P. & O. LINER PERSIA SUNK

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2659, 3 January 1916, Page 5

P. & O. LINER PERSIA SUNK

J;. TORPEDOED OFF CRETE MAJORITY OF PASSENGERS AND CREW LOST By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright London, January 1, 1.55 p.m. The* High Commissioner reports"The P. and 0. liner Persia (7974' tops) lias' been sunk. The majority of lives were lost. * "The Persia, was torpedoed off Crete." ■PASSENGER LISTS SHOW 87 WOMEN AND. 25 CHILDREN. ■ (Rec. January 2, 5.0 ,p.m.) : London, January 1. '. The Persia was bound for Bombay, and -was sunk on Thursday. Most of the passengers and crew have been lost. The-passenger list sliows 87 women and 25 children, the total being 231, including Colonel Lord John Montagu. THE NEWS CAUSES A! SENSATION IN AMERICA. , . (Rec. January 2,5.5 p.m.) London, January 1. Washington learns that the Persia was torpedoed while approaching Alexandria; The news stunned America in view of the settlement of the Ancona. incident. The President awaits details from the American Consul, who was appointed in October to Aden, and is making his fi. rst Consular trip since he. took over the post. ANOTHER GLORIOUS VICTORY FOR THE KAISER, THE WORST TRAGEDY OF HUN PIRACY SINCE LUSITANIA. (Reo. January 3, 0.45 a.m.j ' , . , l . London, January 2. At present there is no reason to doubt that the sinking of the Persia; is the worst tragedy of Hun piracy since the Lusitania was torpedoed, and Germany is able to add another to the glorious victories of the Kaiser's New Year speech.' The actual toll of life is probably known only aboard the rescuing steamer, which is approaching Alexandria. What is certain is that the liner was sunk on Thursday about 1 o'clock in the" afternoon. Only four boats were able to get clear, and their capacity was sixty each. It seems .that the tragedy was swift and sudden; The computation of the loss of life is largely guesswork, but the figures available bear out Lloyd's statement that most of the passengers and crew were lost, and the P. and 0. Company's more guarded announcement, "It is feared that the loss is very heavy." The latest official list shows 161 passengers booked from London and Marseilles to points beyond Malta. The company is ascertaining the latest bookings from Marseilles and Malta. At present the company estimate that there were about two hundred passengers aboard when the vessel sank, the proportion of women and children being heavy There were many infants in arms with' Ayahs. The women would have been more numerous but an order forbidding women to land in Egypt caused a number to oancel their berths at the eleventh hour., Many army officers were travelling home to Egypt and India. Two Americans were aboard. The number of the crew is uncertain. Tho company estimates that the crew numbered between two hundred and' three hundred, the Europeans numbering seventy-seven. The Persia carried a very heavy mail, but little cargo, and no war material.