The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-02-07
Conveys Quickly to Rescue of American Troops
Aboard Torpedoed Cunard Liner Tuscania.
News of the Missing Mems Fate
Awaited Anxiously.
Units Largely From Michigan and Wiscon
Trained at Camp Macarthur, Tex. n
CASUALTY REVEALS USE OF BRITIg
SHIPS TO INCREASE PERSHING'S Il

liner Tuscania, conveyed by British
warships, has been torpedosd and
sunk off the north coast Of Ireland.
Nineteen hundred and twelve Of
ficers and mon, according to state de-
partrent dispatches from London,
have been landed, and officials today,
anxiousIy awaiting further details OF
the first disaster to American soldiers
en- route to France, believe that most
Of the 2e7 missing have been saved.
First news of the sinking came in a
report to the war department early
last night announcing that 1,1O0 sur
yivors had been landed at Buncrana
9 and Larne, two widely separated Irish
ports. This was made public about l0
o'clock, and until the arrival OF the
state department dispatch two hours
later it was feared that more than
= 1,400, including the Cunarders crew,
had perished.
Convoy Worked Quickly.
No mention of the fate of the crew
was made in the state department ad-
vices nor were the landing points OF
the rescued American troops 1ndi-
Gated, but the war departments mes
sage saying that 81, 100 survivors" had
been put ashore at Buncrana and
Larne Indicated that the convoy YES
sells got alongside the sinking trans
port quickly and relief ships made the
scene of the disaster within few
hours.
Buncrana is on Lough Swilly, on the
north coast of Donegal not far from
Londonderry, while, Larne is north
channel port on the east coast. or An
trim. near Belfast. The landing points
indicate that the Tuscania was taking
the northern route around Ireland and
England, and the distance between
Buncrana and Larne leads officials to
believe the number of rescue snips
!, searching the vicinity is large.
No mention of the time of the sink
ing was made in either Of the official
messages, but the news was received
in London at pm. yesterday.
A coded list Of survivors was COM
inn into the war department early to-
day, but officials declined to give out
the names already received.
List Of Units Follows.
The troops aboard the Tuscania
were mainly former Michigan and
WISCONSIN national guardsmen now
attached to the Thirty second division,
trained at Camp Macarthur, Tex. Sew
eral aero squadrons and several COM
panies of the Twentieth engineers.
forestry regiment, were aboard. The
list of units as made public by the
adjutant-general's Office last night is
as follows:
Headquarters . detachment and
Companies d, E and F of the
Twentieth engineers.
1O7th engineer train.
107th military police.
107th supply train.
Tooth aero squadron.
15Sth aero SQUADRON.
213th aero squadron.
Replacement detachments Nos.
and 2 of the Thirty second d1Vl-
sion.
FYfty.one casual officers.
The official table of organizations OF
the Thirty second division shows that
the 107th engineer train is composed
of the First battalion of Michigan en-
gineers and the First Battalion of Wis
consin engineers. The organization is
distinct from the 107th engineer regi-
ment. The 10th military police was
made up from the Fourth and sixth
Wisconsin infantry, and the 1O7th sup
ply train from the Fourth, Fifth and
Sixth wisconsin infantry.
The Twentieth engineers, a forestry
regiment, and the aero squadrons
probably were recruited from various
sections and the place they trained
was not mentioned by the war depart |
ment.
Relief Hastened.
President Wilson, who was attend |
ing the theater when the news of the |
sinking was received; Secretary Ba-
ker and many other officials remained !
lup late for more details, but only the |
terse war and state department mes
sages came through until the list OF
survivors began to arrive from the
American army headquarters, In Lon
don early today. IL
The state departments dispatch said |
Ambassador Page had sent two army |
officers to Belfast and representatives
of the American Red Cross and the
Y. M. c. A. had gone with full power
to spend all the money needed In the
relief. Il
Although the American transport
Antilles was torpedoed and sunk In |
the war zone while returning from
France and fourteen soldiers and 156
others were lost, the Tuscania is the !
first ship carrying American troops to
Europe to be sunk by submarine.
American warships. conveying trans
ports last June, twice fought off sub
marine attacks and since then there
have been no reports of attacks on
ships carrying American troops to
france.
Careful Plan Slipped.
The Tuscania until last fall had
been in the Atlantic trade. but
the sinking indicates that she recently
has been engaged in transporting
American troops. She carried a Brit
ish crew and a British armed naval
guard and was conveyed by British
warships. The use of British ships
to carry American troops has been
hinted at recently in connection with
the decision of the supreme war coun-
ell to make every effort to increase
Gen. Pershing's army.
Navy department officials have be-
lieved that the Germans might con-
centrate their submarines on ships
transporting American troops, and the
recall of many submarines to their