The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-12
$50 KILLED ON IRISH
MAIL1BOAT LEINSYER
Two TOrpedoes Hit Ship, the
Second Causing Loss of
Life Craft.
LADY HAMILTON MISSING
Only 20 Persons Are Saved
From Sinking of japanese
Liner HiranO Maru.
Stecidi Cd6ie Despatch to The SuS and the
Public Lsd0rr


Public Ledger.
Copyright. 1918: all rights rescrccd.
LONDON, oct. 1.-THE toll of death
In the two German massacres at sea
yesterday was greater than first re-
ports indicated. revised estimates show
ing that $50 persons were killed by the
torpedo which struck the Irish mail
boat Lelnster In the Irish Channel
Survivors report that the vessel began
to sink when the first torpedo struck
and that a second was fired to complete
the work. The second blast shattered
many of the boats that were being
lowered. About 300 survivors have been
landed and are now in Dublin hospitals.
Among those lost wTe many dis
tinguished persons and many women
and children. Lady Phyllis Hamilton,
daughter OF the Dowager Duchess of
Abercorn. is missing.
More than 900 were lost, including
many women and children. when the
Japanese liner Hrano Maru was tor
pedoed off the Irish coast. rhe gale
was so severe that boats couldn't he
lowered. making the crime one of the
most horrible In the long list that bots
Germany's record. So far there have
been reports of only twenty-eight sur
vivors, and only one of these was an
officer of the boat. The vessel sank al
most Immediately. leaving hundreds
struggling vainly for their lives in the
water.
Some American Survivors.
DUBLIN, Oct. 11.-Among the Ameri-
can survivors from the Leinster are 7. F.
Denny of Gardiner. Mass, Frank \.
Martin. J. NJ. Rafferty,. D. ]. Murphy.
g. w. Russell and - Dwyer and -
Hogan. All these are being cared for
at the Soldiers War Hotel. The fate
of another American, John 4. Rose. has
not been learned.
The Leinster survivors warmly praise
Capt. II. r. Cone of the United States
Naval Air Service for his efforts to pre-
serve order on the ship after the first
explosion. The second explosion flung
him violently to the deck. Ha rolled
himself to the side of the ship. and de-
spite a broken leg, flung himself into the
wafer to avoid going down with the
vessel.
Mr.. Martin said that every effort was
made by the Americans to get the boats
out, but they had not succeeded in get
ting them clear before the second tor
pedo struck the ship. The second explo-
sion, he said. seemed to cut the ship In
two and the boilers and everything In
the centre of the ship were blown away.
Not more than two boats got away be-
fore the second explosion, according to
Mr.. Martin. after which the vessel
quickly sank. A graphic account of his
experiences Is given by Mr.. Denny. lie
was standing near the stern.
bravery Of n Girl.
There were a couple of Americans
who had no life preservers and while I
was hunting around for some I saw a
girl who also was without one, but un-
said Mr. Denny. II had
started sliding down a rope when the
second explosion occurred. I must have
been knocked unconscious, for the next
l remember l was in the water clinging
to spar. I saw at least twenty people
die around me whom / was unable to
help owing to an injury to my shoulder.
Il remember trying to get as far from
the suction of the sinking ship as pos
sible. l saw hundreds of people clinging
to the Leinster's deck and rails among
them my friend John Rose, whom
called to jump but who did not know
how to swim
Three American Baptist ministers,
Truett, Hoys and Francis. and Mr.
Shields of Toronto had booked passage
on the Leinster. but owning to the bad
weather had been unable to leave Cork
in time to catch the boat.