SINKING OF AMPHION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 107, 29 September 1914, Page 5

SINKING OF AMPHION.

TWO MINES STRUCK AT SPEED OF TWENTY KNOTS. FINE BHAVIOUIt OF THE CAPTAIN AND CREW. The. following vivid account of tho loss of the Amphion was issued by the Press Bureau recently:— At D a.m. on August sth, H.M.S. Amphion, with the third flotilla, proceeded to carry out a certain pre-arranged plan of search, and about an hour later a trawler informed them that she had seen a suspicious ship "throwing things overboard" in an indicated position. Shortly afterwards the mine-layer Koenigin Luise was sighted, steering east. Four destroyers gave chase, and In about an hour's time she was rounded up and sunk. lifter picking up the survivors, the pre-arranged plan of search was carried out wilthout incident till 3.30 a.m., when the Amphion was on the return course. Ncaring the scene of tho Koenigin Luise's operations, tho «ourse was altered so as to avoid the danger zone.

THE BRIDGE IN FLAMES. This was successfully done till C.30 a.m., when the Amphioii Btruck a mine. f.L Ehcct of flame inßtantlly enveloped the bridge, which rendered the captain insensible. He fell on to the fore and aft bridge. As Boon as lie recovered consciousness he ran to t r ne engine-room to stop the engines, which were still going at revolutions for 20 knots. As all the fore part was on fire, it proved impossible to reach the bridge or to flood the fore magazine. The ship's deck appeared to be broken, and she was already settling down by the bowe.

All efforts were therefore directed towards placing the wounded in a place of safety in caso of explosion, and towards getting her in tow by the stern. By tho time the destroyers closed it was clearly time to abandon ship. PERFECT ORDER. The men fell in for this purpose with the sarao composnre that had markcS their behaviour throughout. All waß done without hurry o( confusion, and '2O minutes after the mine was struck the men, officers, and captain left the ship. Three minutes after the captain left his ship -another explosion occurred which enveloped and blew up tho whole fore part of the vessel. Thy effects showed that she. must have struck a second mine, which exploded the fore magazine. Debris falling from a great height struck the rescue boats and dep'royers, and one of the Amphion's Bhei ! s burst on the, deck of one of the latter, killing two of the. men and a O-rman prisoner rescued from the crnner. The after part now began to settle quickly, till its foremost part was on '.he bottom, and the who T e afterpart tilted up at an angle of 45 degrees,