ESCAPE FROM SUBMARINE.

Clutha Leader, Volume XLII, Issue 91, 23 May 1916, Page 7

ESCAPE FROM SUBMARINE.

INDIULEMA'S EXPERIENCES. The Commonwealth and Dominion liner Indralema, which is now in New Zealand waters, recently had an exciting meeting with a German submarine. The incident is thus descr.btbdb by the Sydney 'Evening News': —"It was in February that siie hnd_ the adventure with the submarine. While off Beachy Head one morning the periscope of the undier-water craft was noticed not moro than 50 vards away, and simultaneously the wake of torpedo was noticed. This wtiis watched eagerly, but it passed a. safe distance astern. The submarine then disappeared, and the Indralema went on 'to liverpool, where she was docked. During the survey the officials found that the ship had been hit, apparently by a torpedo. It was under the bilge keel, on the port side. There was a pronounced dent, showing where the head of the torpedo had l made its mark, but, it dxl. not explode, and thus the large freighter was saved. "The theory was advanced that the submarine was too close, and that the tonpedo was too deep to have gained sufficient way to cause the explosion. At all events, the Indralema's company congratulated themselves on thenescape, and so did : the naval experts who made the examination, Subseqtieirtly the Indraleim carried anuy horses, the horses were wild and exciiable, and oil arrival at fcljeir destination one ot them jumped overboard, and, on swittvming ashore, charged 12 French soldiers. Two of the soldiers were killed, and.the remaining 10 were all taken to the hospital. On completing this trip the Indrar l«ma. went ito New York to load for Australian and New Zealand l ports. At New York it was intensely cold, and the whole of the deck was covered with snow, which had to be shovelled from ffhe alleyways in. order that the officers could: reach th&ir quarters. After loading, the Indralema sailed for Australian and New Zealand ports, and completed the run of 12,938 miles to Sydney with one stop—a call at Ga,pe Town for coal. She arrived in Auckla.nd on Sunday after a stormy voyage from Brisbane, and is due at Lyittelton on Sunday next.