ON THE SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 March 1916, Page 5

ON THE SEA.

; ir TORPEDOED. - A FINE DUTCH LINER. PASSENGERS SAFE. • London, March 18. The Dutch liner Tubantia hr.s sent a wireless message that she is sinking in the North Sea. (The Tubantia was a vessel of 14,280 tons and a speed of \",y, knots, and.was built in 1913. Her length was 540 feet, and she was e\w.\ by (he Koniukl, Hollandsche Lloyd Ce.) The Tubantia left Amsterdam Testerday for Buenos Ayres with 83 passengers, 294 of i. crew, and a large car»o and mails. ° Her first message indicated that her position was near the North-Hinder lightship. She was a Boat at 8.30 this morring, but no later report has been received. • T-lio passengers seem to have got clear. Two boats of survivors reached the North Hinder lightship. It is believed a Dutch steamer picked im others. Plenty of succour was sent, including torpedo boats from Flushing. It is doubtful whether she was mined or torpedoed. The captain strongly believes the latter. All the morning the distress call was heard in Dover and tugs and other craft put out.

THE VESSEL SINKS. Received March 17, 8.3") p.m. , Lendon, March 10. Lloyd's report that the Tubautia has sunk. , . „. AT 2 A.M. L A BRAVE OPERATOR. j ,, : Received March IT, 10.5 p.m. Rotterdam, Mareli 17. The Tubantia was approaching the North Inder lightship at two o'clock in the morning. t lt was very dark, and a high sea was running. The explosion rent a great hole amidships. Despite the darkness and the fact that manv passengers were thrown out of their bunks there was no panic. The Marconi operator plucklly sent out "5.0.5." to the last. The captain left the bridge a few minutes before the vessel disappeared. The look-out saw the torpedo coming.. SINKS IN THREE HOURS. Received March 17, 10.3."i p.m. London, March 18. The Tubantia's captain reports that the vessel was torpedoed. There was an immense explosion, and the ship sank in three' hours. A Dutch steamer is bringing the survivors to Amsterdam. LINER'S NARROW ESCAPE. FROM THE DESPICABLE HUN. Received March 17, 8.35 p.riV New York, March 18. The French liner Patria, with nine hundred passengers lias arrived from Palermo. She reports passing near Tunis a submarine which fired a torpedo, without warning, but it passed twenty feet astern.

RAIL-SPLITTING, THE AMERICAN FIN. Washington, March 16. The torpedoing of the Tubantia is likely to cause further complication!: with Germany. It was hoped in American Government circles that the retirement of Admiral Tirpitz, wit* the probable control of German naval policy passing to the Kaiser and Herr von Rethmami-Hollweg, was likely to result in the improvement of the submarine campaign. The announcement of the torpedoing of the Patria also aroused public feeling.

INTERNED GERMAN VESSELS. IN BRAZIL London, March IG. An Exchange telegram says it is stated in diplomatic circles that the Brazilian Government will be compelled, owing to the transporL shortage, to requisition interned German ships. Brazilian financial circles point out that Germany lias requisitioned seven millions worth of Brazilian coffee in Hamburg and hitherto refused reparation. GERMAN MYSTERY SHIP. STORY OF THE VON DEE, TANK. The Scotsman published recently a German prisoner's story, which is an interesting contribution to the mystery of the German battle-cruiser Von der Tann, whatever it may be worth as history. For many months after the outbreak of the war several reports were current concerning the great warship. According to one statement, the ship ha,d escaped from the Kiel Canal, to carry out a carefully prepared raid upon British shipping. The prisoner responsible for this latest story was rescued from the Bluclier when she was sunk by Rear-Admiral Beatty's squadron in the North Sea on January 25, 1015. He declares that during the air raid on Cuxhaven on Christmas Day, 1914, a British aeroplane swooped out of the fog, dropped two bombs right on to the. battle-cruiser, and instantly vanished. The damage done was so great that it was with the utmost difficulty the vessel was got into shallow watc before she settled. This, at any rate, would account for the fact that nothing has been heard of the Von der Tann since the Scarborough raid, in December, 1914. The Scotsman's German prisoner deplored the battle-cruiser's absence from the Doggerbank engagement, a* he believed that if she had been with the German squadron the admiral would then have fought without running away. Ou this ground the exclusion of the Von der Tann from that fight will be equally .M?site! as ifels a'i<- si *!»s Sadfe §ea»