A LINER'S NEAR CALL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2360, 16 January 1915, Page 8

A LINER'S NEAR CALL

EXPLOSION OF TWO MINES WELLINGTON MERCHANT'S EXPERIENCE. Some seven months ago or so Mr. Arthur George, of George,- Doughty and Co.', left for America by the Niagara, and had reached New York when war was declared. "Everything came to a standstill in New York," said Mr. George. The shipping was all dreadfully hampered, cargo began to pile up everywhere on the waterfront, the banks would give out no gold—in fact, the city was on a state of panic; ■' "I had booked to cross the Atlantic by the Mauretania, but you will remember that she was chased or put into Halifax. 'As there were no British boats venturing out from New York to England I left for Quebcc to do some business there. I had all mv things oil the train ready to, start back for Now York when I heard that there was a steamer named the Scandinavia leaving in half an hour for Glasgow. I rushed my. things on board and sailed on her—a passenger 6teamer, but all one class. We bolted at top tpeed through a fog for the first two days after clearing the river, and arrived N in due course at Glasgow without mishap. / A Shock at Sea. "It was on the return voyage to New York that a most remarkable thing was experienced," continued Mr. George. "I had left Liverpool for New York on Sunday evening, December 6. We proceeded by the Transylvania on the usual course, but did not as usual call at Queenstown. When off the extreme south-west point of Ireland at about 3 a.m. on Tuesday, December 8, we were all awakened by a terrific explosion. The steamer. seemed to go up, and then down, until everyone conceived 'the idea that we had struck a mine and were sinking. "As soon as possible everyone rushed upon deck to find things in a state of chaos. The decks were still streaming with water, orders were being given, and there was a great deal of excitement, hut, fortunately, no panic." Two Mines in Collision. • "What had, occurred we found out afterwards. It was a fine, moonlight lipht, and there was a good sea running, an£ the Transylvania was making excellent progress, when, to the amazement of the officers on watch, two terrific. explosions occurred right ahead in the ship's course, only a few yards away. The first one was a muffled roar and the second a shattering crash. There was no doubt about it—two mines had bumped together' and exploded within a second of one' another, and that right under the nose of our ship. Boats Torn from their Davits. "You can judge of the force of the concussion when I tell you that the lattice shutter of' my port was smashed to pieces. The officer of the watch was knocked insensible, whether by concussion or through the vast volume of water which descended on the decks, threatening to overwhelm the vessel, I cannot say. Tons, hundreds of tons of water poured over the decks, tho boats wero torn from the davits, and smashed, the gangwaj; steps and rail were broken away, and much other damage was done about-the decks. "The wonderful thing is that no one was injured. The passengers' soon sivarmed up on deck in a state of great alarm, hut reassurances were givon that no serious damage had been done to the ship. Of course, tho affair was almost the sole topic of conversation for the rest of the trip. "It was really a wonderful experience. The odds' were ten million to one against two -floating mines meeting in snoh a manner immediately in front of an oncoming liner. Had they not met just at the moment they did, the Transylvania would probably have struck them both at tho same time, beeit blown to' pieces, and all hands would have perished." j