One hundred years ago this week, a horrible and controversial tragedy at sea occurred: the sinking of the Japanese cargo ship SS Raifuku Maru. Tragic because the entire crew of 38 was lost; controversial because there were accusations that the crew of the White Star Liner RMS Homeric – who received the distress call – was accused of not doing enough to try and save the crew of SS Raifuku Maru.
Above is the front page of the Lorain Journal of April 28, 2025 with the story and a heartbreaking photo showing the ship sinking as seen from the deck of RMS Homeric.
This Wiki page provides a capsule account of the tragedy. And this website provides an interesting look at the sinking of SS Raifuku Maru, as it was lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
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| SS Raifuku Maru |
Elsewhere on the front page: the Lorain Street Railway requests permission from Lorain City Council to abandon street car service in Lorain on Erie Avenue from Root Road to Leavitt Road; Lorain police vice squad arrest six in a raid on a pool hall; a disturbing story of the burning alive and stoning to death of 100 inhabitants of Chinese town of Tsu Ling Chung.
It is described as such: "Six hundred bandits attacked the town, the inhabitants fleeing in terror. The bandits captured 100 and entombed them in a cave, filling the entrance with an enormous heap of firewood which was lighted. A majority of the victims were burned to death, but some struggled through the flames to be killed with stones."
Strangely enough, I was unable to find any mention of this on the internet except for the same blurb presented on the front page of the Journal.
