SUNK BY ZEPPELIN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1544, 29 April 1916, Page 4

SUNK BY ZEPPELIN.

STORIES OF SURVIVORS OF FRANZ FISCHER.

How a British steamer was sunk by a bomb from a Zeppelin awhile back was described on the arrival at Vest Hartlepool of one of the three survivors. This was Charles Hillier, an able seaman. a native of Newfoundland. He stated that he had been serving on board a captured steamer known as the Franz Fischer (Frank I isher), which had been in use as a collier, and that the vessel had been destroyed by .i Zeppelin about 10.30 p.m. on Tuesday night with the loss of 13 lives. The three survivors wore himself, the chief engineer (J. Birch, who belongs to South Shields), and the steward (a man named TV Taylor, of London). SUNK WHILE AT ANCHOR.

“The vessel left a north-east coast port with coal for a more southern port on Tuesday morning,” said Hillier.

■‘While we were at anchor on Tuesday night we hoard a noise overhead and a Zeppelin came into view. “It dropped a bomb of a highly explosive nature, which struck! the vessel amidships. The vessel only remained afloat about two minutes, and there was not even time to tliink of the boats, as we wore all dragged .underneath. “When I came up again I got hold of a lifebelt, and after I had been swimming about for some time I came across my two companions. We were able to keep afloat for an hour, and during that ' time we hoard the cries of several other men, but were unable to help them, and the cries gradually died away. “We were almost in a state of collapse when a Belgian steamer came along and launched a boat which picked us up.” The sunken steamer was formerly a German boat named the Franz Fischer, which was captured after the outbreak of the war and placed.in internment, and had lately been used for coasting trade purposes. It was in the charge of Captain Davis, of Cardiff, and three West Hartlepool men were on hoard as seamen. Another story is told that after the vessel sank a number of the men were able to seize hold of the cover of a lifeboat lx)x, hut after hanging on to it for some time it overturned and it is feared many were drowned.