AMAZING SEA TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 29 July 1907, Page 4

AMAZING SEA TRAGEDY.

Paris, June 6. The circumstances under which the mysterious ship the captain of which wan Moftal Matari, a Tripoli smuggler, was blown up off the coast of Tunis late on Tuesday night are aa dramatic as they are tragic.

The vessel, a brigantine, belonged to Chedrif Ben Mohrah, of Tripoli, and was bringing from Piraeus 600 barrels of powder and a considerbale number of caseß of arms, as contraband.

The captain nude several attempts to land on the coast of Tripoli on Monday and Tuesday; but was prevented by the coastguards, who were keeping a sharp look-out. He then stood to sea, and nude for the coast of Tuni«.

Here tli? ship was sighted by Choucha, a Tunisian coastguard belonging to Harris, who at once sent thirty boats, manned by 100 men—mostly fishers—ln pursuit.

The smaller craft stole under the cover of darkness through the silent seas, intending to lie hack till sunrise, when a formal demand for surrender would be made. They were observed, however, by the ever-vigilant smuggler. Four French Spahis thereupon stood up, and demanded instant capitulation. "I am carrying a cargo of powder; you are helpless. Your lives are in my hands," was the captain's answer, and he swung a lighted torch over a dozen casks of powder which stood below. "If the coastguard Coucha wants to talk to me." he shouted through his palms, let him come aboard, but at the first step 111 send them all to kingdom come."

Choucha, thinking the threat mere blaster, called upon his men to board the smuggler. No sooner did the men appear on a line with the deck, however, than Captain Matari, brandishing the torch, shouted: "You have asked for it. Her. it ia." *****'' " He then threw the brand into the bow of the vessel and nearly all the boats near it were blown into the air. A huge volume of water, like a tidal wave, swept to the shore, carrying in its track a number of people, sit of whom were drowned. The total number of victims is sev-enty-three—forty-nine of whom were Tunisian sailors and three French Spahis. The erew of the smuggler numbered about tea.