IN A TORPEDOED SHIP.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10109, 26 September 1917, Page 3

IN A TORPEDOED SHIP.

[{EMI"Kit A HOY'S DJSATH

Details luivi 1 been Te'et'iVell bj Mr hml Mrs Joseph tanner, of liemuoni, ui tin eiicutnstaneos connected with I.he death of their -eldest son, Samuel Tanner. who | was fourth engineer mi (lie City ol Pcrlli when tliiJl Ves.-el \»as. torpedoed iteUl Lands Fnd. A letter lms just been received from Mr Colin Forbes, third engineer, stating that the ship was struck in the engine room at 8.11 p.m. on June 11. He adds: "As 1 helong in the lilutf. Southland, New Zealand, and was third engineer <->h the Citv of Perth, ii Was bill IlHthhil your sun and I lilt it all Hgjit. We had made a compact if wo got through n> stock together, but it was willed otherwise. The poor hoy never had a ehanee lui his life, lie had just taken over ihe watch and hv information Iron) the

greaser who was attending the steering engine, Sam had jusj U) thaw seme water foi 1 olio ol the men, when the torpedo struck the ship practically where he stood. Uy the time I got to the engine- room, which I estimate at about six seconds, the water was knee deep nil tin: platform, and 1 could do nothing, Not one ol the men on the watch below escaped. The torpedo must have blown in I lie slide.of tile ship, and the boilers exploding at- the same time, completed the foul work. A more manly and straightforward boy I have never met than Sam, and how he used to talk about home and mother! lie bad a lot of silk things to semi home u hen tho ship arrived at London.''

Deceased was born at Tauraiign in ISU-1, educated at llemuora District School and the Auckland Grammar School, lie afterwards spent live years at Eraser and Sons' foundry, Stanley street, and in September last passed at Auckland as third-class marine engineer and first-class oil engineer. He had, while at. Eraser's, attended evening classes in engineering at. Mr Hover's school. He left New Zealand on transport duly last November, and upon reaching' Loudon joined as fourth engineer in the transport, and went in that vessel to Egypt. It- was on the return voyage that the vessel was torpedoed near Land's End, A letter from hi l - chief speaks well I'ov the training deceased had received in Auckland. It was ms follows: "'lie never gave me one moment's uneasiness. He knew his work well."