THE SUSSEX CRIME.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 May 1916, Page 5

THE SUSSEX CRIME.

A GRAPHIC STORY, I'ATUKTIc AND THURIBLE SCENES. FACING DEATH FOP. NINE HOURS. (By One of the Survivors, in the Melbourne Age). Mr. George M'lver, of Kempfield Station, near-Carcoar, New South Wales, who was a passenger by the Sussex when she was torpedoed in the English Channel, arrived in Melbourne last week by the Osterley. He describes the tragedy in the following statement:— "Like many more Australians, I was set travelling by the war, and, having made a visit to England in the depths of winter, was on my way to catch the mail-boat to Australia at Naples, when that awful tragedy occurred which probably has few parallels even on the battlefield. We left Folkestone at a quarter past 1 on the afternooi, of Marcn 24 in the s.s. Sussex, on our way to Dieppe. Under ordinary conditions the journey takes Ave hours. The Sussex was a French ship, flying the French flag, and for some time past has been used sb a passenger ship plying between Folkestone and Dieppe. Though old; she was a fairly fast steamer, oc' 1353 tons displacement. We had ?Sli passengers on board, and a crew o< about 50—total about 438. The ship was certainly overcrowded. Of the passengers, about 70 per cent, were foreigners, chiefly French and Italians, and the balance' English (including a few Australiins) and Americans. There was an Italian operatic company on board, and I have been recently advised that the j ri'ma-donna and her mother were drowned. After leaving Folkestone, there were ships..nion-of-war, torpedo-destroyers, steamw . and sailing vessels—on ev'.ry side. For some time I stayed on de'ck, timing the ship's speed from the indicator of the log.

THE BLOW. "As the wind wa? bittprly cold, I went to the second deck tu read my newspaper. I had only jus,t commenced to read an article on the fall of Von Tirpitz, when there was r tremendous explosion. I was sitting on the port side. When the ship wi-.-, struck I knew at once what had happcne i. I was thrown violently forward sgaiikt a bench, but was not in the least hurt, and, on looking round, saw trough the port-hole a column of water ascending. This column fell on the upper deck, "drenching the passengers, but I dont think anyone was washed overboard, hs some seemed to surmise, except'ng, of course, those who were carried aw<\y with the forepart of the ship by the explosion. The ship was struck with terrific force, the fore-part being suddon'.y raised, and I knew that she had. been pierced. Wc hurried to the upi.er deck, each picking a life-belt from a spar close by as we went along. On reviling the top' we were confronted with a fearful scene. The whole fore-part of the vessel, including the foremast and wirtkss, was blown, or rather cut, away. Men and women hurried astern, with faces, heads, and bodies covered with blood, and groaning in their agony, Women and chi'ihen were crying and shrieking, and many men were on the verge of collapse A panic in an aggravated form at once set in, and men rushed the boats. The deck was crowded, and there was a stampede to and fro. The ship still heaved violently from the shock. She seemed t,> be sinking, and everyone expected that nil would be over in a few minutes. Men and women junri ed overboard, some of th->m even without life-belts. Others went mad, and manv were wounded. A? I did not once'lose my presence of mird, and made no attempt to get into any of the bonts, I was enabled to see from the deck almost the whole of what hapj eneJ "I stuck to the wreck. On looking over the starboard side I saw the first boat, lowered hanging perpendicularly, bows downward, and men and woman struggling in the water, some holding on to the ropes. The second boat also capsized, throwing :!s occupants into the water. I counted seven men astride on this boat, floating, keci upwards. The men afterwards got into the water, righted the boat, got into it and rescued a few of the swimmers. In the meantime a number of those in the water had disappeared. A little distance from the ship I saw a woman swimming strongly towards a floating board She reached it, and, pushing it before her, continued to swim towards the upset boat. She was putting forth a tremendous effort for her life. A little dislnnce behind her was a man, also a good swimmer.'

