Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 43, Number 75, 7 February 1918 — Page 1
E RIG PA A 11 I VOL. XLITI NO 75 Palladium and Sun-Tele ram RICHMOND, IND., THURSDAY EVENING, FEB. 7, 1918 SINGLE COPY, 2 CENTS
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THREE LOCAL M WERE ON TORPEDOED STEAMSHIP
Were Among Wisconsin Engineers Relatives Anxiously Await List of Those Lost, when Liner Went Down. TWO 19JTEARS OLD BULLETIN Ferdinand Smyeer was not on board tbe Tuscanla according to a telegram received late Thursday afternoon by W. F. Lee, the soldier's uncle, from Senator Watson. Three Richmond men- are believed to have been aboard the Tuscanla, when the liner was torpedoed by a German submarine. Relatives of the men are anxiously awaiting the list of names of the lost. The men are: Ferdinand Alonzo Smyier, 22 years old, ton of Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Smyser, 132 Fort Wayne avenue. Alfred Lee, about 19 years old, whose parents are dead. J. B. Myers, Jr., son of J. B. Myers, 16'2 North Ninth street. All three of the men were serving In the one hundred and seventh regiment of Wisconsin engineers. Myers, familiarly known as "Boyd" among his friends here, was serving In Company E as was Lee. Mrs. Edwsrd J. Smyser, mother of Ferdinand Smyser, was almost prostrated Thursday when she learned of the sinking of the ship, which she believes her son was aboard. Smyser .left Richmond last April and went to Milwaukee where he Intended to eater . the . employ , of . two uncles, in business there. However, he decided to enlist shortly after war was declared. The Palladium will remain open until 9 o'clock Thursday night to supply additional information received on the sinking of the Tuscania. Relatives of any Richmond man, who is believed to have been aboard the liner, are requested to send their address and telephone numbers. The Palladium will telephone relatives, if they request it. Last week his mother received a letter from him in which he hinted that he was soon to sail for France. His last words, in the letter were, "don't worry, mother." He made no mention of the port from which he expected to sail. Myers enlisted with Lee and left Richmond last July. Myers was emp'oyed as a time keeper at the National Automatic Tool Company and Lee was employed at the Gause greenhouses on the National road, near Earlham college, where he also lived. Myers, Sr., feels positive that his son and Lee were aboard the Tuscania an both were members of Company E, one hundred and seventh engineers, which it was announced, was aboard the liner. NEPHEW OF NEW PARIS MAN ALSO ABOARD LINER, BELIEF NEW PARIS, Feb. 7. Samuel C. Richie, cashier of the Farmer's Bank here, believes that, his nephew, Enyon I j. White, was aboard the Tuscania, which was 6unk off the coast of Ireland. Wednesday night. White is a member of the 107th Engineers of the Wisconsin Infantry, which is reported to have sailed on the ship. Richie received a letter from his nephew's mother, Mrs. Robinson White of Butte City, Mont. Thursday saying that she had received a letter from her son last week, and that he intended sailing soon. THE WEATHER For Indiana by United States Weather Bureau Generally fair tonight. Friday probably rain or snow. Not much change In temperature. Today's Temperature. Noon . 36 Yesterday. Maximum ... 43 Minimum 30 For Wayne County by W. E. Moore Partly cloudy tonight and Friday. Snow or rain, probably the latter. Moderate temperature. General Conditions An area of low pressure which caused the marked rise In temperature of Wednesday, has moved east and another one of equal Biz is centrol over the ' northwest There Is no cold weather of any consequence over the United States excepting in the east where the coldest weather ever recorded for Februaryhas occurred. The- storm ovtr the west is moving slowly and will probably cause snow or rain during, the next thirty-six hours. . The temperatures will continue to moderate for thlrty-slx hour or longer.
