RAIN OF BURNING DEBRIS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 9153, 29 May 1915, Page 5

RAIN OF BURNING DEBRIS.

VESSEL BLOWN- IN?O-SlINUTlr;;;

FRAGMENTS

EXPLOSION FELT MILES AWAY

1 LONDON, May 28. Two little girls, ploying under a verandah at Port-Victoria, were Struck* by fall ing wreckage and killed. Places, 10 miies south-west of Sheerriess 'were covered with falling fragments, 1 and bouses at Sittingbourne were sha.ken ivnd-their windows broken. The ground trembled as if there had been an earthquake, and women rushed into the .street with their children^ fearing a Zeppelin raid. Several people were mr jured at Sittingbourne.. A boot, a.

collar and tie, and a pound of butter fell into a garden at Rainham, four railos distant.

Two dockers who were returning from the Princess Irene in a Goy'ernrne.itt -pinnace, state that they were .obliged to take ruf'ge in the cabin from the-rain of buraing clobiis. When tliey were able to emerge, there was no-sign, of the vessel on vvhis-h' they, had been working an hour earlier,, and. which hi>d been blown ...into the-minutest h-.'.'gments. Th«r«\ was little di'stm'bahcc or tho water, which was as black as ink-

The wreckage resembled matchwood. They saw one man swimming. vrith\ a. lifebelt on. He >as believedto be a snryivor, but. it' was 1 found '■<.. that' lie belonged to another ship.■■-: ■'■''He; ■ liafJ jumped overboard, Iwlieving •' tfefc }hte. own- ship was doomed. ." • ■ - A seaman, who was on the deck of A neighbouring ship,. narrat«is%that he saw's- a huge ame springing from'the deck of the Princess Trene. It was followed by smoke, and theft'Va:>y=eries of cracklin gexplosions - followed. A I great volume, of , s smoke aud. coal, dust ro.tfi . into the air. r.ncl r - the; Princess | Irene simply nieltod .'tv/ay.i,-.' "Fne ex- ! plosioj? seemed to" s-thn evferyone for » few moments, nv'd then boat 'crew^ were ordered to pick- un-survivors'..-Two men working m\ noi^'b»Hjring barges wove saved, brst p-ovovnl ■ others'were Wiled,- including; :». c-rew of five men bolonging to a hjirbou-r bv::nr']t alongside tbe Princes.s:li Jbiie.' - " '. ■