Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-02-07
THE TRANSPORT
TUSCAN|A SUNK;
267 ARE LOST
Continued from page one.)

q number of troops as possible on each
voyage.
BELIEVED 1.4Oo LOST AT FIRST.
A brief despatch to the war department
from London early this evening announced
the disaster and reported the landing Of
only LOO survivors This was made pub
lie shortly after ten o'clock, and for more
than two hours it was feared that prob
ably l.4o0 men, including members Of the
liners crew, had gone down.
When a message came to the state de-
partment from the embassy at London
saying at II o'clock tonight 1912 of the
Americans had been accounted for, the
JOY OF officials almost swept the distress
occasioned by the earlier news. The first
LOO survivors were landed at Larne and
Buncranna, two widely separated Irish
ports. and this, coupled with the evident
fact that rescue ships were at hand
quickly gave rise to hope that nearly
everybody on board the Tuscania except
those injured by the explosion might
have been saved.
The President, Secretary Baker and,
In fact, all official Washington were up
late awaiting for further news. Only
the briefest dispatches were received and
none gave the details of the attack on
the liner. Even the time was missing,
but 1t was assumed that 1t occurred early
this morning as the FIRST message was
filed at London at three o'clock this after
noon, probably within an hour after the
relief ships reached the Irish coast.
PRESIDENT AT THEATRE.
The President was at the theatre
when the news was received and he
was not told until he returned to the
White House In the meantime the
war, navy and state departments had
sent urgent messages by wireless and
cable instructing their representatives
in England and Ireland to forward
every available fact Immediately.
Because of the nature of the mill
tary organization carried by the ship.
the war department announced that it
would be impossible to say definitely
what troops were aboard until the list
Of survivors was received. Later, how
ever. the adjutant- generals Office made
the list public.
Thus all the soldiers are former Wis
consin and Michigan guardsmen except
those in aero squadron. who probably
were recruited from all parts Of the
country.
Neither the despatch to the war de-
partment nor that to the state depart
men referred to the fate Of the members
of the Tuscania's crew. Undoubtedly
many of them were saved and when
all reports are in officials hope that
the loss of life Will be remarkably
small. The liner, which is not a. regu-
lar transport, was under convoy and
the warships apparently were quickly
alongside for rescue work when the
: torpedo struck. The first news was
| given here in this terse announcement
from the war department
| LATEST STATEMENT.
The state departments despatch gave
the number of soldiers on board as 2,173,
II six less than the war departments report.
II told Of plans promptly made for caring
II for the survivors. The state department
II issued this statement:
II 1.-THE latest advices received by the state
Il department from the embassy at London
II regarding the Tuscania is that at II p
4 m. February the latest information was
II that 1,132 officers and men on the Tus-
II cania were accounted for out of 2A73.
II 1.-THE ambassador has sent an assistant
military attache and anothers army officer
II to Belfast, Ireland. Representatives of the
II American Red Cross and the Y. M. c. A,
II also have gone, with full power to spend
II all the money needed and authorizations
II from the British Red Cross to use their
II equipment at Belfast. The ambassador
/ further reports that the lord mayor al
II Belfast is giving all the aid possible"
II The Tuscania was the first ship carry.
ing American troops to Europe to BE-
III sunk by German submarines, but the
II American transport Antilles was tor
II pedoed and sunk in the war zone while
returning to the United States from
II France and IA soldiers were lost with Isl
| other persons. including several members
III of the naval armed guard.
III American warships conveying transports
III to France last June twice fought off
III submarine attacks. Since then. however
| there has been no report of an attack
/ on ship carrying American troops to
III Europe. ct
Recently the navy department has
/ feared that the Germans would make g
II concerted effort to intercept transports
| the recall of many of the submarines tc
| their bases being interpreted as preIim.
III mary to such campaign.
III The position of the Tuscania when sh,
| was sunk is taken to indicate that She
III was bound to England. Her sinkins
II definitely dfscloses that British ships arc
III being used to carry American troop:
abroad experimenting American trans
II port tonnage. This fact has been init.
II mated before and probably arises from
ii the decision of the supreme war council
\ to make every effort to augment Genera
fershihgs army during the present year
= Navy officials have insisted tina
despite the most careful plans and eff
" forts to safeguard transports. Their,
). was always chance that troop .shiI
= would stumble upon lurking subma
= rine and the general belief to-nigh
r was this is what had happened In thi.
. case.
:. The same regulations as to life saw
d ing apparatus govern the movement O.
American troops on a British yesse
= as would govern their passage on. al
= American craft. Those regulations
II which are rigid!y enforced. provide 70,
i sufficient lifeboats and life raf
o capacity for every man aboard tn,
l. ship. even II one-half of the boats ar,
n rendered useless through the listing o,
r the ship when she Is struck. -