The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-02-07
OVER HUNDRED AMERICAN SOLDIERS DIE
WHEN TRANSPORT TJSCANIA is TORPEDOED
FIRST GERMAN TORPEDO To REACH MARK
RESULTS IN HEAVY Loss Of LIFE

troops on their arrival at tho Irish
port.
1.-THE ambassador has sent an as
sistant military attache and another
army officer to Belfast, Ireland" the
embassy at London cabled
the state department at II o'clock
last night
Representatives Of tho American
Red Cross and the Y. N. c. A. also
have gone with full power to spend
all tho money needed on authorization
from the British Red Cross to use
their equipment at Belfast. The lord
mayor Of Belfast Is giving all the
aid possible. Tho latest information
was that 1912 officers and men on
the TuscanIa were accounted for out
Of 2,173."
Tho Initial communication Of tho
disaster by the war department. was:
"The department has been officially
advised that Tho steamship Tuscan1a
was torpedoed and sunk and that
survivors numbering LOO AZ far as
GOULD be aseertaIned at that time
were landed At eunerana and Larne
In Ireland. There was total Of 2,17s
United States troops on this vessel.
No name Of persons lost has been
reported to the war department. ana
no names Of survivors were re-
ported. -.ss1ss- .ra
The fact that the Tuscania was
the first large ship to be torpedoed
on the Atlantic east bound, led off,
cIaIs hero to conclude that the ex-
pected drive Of the Germans against
American transports Is on. The
slight losses, by latest reports, are
strikinoIy lower than those Of British
transports lost carly In the war In
the Mediterranean sea.
This was accounted for In official
circles by the elaborate torpedo drills
on every American transport ship
and by tho efficiency Of the convoy
system.
The names Of the survivors Of the
disaster began to reach tho war de-
partment by cable from Belfast early
this morning. It was announced that
the names will be given out In their
entirety In order to prevent undue
anxiety Of relatives. The Initial list
Included twenty national guard and
regular army officers.
National army troops transferred to
the guard to bring tho division to
war strength were Included In tho
units. II any of these are lost they
will be the first soldiers called to the
coIors by CONSUMPTION 70 die over
seas.
It was, grim coincidence that the
news OF the Tuscania disaster should
follow rapidly on the heels Of a
statement by Secretary Of the Navy
Daniels that "the war against the U
boat Is being won," and announcement
In London that the United States is
"wagIng successful campaign
against the U boat" with new de:
Vices. Owing to the fact that the
Tuscania Is British ship, it is be-
Iieved the United States did not have
vessels in her convoy.
The first word Of the attack, lndl-
eating thousand Americans had
been lost, reached here late last
night. Secretary Of War Baker and
Secretary Daniels were both In their
offices when the news came In. It
was held up for some time In the
hope that later advices would show
a greater number Of survivors.
President Wilson was at the theatre
when the news broke over the city.
Shouted extras announcing the heavy
toll In American lives greeted him as
he emerged from the foyer with Mrs.
Wilson.
Reaching the white house he called
both Baker and Daniels for a full
account of the disaster.
The shock Of early bad reports
was modified by later more encour.
aging messages, indicating the loss
of life was not so heavy as first be-
Ieved. 1t Is now learned that con-
voys and patrol boats were near at
hand for survivors have been landed
at widely separated points on the
Irish coast.
This fact also held out hope today
that of the 260 or more men yet to
be accounted for, some may have
been safely landed at an obscure
place on the coast. No mention has
been made thus far Of the vessels
crew.
The fact that the transport was
under convoy, leads to the belief
here that a sharp fight with IN,
enemy may have occurred before or
after the Tuscania received her death
blow.
Great preparations had been made
for the German assault on transports
for some time. Lord NorthcIiffc~
through the United Press warned Of
the German preparations several