All American Soldiers Lost on Tuscania Carried Insurance
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7. Every American soldier lost on the Tuscania having dependents was protected by government Insurance. Many had applied for voluntary Insurance which Is issued in amounts up to $10,000 and all are covered by government compensation payable to a widow, child or widowed mother. This automatic insurance-Is paid at the rate of about $25 a month for 20 years. The war department's announcement last night that detachments of the 20th engineers were on the Tuscania was erroneous. The 107th engineer regiment was the one referred to. It Is composed of the first Michigan battalion signal corps; first Wisconsin battalion signal corps and men from the fourth, fifth and sixth Wlssonsln Infantry. The war department issued the following statement: British authorities have wired, instructions to their commands in Scotland and Ireland to afford our troops from Tuscania every possible assistance and to furnish them with clothing requirements. Of
STRICKEN SHIP STAYS AFLOAT TWO HOURS AFTER BEING HIT; SURVIVORS SUFFER TERRIBLY
LONDON. Feb. 7. The transport Tuscania remained afloat for two hours after being torpedoed by a German submarine. The condition of some of the survivors of the Tuscania was pitiful. Many had cast aside all their clothes and had been swimming about for two hours before being rescued. Three men from the Tuscania died from exposure in one boat Thomas Smith of Glasgow, a boatswain's mate on the Tuscania. said the steamer was proceeding to an English port- under convoy:-- - "At 5:45 o'clock on Tuesday evening," he continued, "I was in No. 1 room talking with a fellow boatswain, when I heard a terrific explosion, and felt the vessel keeling over. I said j to ray mate, 'They have got her now We commenced lowering boats on the starboard side. The soldiers were lined on deck waiting for the boats. Unfortunately many Jumped overboard. I found the boat at No. 9 station to which I proceeded, had been blown to pieces. I then helped to get both 9-A. 9-B, and 9-C away with full equipment and the second officer got boats No. 1 and No. 7 safely away. "After seeing these launched I proceded to the other decks where I launched a raft. I picked up fourteen soldiers and two of the ship's company who were swimming about. We had STATEMENT OF SEC. BAKER WASHINGTON, Feb. 7. Secretary Bsker issued the following statement: "The sinking of the Tuscania brings us face to face with the losses of war in is most relentless form. It is a fresh challenge to thu civilized world by an adversary who has refined, but made more deadly the stealth of the savage in warfare. We must win this war and we will win this war. Losses like this unl'e the country In sympathy with the families of those who have suffered loss; they also unite us to make more determined our purpose to rrrss on. "As rapidly as details como In, they will be given to the public, in order to relieve anxiety where possible, and rctice will be sent as promptly as possible to those whose cons and brothers have been added to the nation's herolo dead."
Glass Denies That American War Machine Has Fallen Down
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7. Representative Glass, in a speech delivered in the house today, came to the defense of the administration, answered the charges contained in Senator Chamberlain's indictment of the war department and denied that, the American war machine has "fallen down." Mr. Glass followed Senator Chamberlain's speech point by point, and praised the work of the administration in each instance. He said that it was General Joff re who suggested supplying American troops with ammunition from French factories "Since It would save the unavoidable delays, the presslngly needed cargo space, the tremendous cost of shipment." Regarding the machine eun controversy, Mr. Glass asserted that the Browning gun was selected because experts pronounced it "the best machine gun in the world." "The only prop on which the critics now rest their case," he said, "is the
ficers have been dispatched from Liverpool and Glasgow and London to points in Ireland, where survivors now are and they will wire names immediately. American consul at Belfast reports six hundred survivors at Larne. As soon as they are properly outfitted they will be brought to Winchester. Among those arriving at Fort Ellen, Islay, Scotland, were: Second Lieutenant Frank L. Maker, engineers; following belonged to company E, 6th battalion, 20th engineers. First Lieut. Schweissinger, Sergeant Harry A. Kelly, Corporal Howard E. Bullock. Corporal William A. Cherry, Privates Alva Bowman, Dale Hazlett, William A. Hickring, Charles H. Ineck, Harry Keelor, Lloyd Ledbetter, Jamea T. Moss, Walter Maczarek, David Foe, Edward B. Peterson, J. W. Redd, L. M. Roberts. Lee F. Terzia, Ralph Uphus, A. Vanden Driessche, Coliman White, John S. Williams, Edward L. Anderson, Tom A. Ashby, Frank S. Broz, James Bayse, Alexander M. Bush. From the 107th supply train: Private H. Klelst, 158th aero squadron. Privates John B. Fleming and Edward F. Klingman.
