SUBMARINES AND MINES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3197, 23 June 1915, Page 19

SUBMARINES AND MINES.

LONDON, June a. 6. The Norwegian steamer Davager was sunk by a submarine off Lewis. Her crew landed at Stornoway. COPENHAGEN, June 17. It is officially announced that Commander Hersing has been decorated in recognition of his “ gallant act” in torpedoing the Lusitania. AMSTERDAM, Juno 17. A Dutch fishing smack was mined off Knocko. The crew of four were killed. STOCKHOLM, June 17. The mail steamer Thorsten, travelling from Gothenburg to England, was captured and conveyed to Swinemunde. The British steamer Arndale, coal laden for Archangel, was' mined southward of Capa Orlov, and three were drowned.

j Many mines have been seen at the en--1 trance to the White Sea. ' LUSITANIA INQUIRY. LONDON, June 16. At the Lusitania inquiry Mr Macmaster, representing the Canadian Government, drew attention to a device capable of detecting the presence of submarines, but gave no details. Mr Booth, chairman of the Canard Company, said the Lusitania’s top speed was 24 knots. The non-use of certain boilers j saved thousands of tons of coal on a voyage. It was necessary to do so if the Lusitania was to continue running without involving financial loss. He did not think -of the increased risk. No vessel had previously been torpedoed when going above 14 knots. His company did their best to counter the efforts of GermanAmerican spies. The Lusitania had specially been ordered' not to step to pick up a pilot. Other evidence showed that the vessel changed her course four times a few hours before the disaster. Sir E. Carson (for the Board of Trade) said the ship’s manifest contained certain cases of ammunition and some empty shells, but neither could be utilised for military purposes. The captain of the Lusitania, giving evidence at the official inquiry, stated that the average speed of the vessel on a journey was 21 knots. She could not make 25 knots, because they were working 19 out of 25 boilers, by orders of the company, and they could not get more than 20 knots out of the vessel.