Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1756-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more
Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC
Newspaper Page Text
t 2d extra IftelfaMtytfait Mim$ 2d extra NUMBER 8527. WASHINGTON,. FBIDAY EVENING, MAY 7, 1915. PRICE ONE CENT. LINER LUSITANI A SUNK BY GERMAN SUBMARINE FLEET RUSHES TO AID PASSENGERS SAVED EARLY CABLES SAY , - Reports Received From Liverpool Are AH Frag mentary, But AH Agree Steamer Began Calling For Help at 2:33 Was Said to Be Listing Badly Fishing Fleet Rushed to Her Aid. LIVERPOOL, May 7. The Cunard line manager says the Lusitania was sunk ty a submarine. He received the following wireless from Old Head of Kinsale, at 5:49: "The Lusitania was sunk by a submarine at 2:33 this afternoon, eight miles south by west of Old Head of Kinsale." hfr authorities declared H was not known how many had been stvd. LONDON, May 7. The steamer Lusitania, filled with passen ger, many of whom were Americans, was either torpedoed or blown up by an infernal machine while off Old Head of Kinsale, at 2:33 this aft ernoon. The latest reports received here say that all of the passengers were saved. Sinking of the Lusitania was the hardest blow of the war to date so far as neutral commerce was concerned. The reports received here arc fragmentary, but all agree that the big liner began calling for help by her wireless at 2:33. The first to pick her up was the wireless station at Landsend. The appeal was urgent. "We have a big list,; rush help," flashed through the air, and imme diately orders were sent to the nearest points to get every available craft to the scene. The German submarine which sunk the Lusitania is believed here to be the same which yesterday sunk the two 5,000-ton freighters Cen turian and Candidate, and on Wednesday sunk the sailing ship Earl of Latham. The admiralty has sent a flotilla of fast destroyers to search for the under-sea boat. The fishing fleet from Kinsale was early on the scene and immedi ately began the work of taking on board the passengers from the big liner. It is understood that the Lusitania's own boats were used to care for her passengers. On all of her recent trips .these boats have been swung overside and their covers removed, ready for any eventuality, and it is possible that to this precaution may be due the salvation of the passengers. The first word reaching London of the plight of the Lusitania was an unconfirmed rumor received at the general offices of the Cunard line. It said that the big steamer was in trouble. The line officials made it public and promised to keep the public informed of everything that happened. , There was much excitement. There had been grave doubt that the Germans were in earnest when they threatened to attack the passenger-carrying liners. I The sinking of the Falaba had been considered the final act of this kind, and when it was realize dthat the biggest passenger liner in com mission had fallen victim to the war London was aghast. CUNARD LINER LUSITANIA iv Wall Street Stunned, But Reacts at Once NEW YORK. May 7. Stunned by the sinking of the Lusitania the stock market this afternoon suffered one of the severest reactions in its history. Prices dropped almost instantaneously three and four points. Beth lehem Steel, a stock which has fluctuated sharply for several weeks, was sold off 29 points, from the high of the day, to 130. When the first report of the sinking of the big liner was received on the floor traders threw large blocks of stock on the market for any price that they would command. In the railroad issues the international stocks were the weakest. Canadian Pacific declined more than seven points. Northern Pacific lost over four points. Southern Pacific went down three full points. The selling was general throughout the list, but strange to say when a confirmation of the disaHter had been received several of the stocks which had suffered largest losses recovered in part. U. S. Envoy Verifies News of Disaster Confirmation of the torpedoing of the Lusitania off the Irish coast was received from Ambassador Page of the State Department this afternoon. Ambassador Page cabled as follows: "Lusitania torpedoed off the Irish coast this morning. Sank in half an hour. No report as to passengers." Expect Germany Will Point to Warning 'Ad' That the German government would repudiate responsibility toward the United States for the Lusitania disaster was the consensus of opinion in official circles here this afternoon. It was believed this expected attitude would be based on the adver tisement published by the embassy in New York newspapers the day the vessel sailed. Of course, this warning, followed by the sinking of the vessel cuused comment concerning a possible foreknowledge by the embassy of what was to happen, but this was wholly unofficial. How News of Disaster Came Over Wire Partial Passenger List of the Lusitania Times Extras Will Be Issued As Fast As Additional Details Are Obtained NEW YOKK, May 7. The full pas senger list of the Lusitania as an nounced by the Cunard Company Is as follows: Henry Adams, Mrs. Adams, A. H. Adams, Lady Allan and maid. Miss Anna Allin, Miss Owen Allen and miild. N N. A lies, Julian de Ay.la. James Baker, Miss M. A. Baker, a. n. Barttett. Mrs. Bartlett. J. J. Ilattershy, Oliver Uerrard. C. p. Bernard, New York. Albert C. Bllickfi, Ijob Angeles. Mrs. illlicke, J.os Anceles l.t'OllKlUB iimiP, AlhlM'.lt, ii" J J Black, New Yo'k Thimid BinomHeld, New ork. Jumea Bohan, Toronto. U. Uoulton. jr., London. Mlsa Dorothy Bralthwalte, Montreal. Miss Josephine Brandell, New York. Mltg Josephine Brande.l, New York, C. T. Brodrlck, Boston. W. Brodrlck-Cloete. San Antonio, Tex. J. H. Brooks. Nw York. Mrs. M. C. Brown. New York, Mrs. J, S. BurnMde, and maid, New York. H. A. Bruno. Montclalr, N. J. .Mrs. Bruno, Montclalr, N. J. Mlas lvls Burnsldo, New York. A. J, Bylngton, London. Michael CJ. flrne, Neu York B. Campbell-Johnston, London Mrs. Cumpbell-Johnstoru London. Alezandor Campbell, London D. L. Chabot, Montreal. Mrs, W, Chapman, Toronto. J. H, ChurleB, Toionto. Miss Doris Charles. Toionto. The Hev. Couley Clarke, London. A. B. Clurkr, Toronto. M Cohen. New York H. Q Colebrook, Toronto, Miss Dorothy Conner. New York, (Continued on Pica EUvtn.) The first report of the sinking came from New York at 1 :17 o'clock, when the Cunard line made the announcement that it had received an unconfirmed rumor of an attack on the Lusitania. This was followed a few minutes later by a re port that the Cunard line officials had been unable to confirm the rumor. A ticker report at 1:25 declared that the Lusi tania had been sunk off Kinsale, Ireland. The Ca- -nard officials absolutely refused to comment on this. At 1 :30 this statement was given out by the Cu nard line: "The Cunard Steamship Company has received an unconfirmed report of the Lusitania having been torpedoed by a submarine off the coast of Ireland." The steamship officials declined to state the source of the rumor other than to say that it had reached them from London by cable in exactly the form given out. Kinsale is about fifteen miles south of the en trance to Cork Harbor. As time went by and no further information was available at the Cunard line offices the crowd which had collected began to grow skeptical and attention was called to the fact that since the accident to the LusHania's turbines last August she has not been do ing better than 20 knots. This fact caused considerable skepitcism and (Continued on Page Eleven.)