no oars and had to paddle along with our hands. We were picked up at 9 o'clock in the evening and landed Wednesday morning. "The first survivors were landed at 4:30 o'clock Wednesday morning. From then until 7 a. m., many patrol boats arrived, each bringing a full complement of survivors, the number of whom by this time had reached 500." All the medical men at Larne on the eastern coast of Ireland where some of the survivors landed were requisitioned. GREW OF 220 MEN ON LOST TRANSPORT NEW YORK, Feb. 7. According to the records of the anchor line he.e the Tuscania carried a crew of 220, under command of Capt. Peter McLean, the majority of the crew being subjects of Great Britain. The less of the Tuscania which was under charter to the Cunard line, completes the destruction by submarine of a fle?t of five passenger ships aggregating 57,818 gross tonnage owned by the Anchor line at the beginning o' the war. The other ships were: Caledonia, sunk in 1916; Camerania, April 15, 1917; Transylvania, May 4, 1917, California, Feb. 1917. 15 British Vessels Sunk by Snbmarines LONDON, Feb. 7. The official summary from the admiralty, reporting the loss of 15 British merchantmen sunk by mine or submarine in the past week, follows: Arrivals, 2,339; sailings, 2.373. British merchantmen of more than 1,600 tons sunk by mine or submarine, 10. British merchantmen of less than 1,600 tons sunk by mine or submarine, 5. Fishing vessels sunk, 4. Merchantmen unsuccessfully attacked, 13. WANTS ITS NAME CHANGED The German Baptist Tri-county mutual protection association of Wayne, Union and Fayette counties filed a petition Thursday in circuit court for change of name so that the company hereafter would be known as the Brethren Tri-county Mutual Protection association. plea that the Lewis gun was immediately available, while deliveries of the Browning gun will be delayed; and they use this broken reed in face of expert testimony to the effect that in te- ts the Lewis gun "had utterly failed with American ammunition." Has Thousand of 'Em "The American army in France has thousands of machine guns to go up against the enemy," he said. "It is as well equipped with machine guns as any army in Europe perhaps better equipped than the German army. And no set of malcontents should be permitted to deceive the people of this country into the disturbing supposition that our fighting forces in France are suffering in equipment of any kind." Regarding the health of soldiers in camp, Mr. Glass referred to the conditions at Spartanburg, S. C. where, ho said, there were only four deaths Continued On Page Eight.
ON BOARD THE TUSCANIA
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7. The war department announces that its records show the following were on board the Tuscania: One-hundred-end-seventh engineer train. One-hundred-and-seventh military police. One-hundred-and-seventh supply train. No. One hundredth aero squadron. One-hundred-and-fifty-eighth aero squadron. Two-hundred-and-thirteenth aero squadron. Replacement detachments Nos. 1 and 2 of the Thirty-second division. Fifty-one casual officers. The Thirty-second division is composed of national guard troops from Michigan and Wlsconsin. The official table of organization of the Thirty-second division shows that the 107th engineer train is composed of the first battalion of Michigan engineers and the first battalion of Wisconsin engineers. The organization is distinct from tee 107th engineer regiment The troops aboard the Tuscanla were mainly former Michigan and Wisconsin national guardsmen now attached to the Thirty-second division, trained at Camp MacArthur, Texas. Several aero squadrons and several companies of the Twentieth engineers, a forestry regiment, were aboard. The One-hundred-and-seventh engineers, a forestry regiment, and the aero squadrons probably were recruited from various parts and the place they trained was not mentioned by the war department
At first there was some confusion at the war department as to whether the 20th Engineers or the 107th Engineers were aboard the Tuscania. It finally was established that the 107th Engineer regiment was not on board. (This Is a separate organization from the 107th Engineer drain which was on board.) A headquarters company and Companies D, E and F, of the 20th Engineers were on board. These units comprise the Sixth Battalion of the 20th which is a forestry regiment not attached to the 32nd Division. It is one of the forestry regiments specially organized for work in France. The 20th Engineers (foresters) is the largest regiment in the world, although
Some of the Survivors Reach Port Ellen, Islay, Scotland
