With the Fleets.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 250, 31 March 1915, Page 5

With the Fleets.

A COWARDLY ACT,

WHAT GERMAN "KULTUfi" DOES.

STATIONARY VESSEL TORPEDOED.

London, March 29. Elder Dempster and Co.'s Falaba Wt Liverpool on Saturday and sent signal", of distress from th c Bristol Channel. It is believed a submarine attacked her.

The Falaba was torpedoed at Milford Haven; 140 passengers and 112 of the erew were saved. The Germans laughed 'and did not attempt to rescue anyone. The captain, two stewardesses, and live others were drowned.

The submarine signalled thc Falaba, which was bound for West Africa, to get out the boats, but the engine-room was torpedoed before this could be done. Three boats were swamped, and the passengers and crew were thrown into the water. The submarine circled round, jeering at the struggles of those in the water. The Eileen Emma, a steam drifter, rescued the majofSy . Ten sol-

(Hers and several medical men were on board. A lieutenant aiiii corporal were among tlie dead. The Falaba liad 147 passengers and 05 of the crew were saved. It is feared that the remainder have been drowned. Many probably were killed by trie explosion. Received March 30, 9.20 p.m. London, March 30.

The Falaba sighted the U36 at noon nn Sunday. The steamer was going at thirteen knots, and the submarine followed like a greyhound. She sent up a rocket signal to stop, and also a wireless message, and came within hailing distance after three-quarters of an hour's chase. She trained a gun on the Falaba. Captain Davis, seeing there was no chance of escape, stopped, and was given ten minutes to launch the boats. Life-belts were distributed, and

the passengers were getting into the ■boats in orderly fashion, when the submarine, a hundred yards away, with her nose pointing amidships, launched a torpedo. One boat was halfway down from the davits and full of passengers. The davits broke and the boat fell into

the water. Many aboard the Falaba, seeing the torpedo coming, ran forward and escaped.

THE CAPTAIN PERISHED IN THE WAVES.

GERMANS JEER AT DROWNING MEN.

Received March 31, 12.15 a.m. London, March 30. Throughout, the crew of the Falaba were under perfect discipline. The captain remained' on the bridge, and gave three blasts of the syren as a farewell as the vessel sank. Later he was picked up, still grasping the ship's papers, but he did not survive the exposure. The wireless operator stayed at his post to the end, endeavoring to communicate with Land's End. Ho succeeded, and reported to the captain that two destroyers were coming to the rescue. The submarine watched the ship sinking, and circled amid the drowning people. Sailors on her deck waved their hands and jeered at them. When the drowning people came up in the choppy sea, they tried to grasp boats and wreckage. When the Falaba sank, the submarine was submerged, and disappeared, going towards Ireland.

Some of tlic passengers were swimming for an liour before they were pickeil «]). Tlic torpedo struck between tlie tliird and fourth hatches, exploding a quantity of ammunition. Bundles of mails were blown into tlie air, and a stewardess was killed outright. Fifty people standing on the poop were unable to, escape and many must have been killed. Terrible scenes followed, many of the crew being still below. Out of seven boats. which were in the water before the torpedo struck, one '.was launched safely, the others being swamped and smashed against the sides, and, leaking badly, sank in twenty minutes, drowning twenty out of thirty occupants.' Of nine women aboard the Falaba, six were saved. The others, despite entreaties, refused tn get in to the boats before they were lowered into the sea, and thus were drowned. Later. The Falaba's survivors were in the boats for three hours. Tho fact that Hhe Eileen Emma had been following tne submarine alone enabled 135 to be saved. The Eileen Emma picked up 110, and another trawler twenty-five survivors. Later she transferred to a de=troyer one hundred and forty passengers, chiefly traders and merchants, and Oovernment officials. The passengers state that they owe their lives to the self-sacrifice ' of officers and crew. The outward-bound boat may have picked up a few of the survivors. Tile total deaths are unknown, but are at present believed to be a hundred.