The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-02-08
The First Story.

CuIldTu liner luScanla, carry
ing 2,179 American soldiers. ha.
been torpedoed and sunk off tn,
Irish coast. At a late hour las
night 1912 of the officers ant
men aboard the transport were
reported accounted for, in dis
patch to the state department
from the American embassy il
London, leaving 267 missing
and officials fear that most ot
these have perished.
News of the first great disaster il
the war to American armed forces
came in brief dispatch to the wal
department from London. 1t die
not mention the possibility of fur
ther survivors, but hope was bull
here upon the fact that the surviv
ors landed at two widely separated
Irish ports and indications that re-
lief vessels were at hand quickly.
The soldiers on board the Tus
cania were small detachments from
almost every section of the county
There was no distinctive military
unit from any state, and for this
reason war department officials an
nounced that it would be impossi-
BILE to announce a list of those on
board until complete reports had
been received. Instructions were
sent by wireless and cable by the
war, navy and state departments to
their representatives in England
and Ireland, directing that every de-
tail be forwarded at the earliest
possible moment.
The disaster was announced in
this statement:
THE war department has been
officially advised that the steamship
Tuscania has been torpedoed and
sunk and that survivors numbering
1,1OO as far as could be ascertained.
were landed at Buncranna and
Larne, in Ireland. There was a to-
tai Of 2,179 United States troops on
this vessel. No name of persons lost
has been reported to the war de-
partment and no name of survivors
was reported. Additional particu-
lars are promised as soon as re-
ceived"
At first officials of the department
thought it would be unwise TO pub
lish the list of soldiers on the shin
until the names Of survivors could
be given, fearing il would cause un-
necessary anxiety on the part of the
families of the men saved. Later.
when it was pointed out that delay
in giving out the list would give
heart-breaking hours to nearly
every family in the country with a
boy in the service. Major General
Mcintyre, chief censor, announced
that it had developed that it would
be impossible to give the names
from the departments records be-
cause there was no distinctive mill
tary unit on board.
FEARED 1000 WERE LOST.
The troops, composed chiefly of
detachments of Michigan and Wis
consin national gnardsmen, were
travelling on the Tuscania, a Brit
ish vessel, under convoy OF British
warships.
brief dispatch to the war de
partment from London early last
evening announced the disaster and
reported the landing Of only LOO
survivors. This was made public
shortly after 10 O'Clock. and for
more than two hours it was feared
that probably 1,4O0 men, including
members of the liners crew. had
gone down.
When a message came to the state
department from the embassy at
London saying at IL o'clock last
night, 1912 of the Americans had
been accounted for, the Joy OF the
officials almost swept away the dis
tress occasioned by the earlier news
The first LOO survivors were landed
at Larne and Buncranna, two widely
separated Irish ports, and this cou-
pied with the evident fact that res
cue ships were at hand quickly. gave
rise to hope that nearly everybody
on board the Tuscania except those
injured by the explosion might have
been saved.
The President, Secretary Baker
and in fact all official Washington
were up late waiting for further
news. Only the briefest dispatche,
were received and none gave details
of the attack on the liner. Even
the time was nniaaino hu+ 4.