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7. Among thef survivors of the Tuscania arriving at i Port Ellen, Islay, Scotland, were: Second Lieutenant Frank L. Baker, engineers; following belong to Company E, 6th battalion, 107th engineers: First v Lieutenant Scweiaslnfleiv. Serjeant" Harry" YCffVy', Corporal Howard E. Bullock, Corporal William A. Cherry, Privates Alva Bowman, William A. Hickring, Charles H. Ineck, Harry A. Keeler, Lloyd Ledbette Haslett, James T. Moss, Walter Maczarek, David Foe, Edward B. Peterson, J. W. Redd, L. M. Roberts, Lee F. Terzia, Ralph Uphus, A. Van den Driessche, Coliman White, John S. Williams, Edward L. An'deraon, Tom A. Ashby, Frank S. Broz, James Basye, AlexanLate Bulletins LONDONDERRY. Ireland, Feb. 7. Proof of the order which prevailed on the Tuscania is given by the landing o? two typhoid and two pneumonia caces without bad effect. Forty of the survivors were taken to hospitals. In the majority of cases they are suffering from injury as a result of accidents in the lowering of life boats or in consequence of sliding down ropes. The survivors are proud of the behaviour of the only two women on the Tuscania. They went down a rope in fine style, laughing. LONDON, Feb. 7 The admiralty announced this afternoon that ten more survivors hal reached a British port NEW YORK, Feb. 7. Cable messages received here in shipping circles from London report the captain and purchaser and chief steward of ! Tuscania, saved. WASHINGTON, Feb. 7. Late today no additional official dispatches had been received here, further reducing the Tuscania's losses as indicated in the London cablegram, but army and ntvy officials declared it entirely possible and eagerly awaited official advices. LONDON, Feb. 7. There was sufficient time for removal of all those on board the Tuscania. The liner was one of a convoy of troops and provision ships which after a long passage across the Atlantic was entering what until recently were considered .comparatively safe waters. The ships were within sight of land which was just distinguishable In the dusk of the evening when a torpedo h'.t the Tuscania amidship. This was at about 7 o'clock. ''Spring Weather" Will Continue for 36 Hours Says Weather Forecast "Spring v,-eather" will continue for at least thirty-six hours, according to Weatherman Moore. The low pressure area which caused the rise in temperature, has passed but is being followed by another one o equal area which will keep the temperature up for several days. "Snow or rain, probably the latter," is predicted for Thursday evening or Friday morning. MUST SUBSTITUTE GRAHAM Food Administrator Gilbert announced Wednesday graham flour must be substituted the same as wheat flour, pound per pound...
only one battalion was on the Tubcania. The aggregate strength of the regiment is 17,000 officers and men. Some of the units are still in training in a camp near here. Colonel W. A. Mitchell of the regular army, commands the regiment and Henry S. Graves, chief forester of the United States department of agriculture, is lieutenant-colonel. Neither, however, was with the battalion on the Tuscanla. The work of the Twentieth regiment, which was raised with the active co-operation of the American Forestry Association, is to cut timber in the French foreste for military uses at the fighting front, for hospitals, Y. M. C. A. buildings and other purposes.
der M. Bush. From the 107th supply train:. Private H. Klelst, 158th aero squadron; Privates John B. Fleming and Edward F. Klingman. WAS ONE OF BEST EQUIPPED SHIPS WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 The Tus cania was a British passenger and freight steamship of 14,348 tons gross register. She was built at Glasgow in 1914 and was owned by the Anchor Line. The last report of the Tuscania was her arrival at an Atlantic port January 17 last. The Tuscanla, during her days as a passenger liner, was one of the best equipped vessels in the trans-Atlantic service. She made her maiden voyage in February, 1915, and for a time was In the service of the British admiralty, but later was restored to her owners for regular sevice. She was 567 feet long, with a 66-foot beam, and was equipped to carry 2.500 passengers in cabin and steerage ac commodations. The ship had twin acrews and a speed of about 18 knots. On several occasions since the war began she was the object of torpedo attacks, but managed to escape through her Bpeed, assisted by defense guns. For some time the Tuscania has been under charter to the Cunard line and she is the fifth big vessel of the Cunard company lost since the war began. When the Tuscanla was first put into service her appointments for first cabin passengers, of whom she could carry 350, were sumptuous. The paneling of her main lounge room was in olive wood. Inlaid with a line of sycamore. The floors were of polished oak. A veranda, cafe and gymnasium, smoking rooms, dining saloons, and a novel system of heating and ventilation were features of the new liner. Tbe first and second class staterooms were on the bridge deck and shelter deck amidships and were large in sue and well furnished. It is probable, however, in view of the exigencies of the situation that the steamer had been stripped of most of her luxurious fittings in order to take as great a number of troops as possible on each voyage. SECOND LI1R IS ATTACKED NEW YORK, Feb. 7w The Cunard liner, Auranla, 13.400 tons, was torpedoed by a German submarine within the last 48 hours "while bound for the United States it was learned from the officials of the Cimorri line today. Although badly damaged by the explosion, the ship was not sunk and is believed to be making her way back to port with the assistance of government vessels it was said. The ship carried but little cargo.
GERMANY STRIKES FIRST BLOW AGAINST THE TRANSPORTATION OF UNITED STATES SOLDIERS Tuscania Lies at Bottom of the Sea as Result of Encounter with U-boat; Number of Men Lost Varies Between 101 and 210 as Reports Are Hourly Received.
