ON THE SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1916, Page 5

ON THE SEA.

BRITISH CRUISER SUNK. BY INTERNAL EXPLOSION. Received Jan. 1, 9.25 p.m. London, Dec. 31. The Admiralty announces that the cruiser Natal was sunk yesterday in harbour, as the result of an internal explosion, There are -100 survivors. (The Natal, 13,550 tons, was built m 1907, She carried six 9.2 in and four 7.5 in guns. She had a speed of 22'/ 2 knots!. ABOUT THREE HUNDRED LOT THE COMMANDER MISSING j Received Jan. 2, 5.d p.m. London, Jan. 1. The Admiralty has issued a list of the saved from the Natal, whlcn includes fourteen officers, and docs not include the captain commander. The newspapers opine about three hundred were lost.

A LINER TORPEDOED, j GREAT LOSS OF LIFE. \ Wellington, Jan. 2. The High Commissioner reports:—» London, January 1, 1916. The P. and 0. liner Persia ha? been sunk and the majority of lives lost. She was torpedoed off Crete. MOST ON BOARD LOST. STEAMER BOUND FOR BOMBAY. Received January 1, 5.5 p.m. London, Jan. 1. The Persia was bound for Bombay and was sunk on Thursday. Most of the passengers and crew were lost. The passenger list comprised 87 women and 25 children, and totalled 231, including Colonel Lord John Montague. The Persia, a' steamer of 8000 tons, at latest advises, was employed in the London-Bombay passenger and mail service.

ABOUT 200 PASSENGERS. MANY WOMEN AND CHILDREN. Received January 3, 12.45 a.m. London, Jan. 2. At present there is no reason to doubt that (sne sinking of the Persia represents the worst tragedy by the Hun piracy since the Lusitania, and Germany is able to add another to the glorious victories of the Kaiser's New Year speech. The actual toll of life is probably .known only on board the rescuing steamer, which is approaching Alexan. dria. What is certain is that the liner 'was sunk on Thursday about one o'clock in the afternoon. Only four boats were able to get clear, having a, capacity for sixty people each. It seems that the tragedy was swift and sudden. The computation of the loss of life is largely guesswork, but the figures available bear out Lloyd's statement that most of the passengers ami crew were lost, and the P. and 0. Company's more guarded announcement that it was feared the loss of life is very heavy. The latest offfficial list shows 161 passengers booked at London and Marseilles to points beyond Malta. The company is ascertaining the latest bookings from Marseilles and Malta. At present the company estimate that there were about two hundred passengers on board when the Persia was sunk. The proportion of women and children was heavy, and there were many infants in arms with ayahs. Women would have been more numerous, but an order forbidding women to land in Egypt caused a number to cancii at the eleventh hour. There were m>t:\ army officers travelling home to Egypt and India. There were two Americans on board. The number of the crew is uncertain. The steamer carried a very heavy mail, but little cargo, and no war material.

THE NEWS IN AMERICA. Received Jan. 2, 5.5 p.m. London, Jan, 1. Washington learns the Persia was torpedoed when approaching Alexandria. The news has stunned America. FRENCH SUBMARINE SUNK. ENEMY TRANSPORT LOST. Received Jan. 2, 5.5 p.m. Paris, Jan, 1. A communique says:—On the night of the 28th, prior to the fight off Durazzo, an enemy cruiser sank the French submarine Monde. Most of the crew were taken prisoner. Another French submarine torpedoed and sank a transport conveying war" material in the Adriatic. Our heavy artillery carried on a violent bombardment on the Turkish Asiatic coast, damaging several guns and exploding an ammunition depot. MOTOR BOATS AS SCOUTS. Received Jan. 2, 55 p.m. Copenhagen, Jan, 1. A large number of special motor-boats are nightly patrolling from the Sound to the Cattegat.

THE ANCONA. AUSTRIA'S REPLY. Amsterdam, Dec. 31. The Austrian reply to America controverts the American version of the Ancona affair, and disclaims responsibility for the loss of lives, which, it says, was due to the attempt to escape, and to the crew's want of discipline. For example, they overturned the boats. The reply admits that the submarine commander did not give sufficient time for the panic-stricken passengers to disem'bark before torpedoing, and he should not have refused assistance to those in distress. He had been punished. Austria is willing to indemnify America against tiiei losses due to the actual sinking, and Musts the regrettable incident will be closed. AMERICA SATISFIED. Received Jan. 1, 7 p.m. Washington, Dec. 31. The Government is satisfied with Austria's reply relative to the sinking of the Ancona, but will dispatch future k notes, pointing out that proper notice ought to be, given mereiaatmsn.-.