ANOTHER OCEAN GRIME

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 308, 17 September 1918, Page 5

ANOTHER OCEAN GRIME

CROWDED SOUTH AFRICAN LINER TORPEDOED WOMEN AND CHILDREN ON BOARD DISTRESSING SCENES London, September 16. The Union Castle liner Galway Castle (7088' tons) has been torpedoed. The Hon. H. Burton, tho South African delegate to the Imperial War Cabinet, was 011 board, but was Saved. Fully 120 passengers are missing.—Aus.-N.Z. Cifble Assn. (Rec. September 16, 8.40 p.m.) f.ontlonj September 16. • The Galway Castle was bound for Durban with'94l passengers on board, including 201 of a crew, three hundred women and cliildron, ana three hundred invalided soldiers. The ship filled rapidly, but tho bulkheads kept her afloat whilst the destroyers rescued the survivors. Tho ship was torpedoed _at seven o'clock in tne morning. Nothing wo.s Been of the submarine. Tho explosion broko the steamer almost in two. There was an imminent danger of ker sinking, and Captain Dyer ordered tbo abandonment of the vessel, but with volunteers remained on board. The crew behaved with commendable promptitude, but a rough sea made the rescue work terribly difficult. , Tho first boat which was . lowered overturned, and the women and children were thrown into the sea. Another boat was dashed against tho steamer's hull, with the loss of numbers of ' lives* Others were drowned after jumping into the water hoping to reacli tne boats, which, however, tho rough sea prevented remaining alongside. Constant bail* ing was needed to keep the boats afloat,Later tho destroyers brought the survivors to port. Twentv first, ten second, and ninety third-class passengers, and thirty-four of tho crew are missing. _ Many of tlia latter were no doubt killed by the explosion. Many of the passengers wera in their berths when tho ship was torpedoed. Most of them wore only lifebelts over their Many rafts were overturned, and men swam' about picking up the children and gutting them on tne rafts. One naval lieutenant died from exposure in a boat. The missing include Mr. Bunting (? Burtirie), a member of the South African Legislature." _ Amongst the rescued was Mr. Burton, South African Minister, en rout® from the Wnr Conference. ... . , Within an hour everybody was off the ship. When the reaming • destroyers left with the survivors the steamer was still afloat.—"The Times."