On the Sea

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 71, 29 February 1916, Page 5

On the Sea

LAST OF THE MALOJA. SEEN FROM THE CHORE. | A THRILLING SIGHT, Umtkii Prkss Association. London, February 27. A viuFnt explo; ion was beard at I I o’clock this morning, and attracted crowds to the water-front. They saw the Maloja two miles distant, in difI licultios, and in response to her S.O.S. call scores of patrol boats and trawlers appeared quickly from all directions. .Motor-boats and tugs, launched from Dover, also promptly raced to the rescue. The Malnja soon began to settle down by the stern, where she was damaged, ■■ul.i the seas wire utmost level with the bridge. Then -die took a heavy list to starboard, gradually rolling until the starboard side was submerged and her docks were perpendicular. She remained thus for some time, and then suddenly wallowed right over and completely capsized, and after showing a section of her keel for some minutes she disappeared. 1 Meantime„ all sorts of craft "ere steadily engaged in the work of rescue. The list of the ’ ship prevented the launching of boats on the port side, and those on the starboard side were jamming. j Most of the survivors were taken direct from the sloping decks aboard the smaller craft. ANOTHER STEAMER SINKING. Watchers ashore had another thrilling experience half I when the Empress of Fort William 'was sunk half a mile distant. Her forepart remained above the sea for some time, with stern submerged, when she suddenly blew up and disappeared in a cloud of steam. ! The Malnja survivors were landed a' the Admiralty pier, some being transferred to a hospital ship, while others are coming to London. The Male,,a 'carried a valuable cargo. SURVIVORS’ PITIFUL PLIGHT. RECOVERY OF 44 BODIES. London, February 27. A pitful sight was the arrival of the Maloja’s survivors, by special train, at Victoria station. The procession included nearly a hundred Lascars, who were dejected and silent, some "cie injured. j Passengers state that the absence 'of panic was due to the nearness of 'the land and the wonderful promptitude of the scores of rescuers, who surrounded the vessel on all sides. The weather was fair. No Australians were noticeable aboard. Forty-four bodies have been recovered. HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE. THE CREW SUFFER SEVERELY. It is estimated that 264 out of 411 j people aboard the Maloja have been saved. The bulk of the victims wore Lascars. The explosion blew in the side of the second saloon and knocked several passengers who were on deck off their feet, a number being injured. The water immediately swamped the interior, There "as a | fairly heavy sea. There was no panic, but the Lascar crew were terrified, and one had to be knocked on the head with an oar to prevent him entering a boat before it was ready for the passengers. The ship’s printer says the explosion was like that of a big gun. Due boat was jambed, but an officer cut the ropes and the boat dropped thirty feet into the water. A tug picked up the pilot, "ho left the Maloja at Deal. He says the boats were swung out in eradiness for any emergency, and many passengers possessed private lifebelts, LASCARS SING TO THE DEATH. A HERO OF A BOATSWAIN. (Received 9.13 a.m.) London, February 28. The Lascar s stuck to their places, some singing while the ship was sinking. j Boatswain Gough saved three women by diving with them irom the deck land placing them on a raft. He also (tied tile baby on the raft already mentioned. Its mother was saved. Before the final plunge, the Maloja j lay on her side, and several officers 'walked along the side and dived thence into the sea. i IDENTIFICATION OF THE DEAD. HEARTRENDING SCENES. FORTY-SEVEN BODIES RECOVERED. (Received 8.20 a.m.) London, February 28. : The Lord Warden’s Hotel is crowded with survivors from the Maloja, who are sleeping in the passages ami the billiard room. When the London train arrived bite on Sunday night there was a gieat rush to the hotel ol anxious relatives. Two soldiers, whose wives were aboaid, searched the hotel ; one found Ins w ife.

