THE SINKING OF THE FALABA

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2423, 31 March 1915, Page 5

THE SINKING OF THE FALABA

FURTHER DETAILS TERRIBLE SCENES ON BOARS HEAVY DEATH ROLL (Rec. March 81, 0.50 a.m.) London, March 30. Further particulars of.the sinking of the Falaba state that all through t'he crew of the vessel showed perfect discipline. The captain remained on thri bridge, and gave three blasts from the syren as a "farewell" when the vessel sank. Later, he was picked up. still grasping the ship's papers, but did not survive. The' wireless operator stayed at his post till the end, endeavouring to communicate with Lands End. Ho succeeded, and reported to the captain, that- two destroyers were coming to the rescue. Drowning People Jeered At. The submarine watched tho ship sinking, and', circled amid the drowning people. The sailors on her deck waved their" hands, and jeered when tho drowning people came up, and in the choppy sea tried to grasp the boats or pieces of wreckage. When the Falaba sank the submarine submerged and disappeared, going towards Ireland. Some of the passengers were swimming for an hour before they were picked up. The torpedo struck the ship,between the third and fourth hatches, exploding a quantity of ammunition. Bundles of mails were blown into the air. _ The ship's stewardess was killed outright. Fifty peoplo who were standing on the poop were unable to escape, and inany of them must have been hilled. • Terrible Scenes. Terrible scenes followed the explosion. Many of the crew were still below. . Out of seven bpats which were in the water before the torpedo struck tho steamei—(? number not stated in cablegram)—were launched safely. The ethers were swamped or smashed against the sides. One was leaking badly, and sank in twenty minutos, drowning 20 out of its thirty occupants. There were nine women on board the Falaba, and of these six were saved. The others, despite entreaties, refused to get into the boats before tbey wero lowered down to the water, and so were drowned. Survivors Picked Up. The survivors were in the boats for three hours The fact that tho Eileen Emma had been following the submarine alone enabled 135 to be saved.The Eileen Emma picked up_ 110, and another trawler 25. Tho survivors later were transferred to a destroyer. There wero 140 passengers on board, chiefly traders, merchants, and Government officials. Tho. surviving passengers state that they owe their lives to the self-sacrifice of tho officers and crew. An outward-bound boat may have picked up a few survivors. The total number of deaths is not known at present, but it is believed that one hundred lives have been lost.