SAILOR’S FATAL CIGARETTE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18946, 21 August 1923, Page 10

SAILOR’S FATAL CIGARETTE.

« fourteen lives and a TROOPSHIP. The story of the loss of a troopship and 14. lives through a carelessly dropped cigarette is being unfolded a na.val court-martial at Toulon, w'hioh is inquiring into the destruction of the transport Vinh Long in the Sea of Marmora last December. Frigate Captain Framond, commander of tho Vinh Long, is upon to answer for the Joss of his ship, while two sailors, Adolphe Bert and Antoine Lovighi, are charged with homicide by imprudence According to the case for the prosecution, Bert and Lovighi were smoking in a cabin in which wore seven rolls of films ready for packing into oases' when they heard someone approaching," and thinking it was an officer going the rounds, they hurriedly dropped their cigarettes, as smoking was forbidden in that part of the ship. Bert, in his haste,, had dropped his cigarette .on to one of the films, which immediately flared up, while Lovighi, in trying ■to extinguish it, knocked it off the Mfcle, so that it came in contact with omcr films. The fire spread rapidly all over the-cabin, aril the efforts of the two sailors to stamp it; out only served to scatter sparks and fragments of the bla/.ing cellidoid. Within a few minutes it had taken ‘such a hold despite the efforts of the ship’s firemen, that the latter were gradually driven bade from the stern' and centre of the vessel, and tho order was given to take to the boats. Beit’s cigarette had cost Franco the loss of a fine troopship and 14 lives, including those of a woman and three children. Tho death roll would have been much heavier had it not .been for the timely help given by an American torpedo destroyer and the British destroyer Sepoy, which hur- ! ried to tho scene of the disaster, in response to a wireless appeal.’ Bert had acknowledged his responsibility for causing tho outbreak, and expressed his deep regret at tho consequence of his disregard of the ship’s rules. The officer in charge of the prosecution, having regard to Bert’s good character and his bravery during the fire, has appealed in his behalf for clemency.