BARBAROUS SINKING OF THE APAPA.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLII, Issue 11472, 26 February 1918, Page 7

BARBAROUS SINKING OF THE APAPA.

A SURVIVOR’S STORY. Anotner liner, tlio Elder-Dempster Company’s line sliip, the A papa, haa been sunk by j,the enemy, who discharged two torpedoes at her. Not content with that, the submarine' that struck the blow afterwards fired on women fand children in their open boats when they had left the doomed vessel. About 120 passengers were saved, but about forty are missing, as well as thirty of the crew. Tiiis sinking of the Apspa adds another outiage to tlie already infamous list of German crimes on the high seas, and illustrates once again the disregard of the Huns for the lives of women and children. But, in contrast to their callousness, shines out from the darkness of the tragedy another example of British grit and steadfastness which will take its place among the finest stories of heriosm the war Las called forth. With about WO passengers on board, as well as a full complement of crew, the Apappa was bound from West Africa to Liverpool. She was travelling in a dm sea about lour o’clock in the morning when she was struck by an. enemy torpedo. The shock* was tremendous, and the passengers, including many women and children, as well as a

number of invalids, were .thrown from the bunks by tiro force of the explosion. NEVER A SIGN OE PANIC. Yet there was not the slightest sign of panic. Everyone in an instant seemed to remember the

British tradition of the sea, and remained perfecly calm and possessed although the vessel was already going down.

In face 'of their imminent peril the passengers helped each ocher to secure their lifebbefts, ami then in an orderly manner filed up on deck and took , their places in the boats which had been lowered. With quiet deliberation the crew went about their business of transferring the women and children to tho small boats—a task which |waa carried out without a hitch and with remarkable celerity. It was just as the boats were being lowered that tho submarine fired the second torpedo, causing the steamer io heel over quickly anti founder, with the result that a number of the passengers and crew were drowned.

Being then adrift, r tho snrviviors rowed towards tho nearest land, and were picked up later by a small craft and landed at two ports. Of tho thirty to forty passengor.sl*ost,|[eight were "women, but all tho children were saved, g One of tho passenger survivors savs;—

'•'the second torpedo was : sent to murder tho helpless people who had rushed from their berths to escape. In this tho Germans met with perfect succcess, and tho second torlied o smashed one of .the bouts containing twenty or thirty passengers, many of whom were [killed and others drowned.

"Wind and tide had kept our boat close up against the hull of the Apapa, and we could not get away from her. So when we saw tire big ship beginning to heel over in our direction we began to feel uncomfortable. We saw tho huge black hull loaning over towards us, and coming down slowly but surely, like tho side of a great building which was going to crush our little craft.

•‘Somebody called out, ‘Let’s jump for it. ’ I jumped and when I recovered from tho shock of tho cold water I saw tho ship, with a terrible rattle as her machinery broke loose, come down with a splash and a clatter, and disappear.

RESCUE OH 1 THE CAPTAIN. •‘1 had tried to keep my eye on the little boat from which I had become separated and to my horror, I saw tho funnel of the ship come right down in the middle of tho boat and obliterate it. What happened to the passengers I cannot say.

Of those who were left’iu tho boat I fancy others were following my example of jumping. Some must have been killed outright. “Captain Toft, who was on tho bridge with tho chief officer, wont down with his ship and whs eventually found clinging to an upturned boat and was picked up. He had shown splendid nerve throughout tho ordeal, and it was due to the lino discipline of tho crew that more people were not lost.

“All the boats that were needed were launched, and, although the ship went down eighteen minutes after receiving the first torpedo, I believe that everyone had a chance to get away from her. I was in tho water only ha If.,an hour before I was taken on hoard one of the lifeboats from which, thanks to the moonlight, I was spotted a few yards away.”

Other stories show that in one lifeboat - were three persons, £ two women and a man. The man whs dressed in nothing “but his pyjamas and bedroom slippers. Their bo a t had drifted they knew not where until suddenly land was espied. The man pulled in the direction, and presently found themselves on a famous beach.

All paddled their way on to tho dry sands, ran up tho beach and disappeared into the first hotel they saw. It was certainly the most unconventional entry ever made into that hotel.