Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-07-02
HUN BARBARISM
SENDS II NURSES
TO OCEAN GRAVE
Wanton Deliberation Marks
Torpedoing of Vessel Out
bound From Canada
By Associated Press

London, July "A German subma-
rine, seventy miles from the irish
coast. on the night of June 27, tor
Llandovery Castle, which had been
chartered by the Canadian govern
ment and had been in the service OF
carrying wounded and sick from
England to Canada for many months
past. The ship was then on her way
to England. She had on board 25S
persons. including eighty men of the
Canadian army medical corps ana
fourteen female nurses.
Up to the latest reports, only TWEEN
ty-four of those on board, including
the captain, have survived the treach-
erous attack, which came without
warning.
The submarine commander, who or
dered the captain of the Llandovery
Castle. several of his officers and Ma
jor Lyon, of the medical corps,
aboard, declared that he had sunk the
ship because she was carrying Amer
lean aviation officers and others in
the lighting service of the Allies. He
added to this later by asserting that
the vessel was carrying munition
stores. because of an explosion which
had occurred aft.
All lights were burning when the
Llandovery Castle was torpedoed.
These included huge electric cross
over the bridge and strings OF white
and green lights on either side. The
Red Cross on the sides of the vessel
also were illuminated by electric
lights.
Boat With Nurses Capsizes
One boat, in which there were
twelve nursing sisters, was seen to
capsize. The sisters were thrown out
and either were drowned directly or
caught beneath the boat. A Cana
dian sergeant, who was in the same
boat, managed to crawl on the keel.
Nothing had been seen of the re-
naming five boats. Whether or not
they had been destroyed by shell fire,
the commander of the Lysander
could not say. The submarine was
observed charging wreckage, on
which might have been survivors,
and in the locality where it was
likely some of the boats were drift
ing.
The Admiralty report on the sink
ing describes the cruel treatment of
Major Lyon and declares that the
submarine, after sinking the vessel
shelled an unknown target, which ii
intimates might have been the miss
ing boats.
The captains boat, containing the
survivors, was picked up by the de-
stroyer Lysander, the commander OF
which has reported that he had
found no trace of the remaining five
| boats.
How the little craft with the nurses
was swamped is described. Not fal
from the stern of the sinking vessel
when the latter sank stern first, the
boat was carried down by the whirl-
pool created. The commander of the
Lysander, describing the ferocity oi
| the submarine commander, said:
SubOfficer Brutal
"The Canadian sergeant was dazet
with the buffeting he had received
and was badly bruised. When the
overturned boat got near the subma'
rine the sergeant climbed aboard II
very exhausted condition. He
| thought it was a rescue, but he wa.
| seized by one of the submarine Off
GERS and thrown back like a hand
bag"
The commander, in general re
view of the circumstances, says tha
Captain Sylvester knew nothing
| about a submarine being in the vi
cinity. He did not at first realize
that he had been torpedoed. HI
could not use his wireless and tried
to get the emergency dynamo t
work, but there was no time.
After the submarine charged int
the wreckage," says the commander
from what have heard 1 firmly be
/ lieve that the submarine tried to ran
| the survivors boat, and thought i
| had done so.
"As fer as can be ascertained, on
stoker was observed on the uppe
deck just as the ship was disappear
| ing. We have since been cruising II
the neighborhood, but not singh
| speck of wreckage of any kind wa
seen. Neither have We been able t.
find any trace of the missing boats.