Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Ute TWEKD? (6ER BOAT ATTACKED WITHOUT WARNINO ALL ON BOARD SAVED u Ai' r~ jr ha Wu London Says Submarine Hit Liner Off Coast of Ireland Just as Dark ness Fell Saturday—No Undersea Terror Was Seen Nor W’as Wake of the Torpedo Visible. London. Monday: The Allan line steamer Hesperian sank at 6.45 •o’clock Monday morning within a few miles of, Queenstown, after Capt. Main and a volunteer rescue of 25 had made a brave fight to bring the crippled ship into port. During the .night the Hesperian settled gradual ly by the head. Daylight showed the deck awash and the liner about to take the final plunge. The captain and crew were taken oft by rescue boats and landed later in Queens town by the steamer Empress. The sinking of the Hesperian in deep water probably will prevent an investigation to determine whether the disaster resulted from a subma rine’s torpedo or from a mine. Pas sengers and crew assert positively that the vessel was struck by a tor- peo, but thus far no statement has been outbained from any one who saw a submarine, or a torpedo. The American consult at Queens town, Wesley Frost, telegraphed Monday to the American embassy that the admiralty authorities had been informed officially that the .Hesperian had been torepdoed with- ut warning, but that they believed his was the case. None of the pfficers of the Hes perian. -except an assistant purser, has yet arrived at Queenstown This mart and various passengers inter viewed by Mr. Frost agreed on the statement that no warning was given. From stories told by smivors the detailed account of the disaster ia gradually being unfolded. Most of the passengers say there ia no doubt the Attack was made by a German submarine, and some of them aay they heard the lookout shout: “Sub marine on starboard quarter.” Thus far no statement has been made by aay survivor who saw a submarine -or a torpedo All agree the Hesperian was struck on the starboard aide between the foremast and the bridge were launched in the darkness But without panic. The fourth and fifth boats were lowered unevenly and overturned, the occupants being thrown into the water. Some of them were injured. At the London office of the Allan line it Is stated that all passengers reached Queenstown safely. Some of the rescued, however, say they heard -cries for help from persona In the water. The number of men In the crew was given as 266. of whom there have been accounted for 250, not In cluding those who remained on the Hesperian until she went down These figures, the agency says, are approximately correct. No news has been received in Lon don concerned the sinking of the Hesperian other than the facts that she went down at about six o'clock Monday morning and that those on board were rescued. The weather Sunday night was rather bad The Allan line steamer Hesperian, with 350 passengers and a crew of three hundred aboard, bound from Liverpool for Montreal, was attack ed, it Is believed in London, by a German submarine off the Irish coast Just as darkness was falling Satur day evening. Although the explosive ound its mark, the vessel remained float and, according to a statement ssued by the company Sunday night, every soul aboard was saved. No Nubmarlne was seen and prob ably it was too dark to observe the wake of a torpedo, but passengers and members of the crew who arriv ed at Queenstown on rescue steamers Sunday agree that the attack was made by a German undersea boat, basing their opinion on the force of the shock and the great volume of water thrown into the air. Accounts of the occurrence differ. The steamship company reports all saved, but the American consul at Queenstown reported to Washington that the loss of life was about eight. He also conveyed the information that the Hesperian had a 4.7-inch gun mounted and visible on the stern. Allen line officials at Mon treal declare the ship carried no gun to their knowledge. The force of the explosion was tre- mendons. Of the passengers landed at Queenstown about twenty were injured. There were no American passengers aboard, so- far as the American consul could learn Sunday night, but two members of the crew were Americans and both wore sav ed. About thirty Canadian soldiers, wounded in Flanders, were going home to recuperate. Most of the other passengers were Canadians re turning from a visit to England or English people on their way to Can ada to settle. The torpedo struck the Hesperian in the forward engine room, and the ship immediately began to settle by the head. Capt. Main ordered the passengers and crew into the boats, but with his officers remained on the bridge, although at that time he must hgve felt sure that his ship would go down. The wireless operator instantly nt out a call for^aid, while Capt. Main ordered the boats over the side. Three are said to have been