Arizona republican., 1918-10-12
IEepubliean A. p. Leased wIrsl


 largo number of American troops have been lost as the result of the sinking of the Transport Otranto in the North Channel between the Scottish and Irish coasts. in a collision with the steamer Kashmir.
 Tho Otranto, after the collision, was dashed to pieces on the rocks off the south Scottish coast with a probable loss of 372 American soldiers.
 Three hundred and one men were taken to Belfast by the British des- troycr Mounsey, the only vessel which made an attempt to rescue in the terrific gale, when the Kashmir, an- other vessel in the convoy with the Otranto. rammed the Otranto amid ships.
 Seventeen men were picked up alive on the Scottish coast.
 Of the 699 American soldiers on board the Otranto. BIO were landed. Seventeen were rescued alive at Islay. Leaving 372 unaccounted for.
 Battle Heavy Sea and Wind
 The Otranto and the other vessels of the convoy were battling with the heavy seas and high winds Sunday morning. The storm was so severe and the visibility so bad that the Kashmir. a former Peninsular and Oriental liner crashed into the Otranto squarely amidships.
 The Kashmir backed away badly damaged but able to make port.
 As the bows of the Kashmir were pulled rom the great hole in the side of the Otranto, the water rushed in, but for a time did not serve to stop the engines. The Otranto tried to proceed but made no headway against the gale in her crippled condition.
 Within a short time the water put out her fires and the Otranto drifted helplessly toward the rocky coast of lslay island where most of the Tus- cania victims met their deaths.
 Captain Warns Destroyer
 Thirty minutes after the crash, the British destroyer Mounsey, herself damaged by the heavy seas, appeared aut of the haze in answer to the dis tress calls of the Otranto. When the destroyer unanswered to get alongside Captain Davidson of the Otranto warned Lieutenant Craven. command 'ng tho destroyer, not to make the at- tempt.
 When 1t was seen that Craven would make the attempt anyway. the mer were ordered to remove their shoe: and heavy clothing and try to save themselves as best they could.
 The destroyer stood off about hun- drcd feet and then gradually came nearer against the great odds of higf waves and the wind. which threatened momcntarily to carry her entirely away from the Otranto or dash her to pieces against the side of the wounded vessel
 Terrific Storm lmpedes Rescue
 The news of the collision reached London Monday but nothing was known of the fate of the Otranto unti this morning, when the first reports came from Italy. The storm continued Go make further attempts at rescue i'm. possible. No ships pass close enougl Co that coast in rough weather to se' a stricken vessel ashore.
 The Otranto struck the rocks Supdal night, south of Saligo Bay, Islay is land, an uninhabited section, where thu coast line in many places rises straigh out of the water to the rocky peak many feet above.
 As the destroyer neared the side O tho Otranto, the men began to tuml from thirty 10 forty feet from he decks. The more experienced sailors O the crew of the steamer had bette success than the soldiers, many O whom had never seen the sea until thi trip.
 Many Crushed Between Boats
 As the destroyer steered toward tn side Of the steamer many of the me- leaped too quickly and missed thei reckoning and dropped between tn boats. Some of these disappeared il the water but others of them wer caught and crushed to death betwee the boats and the life boats which ha fn a h1ffara destroyer was badly shattered.
 The captain of the destroyer. eac time it was brushed way from tn side of the Otranto. again would pus near enough for many more men { jump 10 the deck of his vessel. He de SCribcd as a veritable rain. the numbe of men landing on the destroyer.
 Many of those who reached the deck Of the vessel suffered broken bones c otherwise were hurt. Those who misse the deck fthe destroyer went to al most instant death.
 Destroyer Saves 577 Lives
 Four times the battered destroye came alongside and each time the pre- Nious scenes were repeated. At the en of the fourth trip. she had BIO Amer cans. e36 of the crew, 30 French sail OTIS and one British officer on boar Tho boat was full and, having done a possible. she started for port.
 The survivors saw the Otranto drift ing helplessly toward the rocks as the pulled away toward the Irish coas The destroyer barely had time to ser a brief message when her wireless ws carried away. The little overloadt vessel had a rough trip to port.
 One of the American troops on boal tho Ontario pictured the scene wht the vessels collided. Soldiers lined u decks as though on parade and at u word of command stood at attentiC like statues. They never wavered, IT maining there in military formatio exemplifying, during the crisis. the n, lest traditions of the army. for herois and discipline. The same thing. sa tho soldier. applied to the seamen.
 Nearly 200 Bodies Washed Ashore
 Numbers of bodies today were beil washed up rapidly on the shore. was reported that 175 had been count at noon and nearly all of them h; been identified.
 A seaman of the Otranto describ the most tragic moment of the di