ON THE SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 November 1916, Page 5

ON THE SEA.

THE BRITANNIC OUTRAGE. A SHOCKING (TRAGEDY. THE FINAL SCENES. London, Nov. 24. Two hundred men remaining on the decks wove ordered to break ranks ami advised to jump into the water. Instead they went to the Upper deck and threw rafts overboard. Meanwhile there was a shocking tragedy. The propellers were at the water level and several boats and rafts were drawn into the whirlpool It was an awful sight to see the poor fellows struggle against the inevitable. When they saw that their boat was doomed to encounter the propeller blades most of ihem tried to escape by jumping into the water. The screws caught the boats with a ripping, smashing sound and flung the human beings into thu air cut and mutilated. The Britannic went down with a slow gradual movement. Probably the engines shifted to the starboard as the vessel lurched to starboard before going down. As each great funnel touched the water it was ripped off like a piece of brown paper and fell to the port side. Athens, Nov. 24.

One hundred and fifty survivors of the Britannic have landed at the Piraeus. They state that the vessel was torpedoed while the medical staff and nurses were at breakfast. The boats were quickly swung out, but after twenty minutes it was difficult work owing to the heavy list. Despite special appliances the .three first boats launched were caught by the screws and cut to pieces, most of tlioso in them perishing. Some of the crew were caught by the explosion, by which egress from the forward part of the vessel was cut off. Two navigating officers who were on deck state that they saw the wake of two torpedoes. The captain is also convinced that the disaster was due to torpedoes.

After the disaster the Britannia's wireless sent .nit S.O.S. messages, which a destroyer in tlif? neighborhood received and replied that she was hastening to the rescue. But the destroyer received a countermanding signal, whic-h appears to have, been given out by a German submarine in a dastardly attempt to stop help reaching the victims. The destroyer momentarily turned back, but discovered the cowardly trick when further urgent calls wore received. This was the Britannia's sixth voyage as a hospital ship. At the time of the explosion she was steaming at the rate of twelve knots. The cvplosion accounted for many deaths. The engines were unharmed and the captain tried to beach the vessel until the forward dip became too pronounced. Thirty boats were afloat before the list prevented the proper launching of the rest.

London, Nov. ii. German wireless comment on the t\tiToidinary number of persons 011 ben-d the Britannic voyaging to Salonika as justifying suspicion as to the misuse ofthe hospital ship for purposes of transport.

It is declared that, inasmuch as the ship bore the Red Cross, n.itum / there is no question of a German submarine being concerned in sinking h-.'r.

THE BRITANNIC'S NUMBERS,

STATEMENT BY ADMIRALTY. GERMANY DENIES SUBMARINING. NK) NEWS OF THE RAPPAHANNOCK;. Received Nov. 20, 5.5 p.m London, Nov. 25. The Admiralty, in reply to the Herman allegation as to the extraordinary number aboard the Britannic, states there was a total of 1125, consisting of 025 of a crew and 500 of the medical staff. The German Admiralty denies that the Britannic was submarined. The Admiralty has no further of the steamer Rappahannock, which Berlin reported to have been sunk on November 8. Unless the 37 members of the crew are aboard a submarine, or have been transferred to other vessels, whereof there is no indication, there can no longer be any hope of their safety. If the crew were forced to take to their boats so far from land, in bad weather, Germany is again guilty, of constructive murder on the high seas.

CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS. • Received Nov. 27, 12.53 a.m. London, Nov. 20. By way of contract to the German statement that tin Britannic was not torpedoed, the Kieler eZitung, a wellinformed naval paper, says she was torpedoed because she carried troops. FORCE OF THE EXPLOSION. A MEAN GERMAN LIE. Received Nov. 20, 5.5 p.m. London, Nov. 25. The Daily Chronicle's Athens correspondent states that the Britannic was struck well forward of the starboard hatches, No, 2 hold being blown 50 feet in the air.

It is reported that a German submarine recently visited Lauriom, opposite Zea, and that an officer landed anil took aboard a woman, who is believed to be concerned with supplying submarines.

Received Nov. 20, 5.5 p.m. London, Nov. 25. It is officially suggested at [Berlin that a Turkish submarine that was. recently sold by Germany is responsible for the sinking of the Britannic. THE FATE OF THK RAPPAN- ' HANNOCK. Halifax, Nov. 2(J. The owners of the Rapparihannock are satisfied that the vessel was torpedoed a month ago, en routo to England, and that forty were drowned. THE RUSSIAN BATTLESHIP. Received Nov. 25, 5.5 p.m. Petrograd, Nov. 24. It is hoped that the, battleship Imperatr! Maria will 1m refloated

ERAEMAR CARRYING

WOUNDED, ATX SAVED. ' London, Nov. 24. The Admiralty hospital ship Braenmr Castle was homeward bound from Salonika to Malta with wounded when she was mined or torpedoed in the Mykoni Channel, Aegean Sea. All on board were saved. Vancouver. Nov. 24. The Braemar Castlo has heen torpedoed in 1 the Aegean Sea. AH on board were saved. London, Nov. i»i. „ The "Chronicle's Athens correspondent states that the Braemar Castle was torpedoed off Tinos Island. The survivors were taken to Syra by mine-sweepers and destroyers. &Received Nov. 20, 5.5 p.m. Londono, Nov. 25. Ulie Patras states that the Braemar Castle was torpedoed thirty miles west of the Britannic. Allied aeroplanes saw two submarines between Mitylene and Zea.