upset in launching and twenty persons injur ed bare been landed at Queenstown. So far as known all fhaps thrown in the water were tave4< * A fleet of rescue steamers soon reached the scene and all the persons In the email boats ware taken aboard. M wag seen that the H NEGRO TRAILED BY IMS IS PLACED UNDER ARREST Charged With Throwing Switch Which Resulted la Wreck of ha A. C. L. Freight. Richard White, a negro, is In jail at Ridgeland charged with having thrown the switch which resulted in the ditching of a freight train on the Atlantic Coast Line between Charles ton and Savannah Friday night, re sulting in the death of Brakeman O. G. Hollernan of Florence and the smashing up of twelve freight cars and the ditching of the engine. Two monkey wrenches warq found near the scene of the wreck and the marks of where a man had been sit ting, evidently waiting for the re sult of his handiwork. Bloodhounds took up the trail and one mile and a half away caught up with Richard White as he was stepping out of a cane brake. The negro’s ankles bore the marks of shackles, leading to the belief that he is an escaped convict. He claims to be from Birmingham, Ala., but of ficers think he is from Georgia. The information of the capture of the negro was brought to Columbia by Ed Hough, who went to the scene with the bloodhounds belonging to the Caughman brothers. Mr. Hough was in charge of the bloodhounds when they caught up with the flee ing negro. He placed him under ar rest, later turning him over to Sheriff Porter, of Jasper county. It is due to the good work of the bloodhounds that the negro was caught. Mr. Hough says the freight train was an extra and was running Just a few'minutes ahead of the fast northbound mail. It is believed that the party who fixed the switch in tended wrecking the mall train, pos sibly for the purposes of robbery. The negro White is said to have been hiding out in that community for the past six months and bears all the ap pearances of a convict. He is said to be about thirty-five years old and above five feet eight Inches high. The fast mail was flagged in time to save it from getting wrecked. WILL CROSS TEXAN BORDER TO CATCH FLEEING BANDITS IHwpersed Gang* Not to be Pursued Over Rio Grande Rut 1-arge Groups Will be. All United States troops on the Lifeboats^ Mexican border are under orders to be in readiness to meet any emer gency. War department officials said extraordinary vigilance had been or dered as a result of repeated rplds in American territory by Mexican brt Bands and soldiers, and renewed re ports of preparation for an organised Invasion from across the Rio Grande in the states of Coahulla and Neuro Laos. As long as the raiders continue to appear only In small bands, it Is understood none of them will be fol lowed into their own territory, but officials Indicated that the Americi commanders would not hesitate to pursue the enemy until they were completely routed should anything resembling an organised Invasion of the United States be encountered. N9 CHANCE FOR PEACE SAYS BtmSfl OFFICIAL Nation Stands Pat Upoa Stipulations Sot Forth by Premier Rs- quith Last Fall. Peace proposals, even though they come through the United State* as intermediary, have absolutely no bet ter chance in Great Britain to-day than they had six months or even a year ago. That is the universal opin ion in official circles at London, ac cording to a special dispatch to the New' York World. Although no member of the gov ernment would be quoted in a dis cussion of the possibility of peace terms, one responsible official, in a position to speak with authority, gave the correspondent a statement of Great Britain's position. In the first place, he denied explicitly and categorically that peace rumors have any foundation in any action on the part of the British government or in any statement from responsible sources. “Great Britain undoubtedly would listen courteously to the United States, should that power act as a peace intermediary, but Great Bri tain is absolutely bound not to enter into peace negotiations without the full concurrence of our allies lending a sympathetic ear to peace proposals until certain stipulations have been met. “These stipulations were set forth by Prime Minister Asquith in his Guildhall speech on November 9, 1914.” In this speech the premier declared that Britain would not make peace until Belgium had regained all and more than site had sarrillced; until France is secured adequately against future aggreesion; until the rights of the smaller nations in Ku- ro|>e are placed on a secure founda tion, and until the military domina tion of Prussia Is wholly and finally destroyed. The officially Inspired interview given the correspondent also made it clear that there had been no hint of a conference of the Allies to discuss peace terms from any quarter, nor had the opinion of any of those di recting the nations' fortunes as to the necessary duration of the war been revised downward in the slight est degree.