OCEAN TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 84, 29 September 1911, Page 6

OCEAN TRAGEDY.

XIXETV-TIIREE LIVES LOST IN COLLISION. I'ASSEXOKR BOAT SUNK. London, August 12. The master of the British steamer Silverton' reports that in a dense fog he was in collision at 4.2» on Wednesday morning with the French steamer Emir, when, live miles east of Tarifa. The Emir foundered shortly afterwards. Of the crew, w'hich numbered 36 all told, 12 were, saved. Of the 84 passengers, who were mostly French, 15 were saved. The Silverton has several plates in her starboard b#w stove in.

Cablegrams from other sources confirm the loss of 93 lives. The Emir was an iron screw steamer of 1291 tons, built.ire England in 1882, and owned in Marseilles by the Oompagnie de Xavigatione Maxte. The owner of the Silverton, Mr. David Cairns, Leith, received a telegram on Wednesday from the captain of that steamer, reporting the disaster, which, the telegram stated, occurred about five miles from (.iibrultar. The Silverton was on a passage from Newport, Mon., to Italy with a cargo of 40(1 tons of coal. There was a fog at the time of the collision. The captain also stated that his steamer had been damaged by the impact, but to what extent is still unknown. The Silverton, which is a vessel of 2082 tons gross, is engaged principally in. the Black Sea- grain trade. FURTHER DETAILS. The Emir, ' which was sunk after a collision to the east of Tarifa on Wednesday morning, left Marseilles at 10 o'clock on Wednesday evening last for Oran, Oihraltar, and' the Moroccan coast. The wreck took place at 4 a.m. Captain Vabre was injured, but is safe. The Silverton has sustained damage to her propeller shaft ami is making water forward. Everything possible was done by Captain Kellty and officers and crew of the Silverton, but before anyone had time to realise what was happening the Emir sank. Captain Kellty rescued a girl of six years, the only survivor of a party which included her father and mother. She answers to the name of Pura, but is unable to give her surname. The Emir's captain sustained a fracture of the right arm and other injuries. He, was taken to the Colonial Hospital, where other survivors of the disaster are being treated. SURVIVORS' STORIES.

The survivors report that the Emir was steaming slowly owing to the dense fog. They are unable to account for the terrific furce of the collision, which was so great that the vessel sank immediate] v.

Passengers asleep below were all ' drowned except one. The majority of I those saved were deck passengers. The survivors include Madame Lussiardi, the wife of the French Consul at Tctiian, on the way to meet her husband at Tangier; and Pum Atienza, a Spanish girl, aged six, a deck passengers. Her father, mother and two brothers were drowned. Jaqucs Livoni, Jean Besbarat, Ehnidi Garaehe, Elazer Benaro.sh, and nine Moors; Capt. Vabre; the second oflicer, M. Coullois; the third officer, M. Gentile; the third engineer, M. Smioniet; and eight of the crew, and M. Eygadonr, a Freneh post-oflicc employee at Tangier, were drowned. The landing of the survivors was heartrending. The majority had no clothing, and were wearing rugs, and showed signs -of great suffering. All are 'being ■ well looked after here.

The ship's books and papers were lost, and it is impossible to obtain further information at present. It is stated that the majority of the passengers were Moors. The survivors were rescued in three of the Silvurton's boats.