NAVAL DISASTER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 113, 12 May 1908, Page 4

NAVAL DISASTER.

THIKEY-SIX AXE DROWNED BRITISH: DESTROYER GOBS DOWtf*:

(By Mail:)

PORTSMOUTH (Eng:), April 3 ! Thirty-six men, including lienteniu,* Middleton, the commander of the pedo boat destroyer Tiger, ],ost ,theh lives in the.colhsion off the Isle of Wisrhi last night between that vessel and th« British cruiser Berwick. The vessels 1*! IS?*,,*?- . the Portsmoa * division Ti the British home fleet, and were Wsrf in night manoeuvres in the channel wlue on their way to Portsmouth. The nio*? was very dark and the Berwick W steaming slowly. When the destroy attempted to cross the big cruiser's bow she was caught amidships and cut half with knife-like precision,, sinking S most immediately. The deck were dressed in heavy oilskins and boots, went down with the vessel, not havhul time to free themselves from their hear* incumbrances. Of the twenty-two iea' who were rescued, most .of them ■»«,' engineers and stokers, who, having lit*! clothing, were able to keep theiSgeW afloat until boats from other ships •*«* were immediately launched, were able S pick them up.

The smaller naval vessels were in «k midst of an attack on their larger con< sorts when the disaster occurred, 'iw entire fleet were under masked inabsolute darkness, and the Tiger ,wis sna. denly struck squarely amidships by tha Berwick. The sharp stem of this ivessei cut the destroyer in two as if she La 4 been made of paper. The forward ialf sank instantly. Most of the men Bank before help could reach them. The warships in the immediate vicinity quickly had their boats overboard, and thtf scene of the tragedy was brilliantly illmmV ated by a concentration of seareluj'jhts The after portion of the Tiger floated for a minute or two, just long enough' to enable those on hoard to seize belts.