LOSS OF THE NIOBE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21247, 29 July 1932, Page 9

LOSS OF THE NIOBE

VICTIMS TRAPPED BELOW ! S.UDDENNESS OF DISASTER VON LUCKNER NOT ON BOARD STATEMENT BY SURVIVORS By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright BERLIN, July 27 Forty survivors from tho German training ship Niobe, which sank in a squall in the Baltic yesterday with the loss of 69 lives, state that Count von Luckner was not on board tho Niobe. Doubt had arisen on the point as it was believed ho had relinquished command of the vessel some time ago. The survivors reached Kiel on the cruiser Koeln, which afterwards returned to tho scene of the disaster to continue the search for further survivors. There is little hope that any will bo found, however. Two admirals who visited tho scene stato' that no blame can be attached to tho captain of the ship. The squall was so sudden that there was no possibility of manoeuvring, and everything happened so quickly that tho order to don lifebelts and lower the boats could not bo executed. The majority of the victims were below attending a lecture prior to their final examinations. According to an eye-witness most of the portholes of tho Niobe were open and tho yessel sank in two minutes.