ON THE SEAS.

Clutha Leader, Volume XLIII, Issue 88, 15 May 1917, Page 6

ON THE SEAS.

GERMAN DESTROYERS' FLIGHT. BRITISH HIT A SUBMARINE. AMSTERDAM, May 11. 'IV 'Telegraaf states ,"The German destroyers that were engaged on Thursday left Zeebrugge on Wednesday evening. The. British hit a submarine in addition to the destroyers." 13 AUSTRIAN SUBMARINES. SUNK BY ITALIANS IN 3 WEEKS. WASHINGTON, .May 11. Tlie Italians in three weeks in the Mediterranean sank 13 Austrian submarines.

THE SUBMARINE MENACE. FRENCH SHIPPING REPORT. LONDON, May 11. The French official report states:— During the week ended May G the arrivals of merchantmen totalled 940 and the departures 930. There were sunk one vessel over and seven under 1600 tons. Six merchantmen were unsuccessfully attacked, and five fishing-boats were sunk. TORPEDOING OF ALNWICK CASTLE. A TERRIBLE STORY OF SUFFERING. LONDON, May 11. The Press Bureau states:— The Alnwick Castlo (a Union Castle liner of 5900 tons), was torpedoed without warning on March 19, when 320 miles from the Scilly Islands (off Cornwall), which was the nearest land. One hundred and thirty-nine persons were placed in the boats, including a baby three months old. Captain Chavc, the Alnwick Castle's master, reporting to the owners, gives an uuvarnished tale of the horrors'that his boatload of castaways endured during four days' exposure to gules and bitter weather. Captain Chave had taken the precaution to instal all the boats with a supply of milk, beef, biscuits, and blankets, but the inmates' suffering was intense. They were constantly soaked by ice-cold soray. Everybody gradually weakened,' and several died. Captain Chave narrates, "The whole of the second day was spent by the crew in fighting the sea. It Ma's impossible to hoist a sail and we lashed two oars together and formed a sea anchor. On the third day thirst intensified the agonies of exhaustion, exposure, and sleeplessness. Pitiful appeals were made for water, but I was only able to issue an extra ration to a h'\v of the weaker ones. A hailstorm commenced, and the hailstones were eagerly scraped from our clothing. I ordered a sail to be spread to catch water, but unfortunately the rainstorm passed. Several drank salt water in defiance of orders and became lightheaded. Next morning most of the men were helpless. Several were raving in delirium, and one died. The boat "was almost swamped in the darkness and I thought all was over. "A -MOAN OF DESPAIR arose in the darkness and T shouted, 'Bail! Rail!' Finally by superhuman efforts the boat was saved. Hy the morning several had collapsed and more lost their reason and elimlied about the boat, threatening to fight. The appeals for water were so that 1 gave an extra allowance of water, which was served out with much pursing and snatehing, until onlv one ration remained. Another man" died and others were dying. No one could now eat biscuits or swallow anything solid. Everyone's throat was afire, their lips furred, limbs numbed, hands bloodless and feet swollen to twice their normal size. On the last day three died." The French horse boat Venezia picked up 18 survivors in the afternoon. They were bo enfeebled that they could not walk and all were, hoisted 'aboard ; and landed at New York. t Captain Chave does-not know wheth*. -er the five .boats were picked up.