BLOWN-UP WESTBURN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 51, 29 February 1916, Page 5

BLOWN-UP WESTBURN.

PRIZE CREWS EXPLANATION. A WEIX- TIMED ACCIDENT. ' TEXERIFFE, February 28. The steamer Westburn, "which was taken into Teneriffe<by a German pri/.e crew, left the German raider'JMocwe'on February 9. The prisoners were given the choice of landing on "the.Canaries or on an unknown island'nearby. The prisoners 'were 'constantly -threatened with bombs, with which ■ the prize crew wa3 armed. V The German captain expressed "his intention .of one captain, one engineer, arid one steward to guard against damage to the machinery and poisoning of-Vthe-storc<=. The and two gunners of the CJan HactavielT were detained aboard the iIoe«<(B because-they had worked thi steamer's guns'. The Moewe also kept the Lascar- crew. 4 The • captain and second officer of the .Westburn were likewise kept.on the Moewe;for. .inaiin:? false signals before, capture regarding the nationality of the ship. -...;;. While the Westburn was lying at Teneriffe. the prisoners saw boats plying from other interned German vessels, and, it is supposed they removed the . gold from the Appam and the ■ prize crew's munitions and stores. 'Tug and launch, accompanied the Westburn seawards. The steamer later anchored three-quar-ters of a mile offshore, and sank 'm~i4s minutes. The crew was taken off by a launch. The captain informed- "the authorities that the Westburn had been accidentally eunk owing to the bursting' of her boiler through the continuous use of salt water. ....