SHIPPING DISASTER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 10526, 29 November 1905, Page 1

SHIPPING DISASTER.

STEAMER SUNK BY A MINE

A lino new steamer, the Hsieh Ho, commanded by Captain A. A. Crawford, wa« blown up by a derelict mine about a hundred auiles trom Shanghai on Saturday, September 30th, with an appalling loss of life. The niiuc exploded, with a terrific report, right under the vessel's bows, and tho force was such that the j ship shook from stem to utem, wliile the air was tilled with Hying, debris. Immediately ufter the explosion the vessel began to fiH and wet tie down by the head, ylie iloated only 20 minutes longer. Captain Crawford at once gave orders to lower the boats, which "was successfully accomplished with the first two, but the third capuized in the hurry of the muuionl. ouuiu of the passengors and cruw jumped into the sea. Captain Crawford >\as tho last to leave the sulking ship. Another steamer was coming up behind ut the time of the explosion, and, on hearing tho report, steamed at full speed lo tho sceue, and, lowering her boats, helped to rescue those in the Mater, aud afterwarda took on board those in the boats. The chief engineer had the presence of mind to atop the engines' aud blow off steam directly the shock occurred, thus averting an explosion from the boilers which would inevitably have happened otherwise. One of tho two passeugei's who were on board states that ho and his fellow-traveller were thrown out of their berths, with gS££.t violence, withi the force ol the explosion. On reaching the deck he found that part of the boww had been blown away. Mr Batee, one of the passengers, was in tho act of putting uu a life-belt, when he noticed. his native servant, who could not wwiin, and gallantly handed him the belt. As tho vessel sunk", a solitary Chinaman was seen hanging to the . rail at the stern, but those in the boats could render no assist, ance. After all who wens noticed in the water wore picked up by the other steamer, it was found that 15 out of the total number on board (86) were missing. Captain A. A. Crawford, who viorked no gallantly to wave bis passengers and crew, is married to a daughter of }>he F. Noble. Campbell, of Xlastertou.— Wairarapa Daily Times.