EPIC OF LOST TRANSPORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16483, 8 March 1917, Page 7

EPIC OF LOST TRANSPORT.

A SECOND BIRKENHEAD. FRENCH OFFICERS' DEVOTION SENEGALESE SIM ON PARADE A. and N.Z. Cable. PARIS, March 6. A stirring, narrative is published of the sinking of the French transport Athos, which was a second Birkenhead, on February 16. When the torpedo struck the captain of the Athos gave her ten minutes' life. The chief engineer, M. Donzel, whose hand was blown off, went to the engineroom instantly to prevent an explosion. He knew that ho could never come up, and he did not. The Athos carried 1000 Chinese coolies going as labourers to France | under Captain Silvestre and a dozen ; interpreter officers. These saved all 1 the coolies, but Captain Silvestre i and the interpreters went down. The transport also carried three German spies caught in Indo-Chinaj and confined in separate cells. Ser- ■ geant Moujeau, who was responsible | for them, went to the hold and uni locked two cells, the prisoners being I saved. While he was unlocking the third the Athos sank, and the spy I and Sergeant Moujeau were drowned. A battalion of Senegalese infantry, under French officers, could not be saved, and sank, with the Senegalese drawn up in line, presenting arms, the officers at the head saluting. I Captain Dorisc, commanding the' transport, went down with the ship, came up, and died on the surface. Two men swam ashore with his dead body. . I The Mossageries Maritime Company's mail steamer Athos, 12.000 tons, while en route from Chi la to France, transporting Senegalese riflemen, and colonial labourers, was torpedoed in the Mediter-1 ranean, east of Malta. Two escorting | destroyers,' aided by a gunboat which arrived after the torpedoing, saved 1450.