400 SICK ABOARD. Received Nov. 20, 11.30 p.m London, Nov. 20. There were 400 British sick aboard the Braemar Castie en route for Malta The casualties were one drowned and ten injured. ATTEMPTED RAID BY GERMAN DESTROYERS Received Nov. 20, 5.5 p.m. London, Nov. 25. The Admiralty reports that during the night of November 23-24 six German destroyers attempted tc approach the Northern Downs. The enemy, who were seen by a patrol vessel, steamed off after firing twelve rounds. There were no casualties. A drifter was slightly damaged. The open town of Rarasgate was not hit, ' Ttffi GERMAN VERSION.

The Germans elaim tliat in the Channel raid they sanK a patrol vessel, and bombarded the fortified place of Rsuusgate. They saw nothing of the B-i'itisli/ fleet, and withdrew safely to the home base. NORWEGIAN LOSSES. Received Xov. 20, 5.5 p.m. Paris, Xov. 25. Illustrating Germany's sharpened submarine' war against neutrals, the newspaper Le Journal shows that Norway , during the first biennium V>f the war. lost 7!) steamers, of a total tonnage of 125,225, .compared with the last three months' 77 steamers, total--42,000 tons

WESTERN ATTACK. HERO OF NAVAL DIVISION. IJid'TES'ANT-COLONEL !• REYBERG. AX EX-XEW . ZEALAND ATHLETE. deceived Nov. 20, ,5.5 p.m. London, Nov. 25. i Lieutenant-Colonel Freybcrg, who was the hero if the Xaval Division at Beaucourt, is an ex-Xew Zealand athlete, having won the long-distance swimming championship. He has had a varied and adventurous career, having fought in Mexico, He joined the West Surreys at the beginning of the war; was at Antwerp and Galtipoli.

FREYBERG ILL IN HOSPITAL. HIS HEROISM EULOGISED. Received Nov. 20 5.5' p.m. London, Nov. 2'3. Lieutenant-Colono.l Freyberg is lying seriously ill in London Hospital, suffering from four wounds. He won the D.S.O. at the Dardanelles foi Swimming to the shore and lighting flares so as to draw the Turks' lire. All the war correspondents eulogist his heroism. One correspondent declares that seldom has there been a ase where success was so clearly clue to one man's personality. Tho Morning Post's correspondent pictures a strange flying figure, wrapped in soiled bandages, leading men over the worst obstacles. Another declares that every man in the division is proud of.-him. His fame,is spreading through the Army. (A further reference to the intrepidity of Lieutenant-Colonel Freyberg is made in John Macefield'? book, "Immortal Gallipoli," 'in which he says: "No army in history lias made so historic an attack; no army in history has been set such a task; no other body of men lias been called upon to land over mined and wired waters, under tjie cross-fire of machine-guns. Our men aohievcd a feat without parallel in history. No othc.: troops in the world would have made those beaches on April 25. The bridge of lighters from the River Clyde was destroyed, and remade again and again. There wjere men who through the day leapt from the earth, with leave or without it, to bring water or succor to the wounded on the boat l : or beach. A hundred brave men gave their lives thus. Every • man there earned the Cross that 'day. A boy earned it by one of the bravest feats of the wai~leaping into the sea with a rope in his teeth to try to secure a drifting lighter. There is the .story of Freyberg, who swam ashore towing a little raft. He lit flares at intervals along the const. He wandered inland on a personal reconnaissance until lie found a large Turkish army, strongly entrenched. Swimming off to a destroyer, lie could not And her, and swam over seven miles, until he was at last picked up nearly dead. This magnificent act of couragis and endurance kept i large Turkish army at Bulair during the critical time of landing. Constantinople papers were filled with accounts of repulses of great attacks of the British. The flares haft deceived the Turks more completely than had been hoped. These was no thought of surrendering in these marvellous young men. They were the flower of this worlds manhood, dying as they lived, owning no man master on this earth. Our army had won their hold on the peninsula. On the body of a dead Turkish officer was a letter, written the night before to his wife. It was a tender letter, filled mostly with personal matters. In it was the phrase: 'These British are the finest fighters in the world. We have listened to the wions L friends."). * "

THE BELGIAN DEPORTATIONS*

WORLD-WIDE HORROR AND INDItf. '• , NAAION.' . t •;] " ! lEecelvdd' Nov. 26, 5.5 p.m. London, Nov. 20. Viscount Grey, replying to tho pro* A test of the Belgian Government on the subject of deportations, states that i horror and indignation of this revival of slavery are shared by the whole world. He reaffirms that tho cardinal object of the Allies is to liberate : Belgium from the continual dangers of' enemy occupation.

