GENERAL ITEMS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16610, 5 February 1916, Page 7

GENERAL ITEMS

MADAME MELBA HONOURED. (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) LONDON, February 3. Madame Melba has been gazetted a Lady of Grace of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, in recognition of her services on behalf of the Red Cross and other charitable organisations. CONTROLLED MUNITION FACTORIES. (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) LONDON, February 3. (Received Feb. 4, at 6.5 p.m.) Mr Lloyd George has declared 298 factories as controlled establishments, employing 2720 (?) hands. ATTACKED BY A SUBMARINE. AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE. STEAMER ABANDONED AND TORPEDOED. (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) LONDON, February 3. (Received Feb. 4, at 6.5 p.m.) The survivors of the Woodfield (a British steamer, 3584 tons), who have arrived at Plymouth, recount that a German submarine attacked the steamer 14 miles east of Gibraltar, .peppering it with shells. The steamer's guns were manned, but the submarine kept out of range and continued firing. The steamer was twice hit, and Captain Hughes and other officers had a narrow escape. The Arab firemen deserted the stokehold, and the chief engineer stoked for two hours. One shell burst in the stokehold, when eight of the crew were killed and 14 wounded. The captain, realising that further resistance was hopeless, took to the boats and abandoned the ship, which the submarine torpedoed. The crew reached the North African coast, where the Moors captured them, but released them for a heavy ransom. SINKING OF THE BRINDISI. A SENSATIONAL STORY. SUICIDE OF MONTENEGRINS. ATHENS, February 3 y (Received Feb. 4, at 9.45 p.m.) Mr Martin Donohoe has obtained a sensational story at the mess table from an American named Lamos, who was a survivor of the Brindisi. Mr Lamos stated that many Montenegrins vowed that if they were torpedoed they preferred suicide to an ignominious death by drowning. They kept their word. While the Brindisi was settling down scores of Montenegrins gathered aft, sang the National Anthem, and shot themselves. Mr Lamos jumped overboard, and after srwimming in ice-cold' water reached a plank. Others did likewise, till the plank was overloaded and submerged. There was a terrible fight to retain the coveted plank, but others succumbed to the cold. Mr Lamos, who woro a heavy overcoat, was alone when he was rescued.