- NAVY ATANCHORAGE VISITOR PERMITTED TO SEE Ut MENSE ENOUSH FLEET WAITING FOR A RATTLE U. S. MARINES PUT IAIT1 UNBER STRICT MARTIAL LAW MARINE COLLISION DAMA6ES THREE AMERICAN SUBMARINES ZEPPELINS PAINTER CRAY lAteet Models are Almost Invisible and of KUh-like .Shape. Germany’s fleet of Zeppelins has been repainted a leaden gray similar to the color of battleships, says a Paris dispatch, which renders them difficult to see even when flying be neath the clouds. A telegram from Zurich published in the Milan Stampa says that during recent flights over Lake Constance Zeppelins appeared in their new dress. The latest models resemble large fish. Both end? taper, so that they have lost to some extent the familiar cigar shape. ing to the ship to await the arrival of admiralty tugs, which he hoped could take her to Queenstown. Twenty of his men went back with him. The discipline was perfect, but one boat capsized and those in her were thrown to the water. All were pick ed up, and with other passengers and the crew w ere transformed to rescue steamers which arrived in answer to wireless calls. Passengers landed at Queenstown asserted that the attack was without warning. The United States embassy received no confirma tion on this point. The Hesperian, a vessel of 10,920 tons gross, was outward bound from Liverpool for Montreal. Many pas sengers were wounded Canadian sol diers on their way home from the front. London learned of the torpedoing of the Hesperian through a Sunday newspaper, which issued an extra late Sunday covering meagre details. As the paper printed an Allan line statement saying passengers' and crew had been saved the news arous ed no fxsitement comparable to that caused by the torpedoing of the Lusi tania and the Arabic. It was noticeable that wherever groups assembled to discuss the mat ter, principal interest among them centered In the probable effect the torpedoing would have on the nego tiations between the United States and Germany concerning Germany’s submarine policy. A request at the Allan line offices for tbe names of the passengers on the Hesperian met with refusal to give them. It was stated that the company’s officials had decided to is sue no list now. Think Sab As While attempting to sink another ■hip after destroying the Arabic the German submarine was Itself destroy ed by a patrol boat, la Um root la F-l, F-9, and K-.i May be Taken Out of Her vice as Result of In vestigation of F-4. As s result of the collision in Honolulu harbor Sunday of the United States steamer Supply, with tbe submarines F-l, F-2, F-3, put ting the little divers completely out of commission, naval officers were discussing Monday the probability of the withdrawal of all three veseels from service. After the loss last March of F-4, with her crew of twenty-two men. the F type of submartne was made the subject of s strict investigation and the findings of the board of In quiry pointed out serious weaknesses common to the three vessels of the group. The supply ripped the shell of the F-2 to the water line and jammed her against the two other subma rines with such force that the F-l’s steering gear was smashed and her sfter fuel tank damaged. The F-3 also must be placed In dry dock for repairs before she is fit for service again. The work of clearing the hull of the F-4, which recently was raised from the bottom of Honolulu har bor, has been suspended. Thus far fifteen bodies have been taken from the wreck. EASTERN FIGHT CONTINUES; RUSSIANS CORRECT REPORT Admit That German Report of Riga Naval Rattle Is Correct— N.o Ships I>ost. r London, Monday: Fighting on both wings of the eastern front pro ceeds with much greater vigor than the struggle in the center, where the invaders apparently are having diffi culties in trackless swamps. In the south, near the Galician border, for tune fluctuates, first one side and then the other claiming successes. The main offensive, however, still lies with the Austrians and Germans. On the north flank Field Marshal von Hindenburejmw holds the Dvina bridgehead at Frledrlchstadt, but has lost that at Lenn^wada, farther down the river towards Riga. The battle In that region continues with out decisive results.- Russia has corrected earlier re ports concerning the attempt of the Germans to make a landing at Per- nau, confirming Berlin’s statement that instead of losing vessels as the result of attacks by the Russians the Germans intentionally sank several steamersto block the entrance to the Gulf of Riga.