NOT ENOUGH BOATS. "I went over to the opposite side to see the third boat being lowered, and on looking round again neither of them was to be seen. I tt'as evident, from the outset that there were not enough boats, even had they been well managed, to take nearly half of tho=e on board. There were only five boats in all, one being smaller than the other?. After some delay the third boat got away without accident, but, unfortunately, a woman lost her life in trying to get into the fourth. Five boats got cleat of the ship, but one soon returned in a sinking condition, owing to making water faster than it could be baled out. The passengers were again taken on board. Another came alongside half-fillei witu water. Some of the occupants shouted, 'We arc sinking!' They were taken ou board. Only two boats out of the five were seaworthy. The great loss of life took place during the first half-hour. Some of the wounded were dying. Many were >n a state of collapse, and those in the water were, drowning without anyone being able to give assistance. A» I saw them disappear I began to wonder, like many others, how many minutes would elapse before my own turn came* "After the ship wt>s struck no one had the slightest hope that the wreck would remain afloat. The sea was fairly calm; but anyone used to swimming knew well that no one could live long in the intensely cold water, There was not a smoke on the horbron. We were beyond the line of the congested ships traffic of the English Channel. Some little time before a British airship appeared on the horizon, and rapidly csme to within a few miles of us, then swooped round and turned back. She was barely out of sight when we were struck.

THE GROANS OF THE DYING SHIP. "The engines stopped at once, and the steam valve was opened to let the steam off. I never heard a moro distressing, nerve-racking sound i,i my life —the groan of a dying ship, yet powerful even in its last throes. The whistle was also started. Tha sound, produced was weird and melancholy. Something between a whistle and a syren, but not loud enough to be heard any distan.-e. Both sounds painfully emphasised oiu helpless, position. It must not be supposed that all lost their heads i on tha contrary) there i were men aad women who remained jutte

co«l the whole time, and did good wort among their distressed and wounSaj comrades. There wai plenty of lifebeKs; but unfortunately the strings were too short to admit of their being tied in front of oneself. • Tiiey had to be,' fastened at the bpek. and this had tq' be dono by another person After coffl« ing on deck 1 fastened a few, and then asked ono or two to fasten mine; but they were either too distressed op did not understand me Most of the talk' was in French. I then went up to a foreign oflieer—a Belgian, I think. ,'Hq fastened my belt leisi-rely. I had previously noticed that he was quite culm. I asked him how long did he thinlf it would take the ship to sink. He replied, "About an hour." "In the meantime a small group had gathered to have their lifebelts tied, and we both set to work. A young English military oflieer did good work. He walked up and down the deck assisting the injured, and reassuring the distressed, I regret Ido not know his name. I aaked him if there were many dead 'forward.* He replied, 'Yes! I have just come from there. There is a numher dead on the floor; I did not count them; but if you like I will take you to where they in.' I told him that I was going below myself to see if the vessel was making water astern. On reaching the second deck it was quite dry. '.,' he staircase to the third deck was much longer aad fairly dark. I reacled the bottom. There was no water. The panic had now subsided; and it was realised that if the sea kept smooth the wreck might loai for several Tiours. , '""^

THE S<o.B. OAJiL. "The wireless was restored sufficiently to get an "8.0.5." message out; but the operator had apparently lost his head, for he gave a wrong position for the ship. About two hours after being torpedoed a sailing vessel was «een approaching. The wind was against her, but she tacked to within two or three miles of us, then veered away, and wat soon out of sight. They must .have noticed that we were ■ in distress and tlie wreckage in the water. The fparometer of hope went down. The deck gave evidence of the situation. Pure, handbags, parachutes, umbrellas, <!oat«, jnckets, books.and many other articles, most of them saturated with sea water, were being trampled under foot in the confusion,. The sea was strewn Tfith wreckage from the explosion, and everything movable on deck that would; float was thrown overboard to help those itt) the water.

