SINKING OF THE NIGER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 177, 5 January 1915, Page 4

SINKING OF THE NIGER.

NEW ■ZEALAXDEIi'S ACCOUNT. TETRGL SERVICE INCIDENTS. ChristcliurC'ii, Saturday. In a letter to his father, Captain H 'Kstchweli, rjf Lyttelton, Ssli-Lientenant H. C. Ilatchwell, R.N'.K., law fourth of(jeer on tlic steamer Tainni, w ho has been engaged for some time 011 pavrol service in 'tiie Downs, oft' tin- Kentish coast, describes the sinking of 11.M.5. Niger by a Ocrman submarine. Writing 011 November 12, Sub-lieutenant Hatch-well savs —"\V e are still 011 tile same c!d job. and 'have been having ipiit.e an time lately. Yesterday, while we. were' on watch on onr patrol tug, the Ceylon., a Norwegian sailing ship ran imo a steamer ami ripped the hitter's loreeast le all to pieces, l.mkilv no one vas hurt. Then at 110011, when we we/e about 50 yards oil our patrol gunboiii, tin- Niger, am! making a signal to hei bv semaphore, hi ami behold. all of a sudden there was a hang, and we could not w.'e the old Niger for b) ; >e): : ■■■!;■■. She hail been torpedoed by a (P-nnan submarine. Of course, we at o.nee went 'full ahead,' and rarci up ahn- r-ide to pick up as many of her crew as 1 ■■. ; -ihie. We succeeded in getting 20. aiti-jrethcr in our tug. So far a? is known nt present. all tie- er"W were saved, "bill two ; were severely injured and two slightly by (lie explosion. Tt wa.s quite ev-iff'ig I while it lasted, and we didn't know how many more torpedoes wou'ei be comite.; our wav."