| The deduction is made that the Germans feared the Rus sians would land there sufficiently strong forces to threaten Field Mar shal von Hindenburg’s left flank. Dropped Dead In Pulpit. John M. Edenfleld, who was filling a pulpit in Milieu, Ga., Sunday morn ing, drojyped dead while conducting the services, v Roumanians Ordered to Regiments. Berlin reports through London that RoumanlaM living to Switzer land have been instructed to joia their regiments. Stx Killed as Yesaai reports Monday that Cymbeltes of Up «r»w wars kUM British Ships are Inspected as They Lay at the Naval Base*—Fast Scouts Will Send Rapid Word of Enemy Movement and Huge Dread noughts Will Go Out. f For the first time the veil pf sec recy over Britls hnaval operations has been lifted. A correspondent last week visited the grand fleet and the naval bases. "At one base he saw dry docks capable of docking the largest dreadnoughts, which had been built since the war began. Maps were shown the correspond ent, marking points where German submarines had been sighted, and on which the results of the attacks were classified under “captured,’’ “suppos ed sunk,’’ and “sunk.” When bub bles are observed rtsing for a long time at the same spot in smooth water it is taken for granted that a submarine’s career has been ended. When an officer was asked "How do you get them?” his answer was: “Sometimes by ramming, sometimes by gunfire, sometimes by explosions and other ways we will not tell.of.” All of the officers aboard the bat tleships and armored cruisers are en vious of those engaged in submarine hunts, which is regarded as great sport. The professional opinion was expresned that the reason the Ger mans arc declared to be ready to forego submarine attacks on liners is the want of submarines and the per sonnel to carry on their campaign. The admiral commanding at an important naval base told the corre spondent that England and twenty- three hundred auxiliaries on duty from the British Channel to Iceland, and that their reservist crews had been zealous in their important part in- overcoming the kind of warfare which Germany wages. As the torpedo boat destroyer on which the correspondent was a pas senger turned into the harbor where tbe great fleet lay at anchor, he saw a target being towed in tbe custom ary manner for firing practice "We keep at It all tbe time,'' an officer ex plained. The practice of the cruisers finish ed, they took their places In fleet formation among the Immense field of gray shapes at anchor In precise order, which as tbs torpedo boat de stroyer drew nearer, became lane after lane of dreadnoughts. Every deck was stripped ready for action, steam was up In every ship, and as the destroyer threaded her way, turrets were soen turning and guns being elevated and lowered in the course of drills. Seaplanes had their home on s famous Atlantic liner. In their places In the battle cruiser squadron, which- Is knpwn in tbs navy gs the “cat squadron,’’ ware the Lion and the Tiger, which sank the German armored cruiser Bluecher in the North Sea battle. “This seems a sufficient denial of the German report that the Tiger is at the bottom of the sea,'' said an of ficer. Looking strange among the homo geneous types of the ten-gun ships, which belonged to the regular navy, was s Turkish dreadnought taken over at the outset of the war. As^he torpedo boat destroyer ap proached the flagship of the com mander-in-chief an officer pointed out Vice Admiral Sir John Jelllcoe i one of tho two officers promenading the quarter-deck. The vice admiral received his guests at the gangway. At fifty- seven years he Is the senior of all the list, which includes vice admirals at the age of forty-four. He is never without a telescope under his arm when he is on deck, and officers say there is nothing which the young of- flvers on watch see that he does not see. Vice Admiral Jelllcoe escorted his guests through the ship. He- was most interested in calling attention to the special machine practice of the gun spotters in firing, where the re sult of each shot is displayed. “This is the best we have until the German fleet comes out and gives us a chance for the real thing,” said the vice admiral. Stepping into a small room, where the telegraph keys clicked and a com pact wireless apparatus was hidden behind armor, the correspondent saw one instrument which brings to Sir John word of any submarine having been sighted or of any movement in all the seas around the British Isles and carries the commander-in-chief’s orders far and wide. The bluejackets are invariably sturdy, long service men of mature years, who have been kept drilling on the same ship since the war be gan. Their health is better than in time of peace, as they are kept aboard and given good food. Whether in the turrets, on the bridge or below decks, there was a significant absence of even the most minute things, which would riot serve a purpose in battle. Only in the commander-in-chlefs cabin, with numerous sea maps on the wall, did books and pictures suggest other than naked utility for war. Sir John Jelllcoe