steamer.
The first torpedo was seen from an
other vessel in the convoy, which sig
nailed to the Tuscania: Torpedo COM
| ing! Dodge!'
! Before the liner could heed the
warning second deadly missile
| smashed into her starboard side, caus-
| ing a violent explosion. 1t struck near
| boiler No. l, and shattered the dynamo.
| The auxiliary plant was set to work at.
| once.
| The Tuscania began to list heavily
| to starbOard a short while after the
| torpedo had exploded.
Fired Torpedo at Destroyer.
| It has also been established that the
| submarine which sent the liner to the
bottom was later attacked by de-
stroyer of the convoy. Several sur
vivors express the belief that the
| U-boat was struck by depth mine
and sunk.
| The U-boat after firing twice at the
! Tuscania and striking her once amid
ships directed another torpedo at a de-
stroyer which had made off with a
marty of survivors. 1t missed its mark.
Submarine Reported Sunk.
The submarine which tOrpedOed the
| Tuscania was attacked by destroyer.
An American officer gave an init
| nation that the submarine was de-
stroyed.
This officer was next to the last to
leave the Tuscania. He gave a vivid
account of the disaster to a CORE
spondent.
The second torpedo fired by the sub
marine missed its mark, he said.
Thereupon a destroyer, which was
near the sinking liner, dashed off to-
| ward the submarine, using bomb
dropping device.
Soldiers Sing as Ship Sinks.
The claim is made that the sub
marine was "done in by the bombs
thus exploded.
When the Tuscania was hit the
American troops were lined up at at
tention. AS the transport showed
| sharp list the Americans, TO man,
began to sing MY Country, 'Tis OF
Thee" and THE Star-Spangled Ban
ner." The British crew, lined up ON
the other side of the ship, broke into
"God Save the King"
"Stood Like Soldiers"
The American officer said:
Everything went well with US dur
ing the voyage. Many of our men had
| never been to sea before, and | must
say they stood like soldiers.
1--WE were one of powerful con-
voy. I must not tell you our position
| in the convoy or how the various ships
| were formed, but you may take it that
ali the other boats have got through,
| as far as / know.
/ "As for ourselves, well, the Huns
succeeded in getting only fraction OF
| our fine fellows in addition to our boat;
but if they have they have put the
iron into our souls and we viii be
ready to repay them when the chance
| offers.
monday was wild night Had
the disaster occurred during gale