On the Sea.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 301, 29 May 1915, Page 5

On the Sea.

STEAMER BLOWN UP. THROWN INTO THE AIR. 'London, May 27. The auxiliary steamer Princess Irene was accidentally blown up in Slieernuss harbor. Seventy-seven dockers 'perished. Received May -28, 4.30 p.m. London, May 27. It is believed that over two hundred lives were lost on the Princess Irene. The Princess Irene was a mine-layer, and belonged to the Canadian-Pacific Company. There \v;:s an internal explosion at eleven o'clock in the morning, and she totally disappeared. Stoker David Wills was picked up. He sustained burns. Several men on vessels near by were wounded by falling splinters. There were pathetic scenes outside tile Sates, where a notice was posted that seventy-seven workers had lost tltcir lives in the execution of their duty at tile Sheerness Shipyard. WIDESPREAD EFFECT OF EXPLOSION. WOMEN SCARED. • VESSEL BLOWN INTO FRAGMENTS. Received May 28, 11.30 p.m. London, May 28. Two little girls who were playing on a. veram!:!h at Pert Victoria were struck by the failing wreckage and killed. Places ten miles south-west of Shcorness were covered with falling fragments. Houses at Sittingbourne were shaken and windows broke;;. T!>" ground trembled like an earthquake, ant. women rushed into the street with their children, fearing a Zeniieiin raid. Several persons were injured at Sittingbourne. A boot, a collar, a tie, and a pound of butter fell into a garden at Rainhaui, four miles distant. Two decker-, who were rer,;ni;i;g }n the Princess Irene in a Government pinnace, state they were obliged to take refuge in the cabin from the rain of burning debris. When able to emerge there w:r; ;h> sign of the vessel whereon they had keen working an lee!;' earlier, it having born blown into the minutest fragments. 'I here was kttle disturbance of the water, which was as black a:, ink. FORCE OF THE EXPLOSION. Received .May 2S, <1.30 pm. London, Mav 2S. Besides a. crew of 250 on the Princess Irene, it is unofficially stated that there was a large party of re fitters and docxers on hoard. Some estimates are tiiat 400 were lost. Two pillars of ilame at intervals of a few seconds l rose three hundred feet with a deafening roar. 'When the smoke cleared there were only fragments of wreckage and corpses of the crew. The explosion was felt, at Maidstone, twenty-two miles away. 4n officer on hoard a vessel near by says that the Princess Irene was hurled in the air a mile high in ten thousand fragments. Ife could distinctly make out the forms of men amidst the llyjing wreckage. FURTHER DETAILS. Received May 28, 10.55 p.m. London, May 2S. The Princess Irc.no was largely manned by Chatham men. She only left the dockyards twenty-four hours previously, and was moored to a buoy 3.">0 yards from the shore. Wills was picked up from the water, and was unable to give an account of the accident. lie was understood to say that in the middle of the explosion he thinks he must haTC been blown into the* water with part of the. ship in which he was working. Three other men belonging to the Princess Irene had just gone ashore, otherwise the whole crew would have been blown to pieces. Nothing except a portion of a mast marks the place where the Princess Irene was berthed. The I Medway is spotted with pieces of wreckage and little bits of human bodies. The explosion was more severe than the Bulwark one. The houses near the quay seemed to rock under the shock. The wreckage resembled matchwood, lie saw one man. swimming with a lifebelt, and it was believed he was a survivor, but it was found iie belonged to another ship. He jumped overboard, believing his own ship was doomed. A seaman oil the deck of a neighboring ship narrates he saw a huge flame springing from the deck of the Prim-ess Irene, which was followed by. smoke, and then a series of cracking explosions followed the explosion. A great volume of smoke and coal dust rose in the air, and the Princess Irene Simply melted away. The explosion seemed to stun everyone for a few moments. Then a boat crew was ordered to pick up survivors. Two men working >on neighboring' barges were saved. Several others "were kliled. including the crew of five belonging to a harbor launch alongside the Princess Irene. THE AMERICAN LOSS. IS IT AN ACT OF WAR? Received May 2S, 10.30 p.m. New York, May 2S. The newspapers are reserving judgment as to whether the Nebraska was mined or torpedoed. They point out that if she was torpedoed it is little less than an act of war, and American restraint means American indiH'ereiu:e. DANISH STEAMER SUNK. Received May 2s, 4.30 p.m. London, May 27. The Danish steamer Betty was torpedoed and sunk on the North Sea. The, crew were landed at Shields. swiowsir ship destroyed. Copenhagen, May 27. A German submarine stopped Danish and Swedish schooners in the North Sea. It allowed the Danish vessel to proceed, but burnt the Swedish. The hitter's captain asked why the Danish boat was not destroyed, and the commander of the submarine stated that he was instructed not to touch Danish ships. BRITISU STEAMER SIJNK. London, May 27. The steamer '.Morwenna, bound from Montreal to CnrdilV in ballast, was torpedoed and shelled ll;0 miles from St. Anne's Head (Mil ford Haven). The crew were landed and reported that one was killed and three wounded. Received -May 28, 10.30 p.m. London, May 28. The .lac<|Ucliiie, a Belgian steam trawler, observing a submarine attack the Morwvnna, attempted to ram the submarine. A second shot sank the Morweiinn, in a few minutes, and the .fncqiicline picked up the crew. The .Tne(pieline again attempted to rani t lie submarine, but a Per firing fifty shots at the .Tacijuelino, the submarine disip- J pearal. !