U-BOAT ATROCITIES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 16, 14 October 1918, Page 5

U-BOAT ATROCITIES

SINKING OF THE LEINSTER AND THE HIRANO MARU I

RESCUE WORK PREVENTED !

TORPEDOED WITHOUT WARNING DURING A GALE j

(Rec. October 13, 5.5 p.m.) j

London, October 11. I Tho sinking of tho Leiusterand thej Hirano Maru are apparently incidents in the new submarine campaign recent-j ly inaugurated. Much larger and heavily armed U-boats are on the routes of American transports. _ J Stories of hiirvirors emphasise thaij these are nothing short of murder. A! high sea was running and'rain_ was. falling in torrents when the Hirauoj Maru was torpedoed without warniDg; on Saturday night. The seamen. hur-| ■riedly attempted to launch the boatsJ which .were smashed against the yes-] sel's sides. The passengers realised! that a disaster had occurred and rushed up on tho decks, to find huge wavesj sweeping men, women and children into the sea. Soon a couple of hundred were fighting for their lives in the waves, piteously shrieking Kelp. The Hirano Maru sank in five minutes, with the captain and all officers; Aj big explosion finally shattered the sel. Doors, seats, and other loosened by tho explosion, were flungi into the sea, and served as makeshift rafts. Mon and women struggled towards them, and hung oil desperately, .despite the high waves. _ •■■ The wireless operator continued toj send messages until his cabin was flood-j ed. He was unable to escape and was drowned. The -messages_ brought an, American destroyer, but it was forced 1 ;to discontinue the rescue, as the sub; marine, which was lurking and watching for victims in the water, fired a ■ torpedo against the destroyer, i Meanwhile the unfortunates were dropping off the woodwork and drowning every minute. ,The propeller of the sinking vessel cut 'a number of people in pieces, the mutilated bodies beingi tossed on the waves. When the de-i stroyed had scared off the submarine and it was able to resume the rescue, the cries of the victims had' almost ceased. Only twenty-nine were found alive. I The attack on the Leinster was equal-; ly determined. The vessel caped being torpedoedon Monday. Fin-j ally the Germans used three torpedoes,; though the vessel was only a fragile j cross-Channel packet. __ ■ _ j The newspapers are of opinion thisi was the most shocking sea crime since j the Lusitania 1 . The latest infamy dis-'j qualifies Prince Max's Government from i conducting further negotiations. ,; London! October 12. j It is officially announced that thorej were 780 on board the Leinster, and] there are 193 -.survivors.—Aus.-N.Z. 1 Cable Assn. , \ • . ■ ■. ,i TERRIBLE SPECTACLE 1

HEAVY DEATH-ROLL DUE ..TO j SECOND TOBtPEDO; A | (Reo. October 12, 5.5 pjn.'). j London, October 11, ,i The Leinster by wireless called for I help and fifty vessels of all descriptions j quitted Kingstown. Crowds lined the j pier awaiting tidings. Two hundred! anibulauces awaited the survivors.. The] first rescuing vessel brought a hundred, i five others, brought ahoufc a■• hundred j more, also a number of dead. ' j Au officer says that all would have j been saved but for the second torpedo.', Only four boats were then afloat. Their! oocupants saw a most terrible speo.j taclo.. The ship heavily listed and the! propellers came out.'of the' water when! she was struck the second time. The j torpedo's track was seen, but no sub-.j marine. There was a tremendous ex- j plosion; and some'.of the boats and rafts | were smashed like matchwood.—Unit- ■! ed Service. ■ . ! - VESSEL SANK-IN FIETEEN ' } . MLNTJTES.- .'.".. . j 1 ■ London, .October 11. ■, The Loinster was struck in the en-j gine-room, and there was a terrible,; explosion, which killed numbers oV, people, including 70 in a lifeboat hang- J ing from the davits. A few boats were launched, but some were overturned,' and rafts saved many.-" There , is not hope of finding further survivors, as j the sinking occurred in daylight,, and fifty vessels, including warships, were] soon on. the scene.- .''The Leinster waSj first torpedoed forward. She heeled! over, and the crew began to lower the! lifeboats. The second torpedo, three j minutes later, struck the engine-room. | There was a deafening explosion, which ,j blew the funnels into the air and killed 1 the captain. One of the crew says the steamer seemed to "crumble to ashes, ■ and she sank in fifteen minutes. Therewere 630 passengers -including a number of women and children, and 70 of a crew. Most of theni were thrown head-:! long into the water. It was only pos-;> eible- to lower a few boats. These were overcrowded, and one filled with water mid overturned. A numb'er of survivors were picked up clinging to the overturned boats, and others on rafts cart from the deck. Five hundred ore rales' ing.—Aub.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

THE TICONDEROGA OUTRAGE i . . ■ ■ "i BRUTAL ACTION OF THE PIRATES j (Rec. October 13, 5.5 | New York, Ootober'l2. ; Later information regarding the sinking of the American ship Ticouderoga snows that the ship's gunß were .; quickly silenced by the U-boat's,shells.: All but two lifeboats were destroyed. One member of the crew swam along- j side the U-boat, and asked the commander to cease firing.. The commandor pointed a pistol at him, and; ordered him to swim away. After the;■„ ship sank' a single surviving boat was ; compelled to throw a tow-line aboard the U-boat. When the American, sailors refused to answer the questions of tho U-boat commander the suhmarino suddenly submerged. The lifeboat was saved from being capsized by, tho tow-line breaking. ' 'The sub- j marine is described as having eight- i inch guns aboard. The survivors j were adrift for four days. Many or 1 them were seriously wounded.—Am- ■ i N.Z. Cable Assn. ' (Rec. October 13,11 p.m.) j Washington, October 11. The Navy Department announces tho deaths of ten officers and 111 men on | the steamer Ticonderoga, which, was j submarined on September 28. Five survivors arrived aboard a British steamer.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. j SUBMARINE BEATEN OFF. ] (Rec. October 13, 5.5 p.m.) Washington, October 11. A Brazilian steamship reported an cnoounter with a U-boat off the coast.' They steamer is believed to have, sank i tho U-boat by. gunfire—Aus.-N.Z.. Cable Assn.. ■ '. ■. .'..'■'■' ■ j