Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-07-11

night of March 2021 09l1). The torpedoing Vi
this hospital ship Is included In the list Of achieve
ments claimed by U-boat, US reported in the Ger
man wireless press message yesterday
The Asturias didn't sink, although 4S died Ia
the tragedy, including two women. and 30 were
injured. The torpedo rendered her helpless, as
her rudder had been carried away. Captain Laws
drove the sinking ship for shoal water. AS she
was off the rocky shore Of Cornwall. If he did sue
coed In Bleaching her the chances Of saving the snip
would be slight. All Captain Laws thought Of was
to get her somewhere where she wouldn't SINK ere
her wounded had been removed.
As luck would have 1t, the Asturias took matters
into her own hands and In the darkness missed n
reef, rounded a headland and brought up on one
of the few sandy beaches to be found along the
Cornwall shore line. After three years in com
mand Of her, several times Il week crossing the
Channel and running the risk OF mines, as well as
seeing the agony of human beings he transported
Captain Laws. like many other hospital ship skip
pers, collapsed. He's made several attempts to go
to sea again, but his nerve IS gone.
The nation responsible for the murder Of Nurse
Cavell accepted the Asturias incident with COM
posure, If not with satisfaction. For the Germans
stated blandly:
ut would, moreover, be remarkable that the
English In the case Of the Asturias should have
abstained from the customary procedure OF using
hospital ships for the transport of troops and mu.
nitions."
The Asturias was returning from France. That
is a sufficient answer to Germany.
Ten days later the Gloucester Castle was tor.
pedoed without warning In midchannel. All the
wounded were successfully removed from the ship
and the casualties were five medical officers, nine
nursing sisters and IS Royal Army Medical corps
men. On April IL the Berlin official wireless again
cynically published a notification that the Glouces-
ter Castle was torpedoed by a u.boat. thus re.
moving INV noSSibl0 doubt In the matter,
Then on April II the hospital ships Donegal and
Lanfranc were sunk by U-boats. The British ad
miralty announced:
'The Donegal carried slightly wounded, cases
all British. OF these, 20 men, as well as IL Of thu
crew. are missing and presumed owned. Tit
Lanfranc. in addition to 234 wounded British Off
GERS and men, carried 1917 wounded German pris
oners. q medical personnel of 50 and a crew o.
LOB. OF these the following are missing and pre-
sumed drowned:
''Two wounded British officers.
ELEVEN wounded British, other ranks.
ION r. A. N. @. staff.
"Five crew.
1.-TWO wounded German officers.
"Thirteen wounded German, other ranks.
zone hundred and ffty-two wounded 0crma1
prisoners were rescued by British patrol boats q
the imminent risk Of being themselves torpedoed
And then on the Goth Of February they sank th
.f GLe00Et SNBuc, vs. s""
Yes. she carried troops. but they lay In white col
within the Glenart Castles white sides. Nice cha
Fritz. for he'd agreed to respect hospital ships
they carried a Spanish ofhcer to guarantee the
Red Cross mission. The GIenart had her Spanla'
and be too was nearly drowned In the catastroph
. One pleasing thing about the tragedy was that
. gave an American destroyer. at the risk Of bell
herself torpedoed. a chance to do a rescue vol
which makes the blood run faster In ones vein
. The sea was vile and the destroyer couldn't laun'
/ a boat. Yet as she passed men clinging to wrec
/. nee-men too weak 10 catch The ~life-lines throw
to them-Amefican seamen jumped overboa
!, into icy water. swan to the poor devils and be
/. them up TIL they could be rescued. Mr.. DAME
. I'm glad to say. has nttlngly rewarded such Q
p lantry.
And shortly after the Gienart Castle the |
: L,andovey Castle. on mercy bent, was tospedo>
Q she also carried 4 Spanlsh ofhcer. ! have q lett
Q from an ofhcer 90 the hospital ship Arasua!
I which has been transferred from passsnger Q
TODD service to the work Of mercy to replace I.
!. hospatal ships, and he tells me his ship % most p
M ticular about living up to ths Geneva coaventi
.. No nurses are carried except those who make
% round trip bstwsen England and Canada. F0r
n Canadian nurses worked their paSsage home q