The Lusitania's Last Voyage: Being a narrative of the torpedoing and sinking of the R. M. S. Lusitania by a German submarine off the Irish coast, May 7, 1915Lauriat, Charles Emelius, Jr.
History
The Lusitania's Last Voyage: Being a narrative of the torpedoing and sinking of the R. M. S. Lusitania by a German submarine off the Irish coast, May 7, 1915
Lauriat, Charles Emelius, Jr.
Lusitania (Steamship)
In addition to these difficulties there were the well-meant but probably
disastrous attempts of the frightened passengers to assist in the
launching operations. Attempts were made by the passengers to push some
of the boats on the port side off the ship and to get them to the
water. Some of these boats caught on the rail, and capsized. One or two
did, however, reach the water, but I am satisfied that they were
seriously damaged in the operation. They were lowered a distance of 60
feet or more with people in them, and must have been fouling the side of
the ship the whole time. In one case the stern post was wrenched away.
The result was that these boats leaked when they reached the water.
Captain Anderson was superintending the launching operations, and, in my
opinion, did the best that could be done in the circumstances. Many
boats were lowered on the starboard side, and there is no satisfactory
evidence that any of them leaked.
There were doubtless some accidents in the handling of the ropes, but it
is impossible to impute negligence or incompetence in connection with
them.
The conclusion at which I arrive is that the boats were in good order at
the moment of the explosion and that the launching was carried out as
well as the short time, the moving ship and the serious list would
allow.
Both the Captain and Mr. Jones, the First Officer, in their evidence
state that everything was done that was possible to get the boats out
and to save lives, and this I believe to be true.
THE NAVIGATION OF THE SHIP
At the request of the Attorney-General part of the evidence in the
Enquiry was taken in camera. This course was adopted in the public
interest. The evidence in question dealt, firstly, with certain advice
given by the Admiralty to navigators generally with reference to
precautions to be taken for the purpose of avoiding submarine attacks;
and secondly, with information furnished by the Admiralty to Captain
Turner individually of submarine dangers likely to be encountered by him
in the voyage of the “Lusitania.” It would defeat the object which the
Attorney-General had in view if I were to discuss these matters in
detail in my report; and I do not propose to do so. But it was made
abundantly plain to me that the Admiralty had devoted the most anxious
care and thought to the questions arising out of the submarine peril,
and that they had diligently collected all available information likely
to affect the voyage of the “Lusitania” in this connection. I do not
know who the officials were to whom these duties were entrusted, but
they deserve the highest praise for the way in which they did their
work.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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