Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-10-12
Transport 0tranto CollideS
With Steamer Kashmir in a
Terrible Gale Between Scot
tiSh and Irish Coasts.
TR0OPSHIP is DASHED
TO PIECES ON ROCKS
Only One Vessel, a Destroyer,
Makes an Attempt at Res
Cue;.372 Men Missing, Ac-
cording to Late Reports,
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British Port, Thursday Oct 10.
A large number of American troops
have been lost as the result of the
sinking of the transport Otranto in
the North Channel between the Scot
tish and Irish coasts in a collision
with the steamer Kashmir.
The Otranto after the collision was
dashed to pieces on the rocks off tho
south Scottish coast with probable
loss Of 372 American soldiers
Three hundred and one men were
taken 10 Belfast by the British des-
troyer Mounsey. the only vessel which
made an attempt to rescue in the
terrific gale when the Kashnir. an
other vessel in the convoy with the
Otranto rammed the 0tranto amid
ships eft.
Seventeen men were picked lip
alive on the Scottish coast.
OF the 699 American soldiers on
hoard the Otranto, 80 were landed.
Seventeen were rescued alive at Is
lay leaving 372 unaccounted for
Kasbmir Able to Make Port.
The Otranto and the other vessels
of the convoy were battling with tho
heavy seas and high wipds Sunday
morning. The storm was so severe
and the visibility so bad that the
kashmir. former Peninsular and
Oriental liner, crushed into the Otran.
to squarely amidships
The Kasbmir backed away badly
damaged but was able to make port.
As the bows of the Kashmir wero
pulled from the great hole in tho
side OF the Otranto the water rushed
In but for a time II did not serve to
stop the engines. The Otranto tried
to proceed but made no headway
against the gale in her crippled con-
dition.
Within a short time the water put
out her fires and the Otranto drifted
helplessy toward the rocky coast OF
Isiav Island where most of the rua-
cania victims met their deaths.
Destroyer Rushes to Scene.
Thirty minutes after the crash the
British destroyer Mounsey, herself
damaged by the heavy seas appeared
out of the haze in answer to the dis
tress calls of the Otranto, When tha
destroyer maneuvered to get along
side Captain Davidson of the Otranto
warned Lieutenant Craven, commando
ing the destroyer, not to make the at
tempt.
When it was seen that Craven
would make the attempt anyway the
men were ordered to remove their
shoes and heavy clothing and try to
save themselves as best they could.
The destroyer stood off about q
hundred feet and then gradually
came nearer, against the great odds
of high waves and the wind, which
threatened momentarily to carry her
a t,n tA ~
dash her to pieces against the side
of the wounded vessel
Struck Rocks Sunday Night.
The Otranto struck the rocks Sum
day night south of Saligo Bay, Isiay.
Island. an uninhahited section where
the coast line in many places rises
straight out of the water to the rocky
peaks many feet above.
As the DESTROYER neared the side OF
the Otranto the men began to jump
from thirty to forty feet from her
decks. The more experienced SAIL
ors of the crew of the steamer had
better success than the soldiers, many
OF whom had never seen the sea un-
til this trip.
As the destroyer steered toward
the side of the steamer many of the
men leaped too quickly and missed
their reckoning and dropped between
the boats. Some of these disappeared
In the water, but others of them were
caught and crushed to death between
the boats and the life-hoats which
had been lowered to act as buffers.
The destroyer was badly battered
The captain of the destroyer, each
time 1t was brushed away from the
side Of the 0tranto again would push
near enough for many more men I'd
jump to the deck of his vessel He
described as verltab'e rain tho
number of men landing on the. des.
troyer.
Many Suffered Injuries.
Many of those who reached the
decks of the vessel suffered broken
bones or otherwise were hurt. Those
who missed the deck OF the des-
troyer went TO almost instant death.
Continued on Page Two.l