The Story of the Great War, Volume 3: History of the European War from Official Sources
History
The Story of the Great War, Volume 3: History of the European War from Official Sources
World War, 1914-1918
"We pushed away hard to avoid the suck, but our boat was fast filling,
and we bailed fast with one bucket and the women's hats. The man with
the bucket became exhausted, and I relieved him. In a few minutes she
was filled level full. Then a keg floated up, and I pitched it about
ten feet away and followed it. After reaching the keg I turned to see
what had been the fate of our boat. She had capsized. Now a young
steward, Freeman, approached me, clinging to a deck chair. I urged him
to grab the other side of the keg several times. He grew faint, but
harsh speaking roused him. Once he said: 'I am going to go.' But I
ridiculed this, and it gave him strength.
"The good boat _Brock_ and her splendid officers and men took us
aboard.
"At the scene of the catastrophe the surface of the water seemed
dotted with bodies. Only a few of the lifeboats seemed to be doing any
good. The cries of 'My God!' 'Save us!' and 'Help!' gradually grew
weaker from all sides, and finally a low weeping, wailing,
inarticulate sound, mingled with coughing and gargling, made me
heartsick. I saw many men die. Some appeared to be sleepy and worn out
just before they went down."
Officials of the Cunard Line claimed afterward that three submarines
had been engaged in the attack on the liner, but, after all evidence
had been sifted, the claim made by the Germans that only one had been
present was found to be true. The commander of the submarine had
evidently been well informed as to just what route the liner would
take. Trouble with her engines, which developed after she had left New
York, had brought her speed down to 18 knots, a circumstance which was
in favor of the attacking vessel, for it could not have done much
damage with a torpedo had she been going at her highest speed; it
would have given her a chance to cross the path of the torpedo as it
approached. No sign of the submarine was noticed by the lookout or by
any of the passengers on the _Lusitania_ until it was too late to
maneuver her to a position of safety. A few moments before the white
wake of the approaching torpedo was espied, the periscope had been
seen as it came to the surface of the water. From that moment onward
the liner was doomed.
The German admiralty report of the actual sinking of the ship, which
was issued on the 14th of May, 1915, was brief. It read: "A submarine
sighted the steamship _Lusitania_, which showed no flag, May 7, 2.20
Central European time, afternoon, on the southeast coast of Ireland,
in fine, clear weather.
"At 3.10 o'clock one torpedo was fired at the _Lusitania_, which hit
her starboard side below the captain's bridge. The detonation of the
torpedo was followed immediately by a further explosion of extremely
strong effect. The ship quickly listed to starboard and began to sink.
"The second explosion must be traced back to the ignition of
quantities of ammunition inside the ship."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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