SUNK BY SUBMARINES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2770, 13 May 1916, Page 7

SUNK BY SUBMARINES

TOLL OF UNARMED VESSELS

By Telegraph—Press 'Association-Copyright.

~ London, May 11.""' fir. Alacnnmnrn, Secretary to tno Admiralty, reported in the House of Commons .that during the . twelve monUis ended May 1 (the'anniversary..of the sinking of the Lusitania) 37 British mid -- neutral merchantmen, which were not armed, and were not attempting to escape, were sunk without warning. LAST YEAR'S LOSSES. SLIGHT TONNAGE DECREASE. ("Times" aud Sydney "Sun" Services.) . London,' May 11. According to Lloyd's Register, 'the number of vessels in the United Kingdom decreased last year by. 268, wil-lt-tonnage Of 11,11)1. ,

Tho above figures cannot be rcconcilcd with previous reports, and the losses re. lerred to must- be for: last quarter, and represent the world's loss of shipping. Maritime losses of .£I0,IJ0(I and upwards in 1915 amounted to .829,744,053, represent ing 628 vessels, states the annual report lit the Liverpool Underwriters' Association. In 1914 the loss was ,£13,686,954 (272 vessel's), and ill 1913 it was iG,7311,000 (170 vessels).

Out of a tonnage of 1,823,365 totally lost lust, year, 8!>7,!172, or more than half the total, was British tonnage! These figures relate to vessels of 500 tons and upwards, mid tho number cif these"vessels-, totally lost was 726--comprising'3l7'- British-and ■10!) foreign. ' ' ' . 1

Through being sunk by cruisers, sub. marines, and mines 231' British and 212 foreign vessels were totally lost in 1915. Firos and explosions m'. British and foreign vessels 'resulted' in 19 total llosscd (7 British) aiul 3flß partial losses (205 llritMi). '

The report notes that casualties from fires and explosions have been increasingly frequent of ..lata on board vessels, cs-' pecially tbo.T; bound from North and South America-to Europe. "There is good reiwon for suspccting that, in many cases, these fires and explosions, like the large number that have occurred at factories in. the United States and on quays, wero of incendiary "origin." The year's losses include 19 vessels (13. British and fi foreign) postod as missing.. British shipbuilding returns for the year show an output of merchant shipping of about 650,000 gross tons, compared with 1,728,000 in 1914, and 2.33G.3GS .in .1913. LOSS OF THE CYMRIC. SUNK WITHOUT WARNING. London, May 11. Survivors from flic Cymric state that the liner was torpedoed without warning, and was not allowed time to get out. the fcoats. The submarine did not wait to assist the crew, who were left in open boats 138 miles from land, and with no apparent prospect of rescue. The sea was bad, and it was blowing half: a gale. HIGH-PRESSURE CYLINDER SMASHED. (Rec. May 12, 11.36 p.m.) London, May 12. When tlie crew left the Cymric the vessel' was on fire. The explosion of the torpedo smashed the high-pressure cyliiiT der, and four men were kiileil either by the torpedo or by pieces of the cylinder.