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RMS LUSITANIA |
WORLD CHAMPS AGAIN
May 9, 1915
... No game scheduled.
On May 1st, the Lusitania left port in New York for Liverpool to make her 202nd trip across the Atlantic. On board were 1,959 people, 159 of whom were Americans. Since the outbreak of World War I, ocean voyage had become dangerous. Each side hoped to
blockade the other, thus prevent any war materials getting through. German U-boats (submarines) stalked British waters, continually looking for enemy vessels to sink. All ships headed to Great Britain were instructed to be on the lookout for U-boats and take precautionary measures
such as travel at full speed and make zigzag movements.
Unfortunately, on May 7th, Captain William Thomas Turner slowed the Lusitania down because of fog and traveled in a predictable line. Approximately 14 miles off the coast of Southern Ireland at Old Head of Kinsale, neither the captain nor any of his crew
realized that the German U-boat, U-20, had already spotted and targeted them. At 1:40 p.m., the U-boat launched a torpedo. The torpedo hit the starboard (right) side of the Lusitania. Almost immediately, another explosion rocked the ship. The Lusitania sunk within 18
minutes. Though there had been enough lifeboats for all passengers, the severe listing of the ship while it sunk prevented most from being launched properly. Of the 1,959 people on board, 1,198 died. The toll of civilians killed in this disaster shocked the world. |