"The wind ■ began to blow stronger, and darkness was closing on the awful scene without the sign of a steamer on the horizon. While the sea renamed, calm wo felt fairly safe; but in. the English Channel half an hour may make al'. the difference between a smooth and a rough sea. As the waves began to rise the wreck began to heave and strain ominously, and no one knew what might happen. When it became sufficiently . dark rockets were sent up, and soon afterwards we noticed n light, on the horizon. Our hopes returned. After watching it for some time it was seen to revolve. It proved to be a lighthouse on or near the French coast, and about In miles distant. The small boat with four or five of the crew was despatched with a message to it; but we knew that it. would take at least four hoijrs to reach it. "We were again doomed to disappointment. Everyone watched tn« horizon. A second light was discovered on the opposite »side, and there was a buzz of cheery hope. It proved to be a lightship, ami hope again faded. For. innately the electric light >vas not extinguished. A Ims* number went down to the second defk to he out at the cold.. Foi a time nil w.i» quiet. Many of tin women either slept or svooned from ex« hiinstiou. A minor went round that a third light had appeared. The aufp wa» :;•) V.-> f.'.i'i" in a moment. .A eoilfdjJ of rockets, the last 1 think we had t wero. Scin, ,•,'. i hi* tune we noticed the green as well as the white liglit, and we knew that a ship was conrng to our rescue. She proved to be the Marie Therese, a French mine-Bweeper. Close behind lwr were the lights of sni.lher boat—a British torpedo destroyer. It was now, 11 p.m.; and as we had been struck at 80 minutes to 3, we faced death for nearly nine 'hours without knowing what the next moment might bring.

GAIXAOT RESCUE. . The sea at this time was running higli, and three times the gallant little Marie Therese tried to come alongside. b»t without success, the fourth time efhe succeeded. Our own wreck wa» alio rolling considerably, am 1 , both kept striking each other with a crash, and then, parting. Rescue work was at once commenced. The women wove pushed through an opening in the side, and caught toy men at an opening in the Marie Therese wheever the vessels came near enough. For the men' three or four ropes were fastened to tbo railing of the wreck, the •other ends being 'held by men on the Marie Therese, whose deck was some10ft or 20ft below the'railing of onr deck. Each man climbed over the railing, got hold of the rope, and let himself slide down till Ms feet were within reath of those on the deek below, whenjio was quickly dragged over the railing. It wu fairly dangerous work. If a man lost hi* hold of the rope and dropped, ho would be sure to be crushed between .thu s'hifting vessels. When some two Iwndrcd were transferred, the captain of the destroyer, who came on board the wreck, suggested that the Marie Therese had sufficient, and that he would take *ho - remainder on board 'his ship to Dovei.

At 11.30 p.m. tlie ijaric Therosc steamed in front of the wreck, and then, for the first, time, we wore able to see the full extent of the damage done. The thick,iron plates forming the .ship's side* were torn asunder and jagged as if they had been cardboard. From the flrot 'twas rumored on board that the captain had seen the wake of the torpedo, and slowed the ship. Several of the passengers also stated that saw tt>« conning-tower of the submarine before the torpedo /sras fired, also, the line In its wake. I saw neither. The exact number killed outright by the explosion can never be known. One passenger, who was standing in a good position to form an opinion, estimates the number at 30. A few minute* bv fere the explosion the chief engineer went "forward" to examine the buttheads. He was not seen again. Among, the killed was also IPrinee Bahrain 6t Persia. The majority were drowned. The laßt account I Baw placed the number of missing at over 100. I eiw four boats come back to the ship. There wae also a large raft full of people. They drifted quite a long distance from the' ship, and were quite helpless. I watched them till darkness came on, but do not know what became of them. After leaving the wreck, the Marie Th«re»e headed for T?oulogne, which we reaobed at 1.30 a.m., and at 4.20 a.m. a' special train left for Pwis, which we reached at noon.