BRAVE WOMEN.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 April 1917, Page 7

BRAVE WOMEN.

SINGING IN THE BOATS AFTER - LTNEIt HAD BEEN' SUNK. The__Ellerman liner City of Birmingham. 74% tons, was torpedoed wit'hout warning in November last in the Mediterranean. The following account of the affair was lately published by the miraltyThe British steamship City of 'Birmingham was torpedoed without warning on November 27th last bv an enemy submarine when. 126 miles' from the nearest land. She carried a crew of 145 and 170 passengers, of whom ninety were women and children. The torpedo struck the ship abreast the afts-hold, and so heavy was the explosion that the ahip at on;:e began to settle by the stern. One of the lifeboats was blown to pieces. Engines ware stopped and steam allowed to escape from the boilers, while everybody assembled at their stations for abandoning the. ship. A heavy swell i<«s running, but within ten minutes of the explosion all boats hi=d been lowered and all the passengers find crew were clear of the ship. I n accordance with British sea tradition the master, Captain W. J. Ilaughton! remained op hoard until the ship «» n k under him; he was picked up half an hour later by one of the boats. The conduct of the crew and passengers was admirable throughout. The master reports that the women took t heir places in the 'boats "as calralv as if they were going down to their meals" and when in the boats began singing.' Three hours later the boats were picked up by a hospital ship (reported at the time to have hcen the Letitia),, and the passengers and crew mustered. It was then found that the ship's doctor, Hie barman, and two Lascars were not among tho survivors and had presumably been drowned.