MEMORANDUM SENT TO AMERICA. -

deceived No\. 26, 5.5 p.m. Washington, Nov. 25. ; The Belgian Minister lias submitted to the United States a second memorandum, detailing the inhumanities, and dealing with the principle and practice* connected with the deportations from Belgium

ENEMY INFANTRY DISPERSED^ SUCCESSFUL AIR RAIDS. ' ; Received Nov. 26, 5.5 p.m.- .• \ London, Nov. 2<t. General Sir Douglas Haig Hostile artillerving it, taking place U - * the neighbourhood of Lea Boeuf* and Bcaucourt. Our artillery dispersed in> fantry southward of Puisieux. Five enemy aeroplanes were and several damaged. Three of ours anf missing. ' . . 1 ; ! ::1 Paris, Nov. 215. 1 A communique states:—'French avian tors fought, forty engagements on- the Somme, bringing down five. Guymmtc ? brought down his twenty-third. Two of our squadrons heavily bombed; Bruyer# and Briselles, while late last evening four aeroplanes bombed the blast naces and factories at Volklmgen, turning unharmed. ; ;i

ANOTHER GERMAN SLAVE iRAID. ' 4 : FURTHER BRIGANDAGE* , ■ ' »>, Received Nov. '2O, 5.5 p.m. " , * Amsterdam, Nov. 85; The Telcgraaf states that all thj; j male, of Tirrlomont between the ftgSS i j of 17 and 55 have been deported to Gerr' many in goods trucks. The Germans are dismantling all moehinery, and talcing the copper. Th«l directors of factories at Charleroi who were protecting their property were), : f arrested.' ; ,

IMPORTANT POINTS SHELLED; BEHIXD ENEMY FRONT. ' ' . Received Nov. 20, 11.50 p.m'. London, Nov. 29. \ General Sir Douglas Haig reports:-** Our heavy artillery shelled various 'inK portant points behind the enemy front,: The weather is stormy. WOUNDED AND SICK PRISONERS , IN SWITZERLAND. Received Nov. 20, 5.5 p.m.. • ♦ Berne, Nov.- 2a. There are 18,848 wounded and prisoners of the various '■ now in Switzerland. , * ; GERMAN HEELS ON BACK 0? BELGIUM Amsterdam, Nov. 21, "Deported Belgians refusing to wotK have been sentenced to two months in % gaol. The Brussels streets are lrae<l 1 with maeliine-guns to overawe thi people. Amsterdam, Nov. 23. Germany has increased BelgiumTl monthly levy from forty million to fifty, million francs (£2,000,000). BRITISH RAID TRENCHES. ; ' London, Nov. 24. \ ' General Sir Douglas Haig report# thai tho British raided trenches south-east of Grenay, Festubert, and Bois Greuiei. EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS' Received Nov. 26, 5.5 p.m. Copenhagen, Nov, 25, Arrangements have been concluded for the exchange of 20,000 Trench and German civilian prisoners between December i and December 25.

RUSSIA. ' POLITICAL CHANGES.' A REACTIONARY SUPERSEDED. Received Nov. 20, 5.5 p.m. Petrograd, Nov. 2.1. Premier Sturmer has been appointed Grand Chamberlain, and M. Trepolf, Minister of Communications, appointed Premier. " ' There has been a strange demonstration in the Duma in favor of Parliamentary Government. M. Sturmer is a noted reactionary. , A ukase adjourns the Dmna untU J)e< somber 2, owing to the necessity for the 5 Government explaining to Parliament all the impending problems. This neceß* sitatea careful consideration.

THE POLITICAL CRISIS; s ' * CONFLICT BETWEEI' PARTIES. Received Nov. 2<S, 5.5 p.m. Petrogmd, Nov. 2S. \ M. Sturnier's fall was due to a qu»r« rcl in the Duma, wherein the Ministers of War unci Marine took the side of the Duma in the criticism against M. Stunner concerning the bad organisation of the Russian food supplies, which' produced a famine in some cities, and' the alleged attempt to promote patched-up peace. The crisis lias taken the fora of conflict between the old Bureaucracy., and the elective bodies, such aa theZemstvos. The Bureaucracy r,esent their encroachments into the province of officialdom, which is resulting in th» Zemstvos' aetivit'es in war work. Ml Trepoff has won a reputation as act*, ing-head of the Communication* D»« partment iincg the outbreak -**'