but tho other wik unsuccessful, and this morning lie identified her body. , There are heartrending scenes among the relatives identifying tho bodies which were laid out in the market hall owing to the inadequacy of the morgue. Forty-seven bodies have been recovered, including eleven women, three young children, a baby, eighteen men, and twelve Lascars. Many deaths were due to tlie cold and immersion. Two bodies were washed uj» this morning, and it is expected the others will be recovered. The police are searching the beach. TRAGIC OCCURRENCES. THE CAPTAIN’S REPORT, Some deaths of the Maloja’s rescued people occurred from exhaustion aboard the rescuing vessels. The weather was intensely cold. Captain Irving was the last to leave the ship, and was picked up after half an hour’s swim. All the officers and the engine-room’s staff were saved. A child who was seen alone on a raft was rescued, but the fate of tho mother, who was fastened to it, is unknown. Captain Irving reports that the Maloja struck a mine between Dover and Folkestone, the after-part being blown up. He tried to beach the vessel but a high sea was running, and the engine-room became full of watei. The ship sank in about half an houi • All boats had been swung out before the accident in event of emergency. The white and colored crew behaved splendidly. Several children were blown to pieces. Out of 203 Lascars on board % were saved. r ibe majority of those iescued were taken ofl rafts. One boat that was in the water drifted under a boat that was being lowered. The underneath boat capsized and only two occupants escaped. EMPRESS OF FORT WILLIAM. DRAMATIC STORY BY THE CAPTAIN. London, February 27. Shepherd, captain of the Empress of Fort William, says: On leaving the Downs in the morning the Maloja was astern, but she soon overhauled and passed us with her superior speed. I saw the Maloja off the Downs, apparently held up waiting for examination by the patrol boat for permission to pass. We did not hear the explosion, and I was amazed to notice the Maloja down by the stern. I heard a loud blast of her whistle, and immediately went at full speed to the rescue, but we were a long way astern. 1 saw the Maloja’s boats lying on their sides; they could not bo lowered owing to the list. The passengers were lined up, reminding oue of the picture of the sinking of tlie Blucher. PHOTOGRAPHING THE SCENE. Captain Shepherd snapshotted the scene, and half an hour later lost his own boat and all bis possessions, but ho saved the entire crew of twenty. He is of opinion that the boats which endeavored to rescue the Maloja’s complement kept too far away. If he had had the speed he would have run the Empress of Ford William alongside, but he was still a mile astern when the vessel was mined, sinking in 10 minutes. He saw many people standing on the decks of the Maloja, apparently unable to get into the crowded boats, MINES TAKE FURTHER TOLL. THREE STEAMERS LOST. London, February 28 The French steamer Trignac was mined and sunk in the North Sea, 26 people being drowned. The steamer Dido was mined and driven ashore in a gale at the mouth of the Humber. Twenty-six were drowned. The steamer Mecklenburg, from England to Flushing, was mined and sunk. It is believed the passengers, crew, and mails were saved. THE RAID OF THE MOEWE. STORY OF THE WESTBURN. Tencriffe, February 28. The West burn loft the Moewe on February 9. The prisoners were given their choice of landing on the Canaiies or on an unknown island close to the former. The prisoners were constantly threatened by bombs wherewith the prize crew were armed. The German captain expressed his intention of retaining one captain, one engineer, and one steward to guard against damage to machinery and the poisoning of the stores. I The captain declared that the gunInews of the Clan MacTavish were -le'tained aboard the Moewe because they i worked the liners guns. The Lascar crew were also kept. Ihe office s the Westburn were detained on I ward the Moewe for making false nationality signals before capture i 'while the Westburn was 'ymg at Tenerilfe the prisoners saw boats pLing from other interned German vessel's and it is supposed they removed the Appends gold, prize crews munitions, and stores. A tug and launca .accompanied the Westburn sea winds hater, when she was anchored tluecquarters of a mile off shore and sunk in forty-five minutes, j The crew were taken off by a launch, and they informed the authorities that the Westburn had been accidentally sunk owing to the bursting of a boiler through continuous use of salt water-