and aU" his offi cers spoke in the same strain about the situation. It the German fleet had any chance of success, they said. It was at the outset of war. With every month, the British fleet had grown stronger -and was better or ganized to meet aay possible emer-* gency. Though the submarine had played a more important port than many anticipated, the methods foe couatering their attacks sad tag thorn had to be bn. peding Rear Admiral Caper, ton’s Pleas. Foreign Influences to Haiti, work, tog to block the* plans of the United States to pacify the republic and re habilitate its finances under Ameri can supervision, have made it neces sary tq declare martial law In Port- au-Prince, the capital, and practical ly all but two of the country's open ports. Rear Admiral Caperton, acting within his general instructions, de clared martial law Saturday, and ex plained that his action was taken be cause of a situation beyond the con trol of the local government. For reasons of international policy the state department will not disclose information received on the subject. There recently have been persistent reports that so marked has been the effect of the ^activities of foreign agents on members of the Haitien congress and government that the state department found it necessary to hurry its policy of educating the people to an appreciation of the ben efits of American financial control, with its protection against insistent foreign creditors. France is among the largest of Haiti’s creditors, her citizens being said to have about twenty million dollars in Haitien national bonds, besides large mercantile and banking interests In the republic. Ambassador Jusserand assured tbe state department of French approval of any plans which would result In establishment of a stable and re sponsible government in Haiti. The state department did not at tempt to initiate its Haitien policy untiT it had received assurances that President d’Artiguenave could carry it through successfully. However, after the movement was under way and the proposed treaty was ready for the Haitien congrm opposition developed in unexpected quarters. It is said to have been traced to foreign influence#. * Ad miral Caperton, it is assumed, felt the best way to check the anti American agitation and insure ac ceptance of the treaty would be to take measures to prevent disorder. PATROL BOAT SINKS SUB WHEN IT COMES TO SIRFACE u R*mU Attempts to sod Gets Ci Ga Itself. News was brought from Ragland last week of the sinking of a German submarine and the capture of her crew through a rase adopted by one of the British patrol boots off tho Irish coast, ia which the Loyland lino freighter Devonian pined an Impor tant part. According to - tho report which reached naval circles at Portsmouth, the Dsfonian was steaming along nt about thirteen knots, when n. big German submartne cams to the sur face and ordered tbe captalh to stop on pain of being sunk tnstnntly. After the way on the steamer had been checked, the submarine came alongside and her commnnder told the captain of the Devonian that he was short of supplies, and that If the British captain would replenish his stores the steamer might go free. This waa eventually agreed upon between the two commanders, and while the crew of the Devonian were getting the stores ready to be trans ferred to tbe submarine another vee- sel hove in sight. The submarine disappeared, and, coming to the surface again along side the stranger, the German com manded the' captain and crew to Reave the ship in five minutes. The newcomer proved to be a petrol boat In disguise. Hite immediately opened fire on the submarine and sank her wttldn a few seconds. The submarine had a double crew on board, who were rescued by the lifeboats lower ed from the Devonian. No one was drowned, it was said, but all were taken prisoners and are hidden away somewhere in England. It was pointed out that this was not the submarine which had sunk the Arabic on August 19, as the ad miralty had definite knowledge of the sinking of that undersea craft only two days after the disaster. CARRANZA WOWJ ASSBI IN KEEPING Maj. Gen. Fnnston reported Mon day that Gen. Nafferste, the Car ranza commander nt Matamoras, had denied that Carranza troopers were raiding the Mexican border and pro posed bringing more Carranza troops to the Mexican aide to snppreaa dis orders. The Carranza authorities have suggested a conference to ar range Joint action. Gen. Funston's message included’ the following report from Col. Bul lard at Brownsville: “Carranza consul states to me that he has to-day in person informed Naforette (cor.) at Matamoras of fact that Americans and Carranza troops ore this morning facing each other near Mission and in danger of conflict; that Nafarette replied he would order his troops to move back from banks of the river and that any shooting