THE SUBMARINE MENACE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16979, 16 April 1917, Page 5

THE SUBMARINE MENACE

MOSP6TAL SH6PS SUNK. GLOUCESTER CASTLE WITH 450 PAT SE NTS. Australian and N.Z. Cablo Association. LONDON, April 13. The hospital ship Gloucester Uastle has been torpedoed and &unk without warning. The wounded) were saved. The occurrence took place in on the night of March 30. HOW THE WOUNDED WERE SAVED. HEROIC WORK BY DOCTORS AND NURSES. LONDON, April 14. (Received April 15, at 5.5 p.m.) There were 450 • wounded aboard the Gloucester Castle. The doctors ajid nurses performed magnificent work in saving tho wounded. Calmly and methodically they removed the patients to the upper decks, and thence to the rescuing boats. There was no semblance of panic, and the best traditions of the Army Medical Service were splendidly maintained. Tho torpedo struck the ship at 3 o'clock in the morning, and a large number of craft of every description quickly answered lihe wireless call for help. The patients' suffered little from/ their distressing experience. Tho crew on deck distinctly saw the submarine, and' agree that no warning was given. Many of the engineroom staff were badly scalded. STEAMER SALTA MINED. NO WOUNDED AJBOARD. _ LONDON, April 13. The hospital ship Salta was mined and sank during bad weather in the Channel on Tuesday. There were no wounded aboard, but five medicals, nine nursin** sisters, and 38 R.A.M.C.' of the ship's personnel are missing. LONDON, April 14. (Received April 15, at 5.5 p.m.) The Salta, which was a converted French liner, was outward bound for France. CONFIRMED BY BERLIN. . . LONDON, April 13. A Berlin official message of Wednesday •proclaims tlhe vessels submarined, thus removing all doubt in .the matter. The Gloucester Castle was a UnionCastle Mail .Company's liner of 7999 tons. She was built in 1911 at the Fairfield Company's yards in Glasgow. The Salta was acquired by tlie Admiralty from a French shipping company after the declaration of war. 'She was of 7284. tons, and was built on the Seine in 1911. THE WAY OF THE-HUN. COWARDLY AND FEROCIOUS. ... PARIS, April 13. The sinking of the schooner Leontine on March 25 was a particularly ferocious act. The schooner stopped 1 when hailed, but the submarine fired 40 shells at her, which killed four men and • wounded three. The Germans boarded her,, armed with bombs, and found the boatswain and the cabin boy wounded. They both appealed to tihe Germans not to blow up the sdhooner, because they would die. A German officer shot the boy. Five survivors clung t-o the wreckage and were saved. AN AMERICAN SHIP. CREW IN OPEN BOAT FOR TWO DAYS. WASHINGTON, April 13. The American) four-masted schooner Marguerite, 1553 tons, was torpedoed in the Mediterranean: without warning. Hie crew were in an open boat 49 hours. GREEK STEAMER LOST. PROTEST TO GERMANY. ATHENS, April 13. A German, submarine torpedoed the Greek steamer Nestos, which had a cargo of flour. The crerw was saved. The Government 'has protested to Germany. [The Nestos, of 4060 tons, built in 1914 was owned by the National Steamer Navigation Company, of Greece.] CUBAN WATERS CLEAR.. „ . HAVANA, April 13. Cuba denies that there are submarines in Cuban waters. TORPEDOED OFF HOLLAND. LONDON, April 15. (Receiyed April 16, at 0.5 a.m.) The Britisher steamer Kifctiwake, of 1866 tons,' was torpedoed off Holland Seven persons were killed.