Horrors and Atrocities of the Great War: Including the Tragic Destruction of the LusitaniaMarshall, Logan
History
Horrors and Atrocities of the Great War: Including the Tragic Destruction of the Lusitania
Marshall, Logan
World War, 1914-1918 -- Atrocities
“During the last few minutes’ life of the Lusitania she was a ship of
panic and tumult. Excited men and terrified women ran shouting and
screaming about the decks. Lost children cried shrilly. Officers and
seamen rushed among the panic-stricken passengers, shouting orders and
helping the women and children into life-boats. Women clung desperately
to their husbands or knelt on the deck and prayed. Life-preservers were
distributed among the passengers, who hastily donned them and flung
themselves into the water.
[Illustration: AS OTHERS SEE US.]
SCREAMS INTENSIFY HORROR
“In their haste and excitement the seamen overloaded one life-boat and
the davit ropes broke while it was being lowered, the occupants being
thrown into the water. The screams of these terrified women and men
intensified the fright of those still on the ship. Altogether I counted
ten life-boats launched.”
A German submarine was seen for an hour before the liner was sunk,
according to Dr. Daniel Moore, of Yankton, S. D., who said:
“About 1 P. M. we noticed that the Lusitania was steering a zigzag
course. Land had been in sight for three hours, distinctly visible
twelve miles away. Looking through my glasses, I could see on the port
side of the Lusitania, between us and land, what appeared to be a black,
oblong object, with four dome-like projections. It was moving along
parallel to us, more than two miles away. At times it slowed down and
disappeared. But always it reappeared. All this time the Lusitania was
zigzagging along. Later the Lusitania kept a more even course, and we
generally agreed then that it was a friendly submarine we were watching.
We had seen no other vessels except one or two fishing boats.
“At 1.40 we sat down to luncheon in the second saloon. We talked of the
curious object we had seen, but nobody seemed anxious or concerned.
About two o’clock a muffled, drum-like noise sounded from the forward
part of the Lusitania and she shivered and trembled. Almost immediately
she began to list to starboard. She had been struck on the starboard
side. Unless the first submarine seen had been speedy enough to make
rings around the Lusitania, this torpedo must have come from a second
submarine which had been lying hidden to starboard.
“We heard no sound of explosion. There was general excitement among the
passengers at luncheon, but the women were soon quieted by assurances
that there was no danger and that the Lusitania had merely struck a
small mine. The passengers left the saloon in good order.
ON HUNT FOR THE LIFE-BELTS
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account