Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-07-02
REDCROSS STEAMER
WAS SUNK At NIGHT;
234 STILL MISSING
Hospital Ship Torpedoed 20 Miles
From Land; II Women
Among the Lost.
HOPED TO GET AMERICANS

London. july > Seventy miles from
the Irish coast on he night of June ~
German submarine torpedocd the
l1.OOO-ton hospital ship Llandovery Cas-
tie. which had been chartered by tho
Canadian Government and had been in
the service Of carrying wounded and
sick from England To Canada for many
months past The ship was then on her
way to England. She had on board 25S
persons. including so men Of the Cana
dian Army Medical Corps and "a women
nurses.
Up 10 the latest report only twenty
four of those on board. including the
Captain. had reached land
One of the boats. containing twelve
nursing sisters. was seen To capsIzC. The
sisters were drowned
CARRIED U. S. AvIAToRs CHARGE.
The submarine commander who or
dered the captain Of the Ilandovcrv
Castle. severa of his officers. and Mayor
lyon of the Medical Corps aboard. dc
clarcd that he had sunk the ship because
she was carrying American aviation
officers and Others IN the lighting service
Of the Allies lie added IL this later hN
asserting that the vessel was carving
munItion stores because OF mn explosion
which had occurred when the torpedo
struck
All lights were burning when the Land
ovrrv Castle was torpedocd These IN
cludcd n huge electric cross over the
bridge and strings Of white and green
lights on either side The red crosses on
the sides 81 the vessel also were tlum-
mated by electric lights
NURSES PRoBABIy LOST.
ing SISTERS reached lIfcnoat. nut 50 far
rs Is known there was no traCe 81 them
after the snip sank
according ia Red Cross information
many were killed IN the engine MONS
There IS hardly any doubt If thus. as
there was no response to Captain Syi-
vcstcrs signals from Inc bridge after
the torpcdo struck As the cnginCmCn
were either killed or left their posts. thor
was no ono to shut Oh tho power, and The
ship kept on her way despite tho great
holes torn bv the torpedo. not beginning
To slow down until tho water rushed INTO
the boiler room. cxtlng1Ush'ng the fins.
CONFUSION n LAUNCHING LIFE BoArs.
This added 70 the CONFUSION in launching
6 the lieboate There vas no panic.
however. and hv the time the llandovcry
Castc lost her momentum most If the
boats we're over the side Those above
decks began climbing into them 10 reach
order But many were unable tn reach
the boats and the ship was sinking RAPIDLY
They Jumped into the sea. and few Of
them were picked UP
according 10 information received by
the Canadian Red Gross here MAJOR
Lyon from the Llsndovery Castle was
forced to stand in the coming tower.
despite an injured foot, while the Ger
man submarine officers questioned him
The Germans insisted that Major LYON
was an aviation officer despite tho Of
fcer $ denials The Germans even threat
encd TO shoot Major lvou
ApMlRALTY's REPORT OF TRAGEDY.
The Admiralty statement on tho sink
ing Of he hospital ship follows
Germany : awful debt to the would
continues to grow Another hospital
ship has teen torpcdoed. tins time sew
,ntv miles lron the nearest land. and
her people turned adrHt n their boats
to sink OF SWIM aS best they might And
though. rs II happened, she was Canadian
hospital ship returning from HalliaN
with no wounded aboard. the tale OF crime
reveals wanton deliberation on the part
of the submarine commander and almost
suggests the hope on bis part that he
would find her full o. injured and helpless
men
The Llandovery Castle r A Svl-
vester. master, was chartered by the
Canadian Government to convex their
sick and wounded from England TO Hal
fax The LlaDdovery astle had on
board q total Of Us persons, including 50
Canadian Army Medical Corps men and
ID female nurses One boat, containing
"a survivors has reached port so far