ON THE SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 March 1916, Page 5

ON THE SEA.

- THE MALOJA. SCENES AT DOVER. GOOD BEHAVIOUR OF LASCARS. London, Feb. 28. The Lord Warden Hotel at Dover was crowded with survivors from the Maloja, who were sleeping in the passages and billiard-room. When a London train arrived on Sunday night there was a great rush to the hotel by anxious relatives. Two soldiers whose wives were on board the vessel searched the hotel. One found his wife, but the other was not successful. This morning lie identified Her body. There were heartrending scenes as the relatives identified the bodies, which were laid out in the Market Hall, owing to the inadequacy of the morgue. Forty-seven bodies have been recovered, including those of eleven women, three young children, a baby, eighteen men, and twelve Lascars. Many of the deaths were due to the cold caused by immersion. Two bodies were washed up this morning. Others are expected to come in and the police are searching the beach. The Maloja's Lascars stuck to their places, some singing while the boat was sinking. Boatswain Gough saved three women by diving with them from the deck and placing them on a raft; he also tied a baby oA a. raft as already mentioned. Its mother was saved. Before the final plunge the Maloja lay on her side and-several officers walked along the side and dived from it into the sea, the toll of life. 155 MISSINC . I Received Feb. 29, 10.55 p.m. j London, Feb. 29. j The Maloja's saved include: —Passengers 72, European crew '92, Lascars 137. There are.missing 49 passengers, 20 of the European crew, and SO Lascars. A SURVIVOR'S STORY. SWIMMER'S STRUGGLE FOR LIFE. Received Feb. 29, 9.5 p.m. London, Feb. 23. Relatives of the Maloja victims continue to arrive at Dover, inquiring for .survivors and identifying bodies. G. Briggs, who was one of a parly of twenty-one in a boat that capsized while, it was being lowered, swam in the ice-cold water and watched an Englishman swimming alongside who made a great struggle for life. He tried sidestroke and back-stroke, but the strong current overwhelmed him and he sank. Briggs caught a rope that was, thrown from a yacht. He was immersed for half an hour. All the survivors pay a tribute to the value of the lifebelts, otherwise the loss of life would have been appalling. The first officer rushed below to stop the engines, which were going full speed astern, but the engine-room was half full o: water and he was unable to shut off the'power.

HUNS' LATEST IDIOCY. TO STARVE BRITAIN. BY TORPEDO WARFARE, Received March 1, 12.50 a.m. Copenhagen, Feb. 29. It is reported from Berlin that the I Admiralty believe that the new superall steamers, including neutrals, in order to prevent import* into Britain. The Admiralty believ ethat the new superBubmarines will enable Germany to starve Britain in two months. A BERNSTORFF ULTIMATUM. ■V TO UNITED STATES. REGARDING ARMED MERCHANTMEN Washington, Feb. 28. Count Bernstorff has notified the 'United States that Germany's assurances regarding the Lusitania and Arabic cases only apply to peaceful merchantmen. All others are to be sunk. Germany contends that armed merchantmen would be subject to destruction without warning. It is reported that submarine commanders have received instructions to begin tbe work at midnight on Tuesday. Germany bases her contentions on America's own instructions to port authorities that armament aboard merchantmen creates a presumption that the vessel is armed for defence. Germany also relies on the United States' attitude in dealing with Italian merchantmen, which have been notified that they must remove their guns.