ON THE SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 September 1916, Page 5

ON THE SEA.

THE ITALIAN WARSHIP CATASTROPHE MUNITIONS EXPLODE. THE SHIP SCUTTLED Received Sept. 12, 10.'.0 p.m London, Sept, 12. The Daily Chronicle's Rome correspondent states that the catastrophe to tin. Leonardo da Vinci occurred in fai-nnto Harbor at midnight. An explosion in the munition department tore a hole forty feet square in the side of t.ic battleship. Hoping to avert furthei disaster the commander ordered the bulkheads to bo opened and tlie ship scuttled. Twenty-one officers and 227 uf the crew sacrificed their lives in obeying this order. Thirten oilicers and men landed in torpedo boats, many peing wounded. The rest swam ashore, including the commander, who succumbed to his injuries later.

AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT w NOT CAuiC "v EXTERNAL ENEMY ACTION. Received Sept. 12, 9.30 p.m. Rome. Sept. 11. An official statement regarding the sinking of the dreadnought Leonardo da Vinci on August 2nd, shows that the Jive, broke out near the munition stove. The ship was flooded, but tlie explosion caused her to sink in forty feet of water. The committee appointed to inijuire as to tlie best means of raising the ship, and as to the possibilty of internal foul play reports that tlie inquiry disproved that the five was caused by external enemy action.