from tbe Mexican side by his or other than his men was done by otber than those of his men. “Same consul suggested conference of American military authorities with constitutional authorities to try and avoid difficulties and 1 replied that I would inform department. “Constitutionalist consul visited me Saturday 1 and stated that Friday afternoon while American aeroplane was in flight here hit vice consul heard shots from Mexican side of the river, apparently directed at the aeroplane. He reported to Gen. Nafarette, who said he coaid not be lieve the shote were fired by bis sol diers, as be at that very hoar, had them ail assembled for a review in Matamoras district for ths purpose of co-operating from the Mexican side in stopping bandit disorders along the river against the Americas side. “American consul added for him self his belief that recent firing on Mexican side had been done by men and women who bad become discon tented and restless. That he will hr wire and letter at once report, ex plaining copdittona to Oen. Carranza and to the constitutionalist repre sentatives at Washingtoa. Consol emphasised repeatedly Nafarette’a suggestion of ordering more consti tutionalist troops to Matamoras dis trict for the purpose of oo-operattag wltji American authorities to atop passage of river by bandits.” Another message from Col. Ballard to Oen Fuaston seat Saturday night from Brownsville said: “Aeroplaae la vicinity of Browns ville has been fired oa three i times. Soma oaa hundred shots counted Oar outposts at interna tional brides sad tho oae at Browns ville pumping plant locate firing as coming from Big Bond la river jam west of Brownsville, probably can outposts, as the irtag oa plane reported oa 1a same locality. The troop# < lag south beak of-river are Carraa- xlstaa. At the same time that trlag oa aeroplanes waa going on, oar oat- posts at Brownsville pumping pleat were fired on. This first turned. No casualties oa oar ASSASSIN SMOOTS JUNE; WHO MES SOON AFTERWAMS Rhode Island J known By Ua- WHY THEY CHAIN GUNNERS French Writer Says Germans Do so Only to Steady the Guns. A writer in ITUustratlon, a news paper of Paris, demolishes the legend that the Germans chain the men serv ing their machine guns to the pieces in order to keep them from leaving their posts. * He says that chains are undoubted ly used, but simply to enable the gunners to steady the weapons, and that the practice was common in the German army before the war. Be sides, It is easy for the soldiers to unfasten the chains, which are at tached merely by hooks on either side of tbe men's belts. Germany Wants a Million Bales. German business men have offered to buy one million bales of cotton at fifteen cents if delivery can be had in Berlin. 4 ' bors, they said, whenever tbe. fleet or any part of It went forth, but they had hit only one vessel, a light irulser. The fleet had leaned bow care for itself. the navy, the officers declared, waa to the early days when the fleet rontinoally at aaa looking for a bat tle. Mow K waa secure end ready It i cos id dmm oat to actios laetanUy if Hie Justice Willis 8. Knowles, of the Eighth Judicial District of Rhode Is land, waa aasiastnsted Just after he had left his bungalow to North Bci- tuate to take a trolley car for Provi dence, R. I.. Monday. He received three bullet wounds, two la the back and one in the Jaw. The attack occurred about a hundred yards from the house and apparently the shots came from bashes that lin ed the village road leading to tho car line. After having been wounded at least once, tbe justice turned hack and had nearly regained the gate opening Into his place when he fell dead. There were no witnesses, and the assassins escaped. Later the po lice detained two men on suspicion. They are Italian laborers, and ac cording to the police, one of them carried a loaded revolver. The body waa found by Knowles’ housekeeper, Mrs. Warddell, who ran from the house when she heard the shots. As she reached the lawn she says she heard a man’s voice with a foreign accent cry; “Now, judge, I’ve got you." She saw no one but thought the voice came from the shrubbery. Justice Knowles waa forty-eight years of. age and uumar- rledr—•— —■■ — British Transport Sank. Berlin reports tbe destruction of a British transport off the entrance of the Dardanelles by a mine. The crew of 300, 1,350 soldiers on board and 320 officers were drowned. 4i000 U. S. Regulars Ready.' The redispositlon of the U. 8. troops on the border will before the end of the week place 4.000 troops around Brownsville for the purpose of being ready for emergencies. -J ‘ J- *• Vessels Lost In Storm. In the storm which swept Florida Saturday the tug Ocean Gem and several fish and oyster boats were ■rink. All tbe crews were believed to have been saved. Exposition At Ths total attendance mark 14 days the average 71,617. W-