Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-10-12
ABOUT SIX HUNDRED
MEN LANDED AT PORT
IN NORTH IRELAND
Otra1to Collided With the
Kashrnir ii North Chan
mel Last Sunday.

kaShnlr IN North Chan
mel Last Sunday.
An Irish Port, Oct. 12.-
American soldiers to the num-
ber Of s64 OF 500, perished when
the British armed mercantile
cruiser Otranto, and the trans
port Kashmir. collided in the
North channel between Scotland
and Ireland last Sunday.
Three hundred American SOL
diers and thirty French sailors
and 266 members OF the crew OF
the Otranto have been landed at
n port In northern ireland. Six
teen other survivors have been
picked up at Islay.
More than 200 bodies have
been recovered this morning and
many of them have been buried.
The Otranto is q total wreck
on the island of Islay. The
Kashmir landed its troops at q
Scottish port without loss of life.
The troop ships cOlided while
heavy storm was raging and
the OtrantO, with gaping hole
in her side, then drifted helpless
,ly toward the rocky coast.
"A number of the troops ON
board were from the interior of
the United States, and many
were without experience at sea.
They had preferred to remain in
the bigger ship rather than risk
jumping to the small destroyer,
Mounsey, which came to the res
cue, and they seemed to be
cheered by the sight Of land.
HOPE OF RESCUE DISPELLED
The hopes of the men that
they would be able to make
safe landing, however, were dis
pelled by the OtFanto's captain
when he shouted from the bridge:
SWIM dwela, iar9t:s SGys' We win have we TO-
About that time the troop.
ship slid with hardly q jar. onto
"a shelving rock, which, as q wave
roccded. bit its teeth into the
ships timber and held her In
vise-liie grip. After that the
moved t !. f. 4 !, eli q \
. The fury 0fs tho ,storla seeealned
to be centered on tho pinioned
and helpless vessel and in league
with the vicious sea which began
to rend and tear her to pieces.
The steel deckhouse was
wrenched bodily from Its fasten-
ings by the enormous waves and
was hurled into the breakers,
sweeping many men away with
1t.
The ship had struck about a
mile from shore and on the cliffs
to send aid but which it was inn
the terrific wind there was no
chancc9of sending line to the
ship (which now was fest break
ing up. rs
Scores Of men began to jump
and many / Immediately were
seized by the waves and hurled
against the sides OF the ship.
About noon the Otrahto was
lifted on the crest OF q high
combcr and dashed back to the
rock so violently that the vessel
broke squarely in two. The
mast snapped short, killing men
asst fell. - -g ,$$,,s III.
One section Of the hulk turned
sidewise, eInptying all hands still
clinging to the deck, into the
boiling surf. The Other section
proved a plaything for the waves
and speedily was ground to
pieces on the rocks.
Q MANY ARE DROWNED.
The remaining members OF the
ships company now were strug-
Cling In the water. The slim
chance they might have had of
getting ashore was virtually dis
sipated by the wrcckage from
the ship through which the best
swimmers were unable to win
The experiences related by VIII
Others but perhaps . bit more
Ho said: 11i .sThe fellows werc
tine. We know that when the
ship went fast on the rock SO far
our we would not have much
cllnnce to save our skins. But we
all seemed determined to mike
. good try. 1,3f Il. 4s-. Il,
S "a wave. washed me, on, and I
managed to EeI clear. 0f the ship.
Tho first man I recognized In the
water was the captain who was
thrown overheard when tho mast
broke away. He was standing
straight upg treading water and
looking about for something to
grasp. is tx A x: y't a, . Z,
ssThcrc were three mon On Z, !
mattress: Riding to shore as II
they Wctc enjoying life, but
Whtle / watched them and wish.
y Ing were omit too, q big roller
swept them all on and banged
them against, the rocks. ,. d
II saw five tor SIX others hang-
ing on o. bench. II Solnc MANAGED
j to climb On the RATS II lowered
from the ship, but every raft
saw WAS smashed to- pieces
against the vessel or ion 4 the
rocks. i. SS Il. ;ss Ell q
'.Thc noise OF tho wrresckase rs
grinding on tho rocks was fierce
and amy fellow who got into the
swreckage was as! good as gone.
There were dozens OF \ the boys
floating around me all dead, with
4. nothing bnt their hlac faces ont
1 Of the water. s. $!ssA5 ssSSs &
N "a bis. roller carried me intn
Kind sOf . cleft In the rocks
and 4 was thrown ON Ntl1e side.
4 nlust have passed ont. sWhS3nlaI
came to II saw 1.-TWO. Bftti6h 6hs sol-
dicrs ON tho Otller side OF the "a.
vine. They threw mo aG rope
which I inside fast and crossed
hand oyer hand = n.
90 BODIES IN ONE PLACE
J0scph Hook Ha1d he belieys
ssi many q. morc 3, rs tlse sbl ~.