Bulletin WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 The latest official dispatcK received here on the loss of the Tuscania, places the number of American troops missing at 1 1 3 others 97, total 210. LONDONDERRY, Ireland, Feb. 7 The submarine which torpedoed the Tuscania was attacked by a destroyer. An American officer gave an intimation that the submarine was destroyed. LONDON, Feb. 7. At noon the number of missing from tha Tuscania was 101, according to unofficial reports. A majority of these were members of the crew.
LONDON, Feb. 7. The following official communication wag given out early this afternoon: "The Anchor liner Tuscania, Captain J. L. Henderson, was torpedoed on the night of the 5th of February, off the Irish coast while carrying United States troops. "Following are the approximate numbers saved: "United States military officers 76 ; men, 1,935. "Crew, officers 16; men, 125. "Passengers, 3. "Not specified, 32. "The total number aboard, 2,397. Total saved, 2,187. "The foregoing are approximate figures, but as correct as can be given at present.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7. Torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine, the Cunard liner Tuscania, bearing 2179 officers and men of the Thirty-second National Guard division lies at the bottom of the North Atlantic ocean today, and at least 168 troopers probably more are missing. On the basis of figures reported to the war and state departments, the missing would be 267; the figures of the British admiralty, as they stood early today, however, placed the missing American troopers at 168. There is every hope that the lower number will prove to be correct. British convoys near to the torpedoed ship closed in quickly and did heroic work as the comparatively small number of losses show. The position of the Tuscania off the north coast of Ireland, evidently headed for England, also was such that a number of British patrol ships and other vessels rushed to her side and. in that way the losses were minimized. Stumbled Across Sub, Belief. Such reports as were at hand gave no details of how the transport, supposedly heavily convoyed, fell in with the submarine, but it was regarded as more probable that the ship stumbled on the submersible, rather than that the disaster was the first shot in the much advertised German offensive against the line of American troops and supplies. It was thought possible there that survivors of the British crew of the vessel, not reported in war department advices, might account for the difference in figures and to the number of missing. There was some speculation among naval officers on the possibility that the Tuscania might have struck a mine. The indicated location of the disaster is in a region not previously frequented by submarines. But the text of the official announcement says tha ship was torpedoed, and until detailed accounts of the incident am available for study, there is nothing to justify going behind tha formal statement. British Had Charge of Convoy. It is doubtful that the Tuscania was in a route usually followed by American transports. As a British vessel under British convoy, the security of the American troops beyond question was intrusted to British handling. So far as now known, no American, naval craft shared in the task. Probably numerous other transports or army supply vessels were in the convoy. Destroyers Travel Ahead. A screen of destroyers or other swift boat travels ahead of convoyed fleet. The destroyers are spread out over a considerable area. It is known that virtually all the German U-boats are equipped with listening devices of considerable distance, so that, the approach of the destroyers may have been known to the U-boat; commander even before the vessels themselves were sighted. Fear of depth bombs would drive the U-boats below to lurk; motionless at some depth until the sound of the destroyer's propell-, ers have faded out showing that they had passed. The U-boats probably would come to the surface then to explore. Navy officials say that the one chance against which absolute precaution will not guard is that the submarine will come up in the, path of the approaching transports, obtain a sight that will permit her to train her torpedo tubes by compass and again submerge. As the listening devices show that a ship is within range, a torpedo could be fired by the submarine while still submerged. Sometimes under the laws of chance it might find its mark and this mayi have happened with the Tuscania. While the loss indicated was fully appreciated by of fidala here, there was a general air of relief about the war and navy de partment that the loss of life was not larger.
First news of the sinkinz of the Tuscania came in a report to the war department early last night, announcing that 1,100 survivors bad been landed at Buncrana and Larne, two widely separated Irish porta. This was made public about ten o'clock and until the arrival of the state department dispatch two hours later, it was feared that more than 1,400. including the Cunarder's crew, had perished. The state department message said 2.173 troops were aboard the Tuscania. No mention of the fate of the crew was made in the state department advices nor was the landing points of the rescued American troops indicat-
Pri hut tha
sayinz that "1.100 survivors" had been put ashore at Buncrana and Lame bw dicated that the convoy vessels gotj alongside tire sinking transport quickly and relief ships made the scene o$ the disaster within a few hours. ' Buncrana Is on Lough Swilly on th north coast of Donegal not far fromi Londonderry, while Larne is a norths channel port on the east coast of Antrim, near Belfast. The landing points indicate that the Tuscania was taking the northern route around Ireland to England and the distance between Buncrana and Larne leads official tq Continued On Page Fouiy!
