Middletown transcript., 1918-02-16
REPORTS 1882 y:
Of THE SAVED
Still Unable to Account for 345
on Tuscania.
KNOWN LOSS STILL l13 MEN
Secretary Of War Expresses Keen Ap-
probation Of Work OF Rescue BY
British, Navy-Eiqhteen Hum
dred And Thirty-tWo OFF,
cialIy Accounted For.

dred And Thirty-tWo Ont
ciaiIy Accounted For.
Observation-Disclosures hundred ant
thirty-two names of American soldiers
rescued from the torpedoed liner Tus
cania had been reported to the Wal
Department, leaving 345 of the sol
diers on board unaccounted for. NJ
official report has reached the depart
ment to change the estimate that all
except 113 of the men were saved, but
the names have been coming in very
slowly over the cables, and there is no
assurance as to when the list will be
| complete.
The preparation of the list, even in
its incomplete form represents an ag
| gregate of 40 hours of labor. The
| War Dep artment has only issued an
| official rolf of those on the ship.
The Committee on Public Informa
ton has made no effort to compile q
list Of the missing, merely issuing lists
of survivors. In order to compile a
list of missing and unreported, it was
necessary to search for each name in
both lists, laborious process in deal
ing with more than 1000 names.
Still without official details of the
attack, the Secretary paid high trib-
ute to the GOODNESS and discipline of
the troops. He expressed keen appre-
citation of the work Of rescue by the
British Navy.
His statement reads:
"At dusk on the evening of Feb
ruary 5, off the Irish Coast, torpedo
launched from an enemy submarine
struck the conveyed liner Tuscania,
having on board American troops. Our
loss at the latest report appears to be,
approximately, 113 men.
"The fine discipline of the men and
the efficient handling of a difficult sit
uation by those in command contri-
buted to account for these relatively
slight casualties.
"At the same time we must ex-
press our profound appreciation for
the splendid work of the British Navy
in rescuing our forces.
Notwithstanding the fact that hos
tile submarines were lurking in the
vicinity, the British destroyers rem
dered every assistance and remained
on the scene, succoring our men until
all survivors were brought safely
ashore.
AT the small ports of ireland and
Scotland where our troops landed,
they met with q most warm.hearted
reception on the part Of the people,
who did all in their power to admin
lister every comfort and care"
Latest reports received were that
the death list would remain at 113
The list of survivors, which has been
coming in slowly, has accounted for
just under 1000 of the 2,177 aboard.
This leaves some names still to come
in. but 1t Is firmly believed at the War
Department that they will make up
fully the deficiency between the names
received SO far and the list of 113
dead.
The failure of the British represen-
tatives to get a complete story of the
attack is fully explained. in the belief
of officers, in their main anxiety to
complete the List of dead and missing
ond sovoud oorop1n%o detailed rnuor<
from General George T. Bartlett, mill
tary attache of the American Embassy
in London, is expected as soon as the
immediate task Of caring for the sur
vivors has been finished. The Navy
Department is confident that a full
report will be sent in by Admiral Sims
The Tuscania, being British ship
under British convoy, Admiral Sims
will be supplied with a copy Of the
British Admiralty's report, which he
will forward as soon as received.
According to cable advices from
William Endicott, American Red Cross
commissioner to England, special ef-
forts are being made by the American
Red Cross agents to aid in the work
Of establishing the Identification of the
soldiers whose bodies were either
picked up or washed upon the Irish
Coast.
This work, the cable message said,
had been slow SO far, because the
survivors, who are scattered in four
or five ports. have been unable tn tell
the fate of the others.