"Coffin Ships!"

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 17, 20 January 1914, Page 5

"Coffin Ships!"

SUBMARINE A 7 DISASTER.

SEARCHING THE SEA-BED.

[By Electric Telegraph—Copyright]

[United Press Association.] (Received 8.50 a.m.) London, January 19. The Admiralty lias ordered that A 7 must be found.

Twelve torpedo boats with nine divers are scouring the sea-bed. Tor-pedo-finding hawsers are being employed. Ten square miles was covered on Monday. It is feared in some quarters that the quicksands of "Whit sand Bay have swallowed the submarine.

Naval experts complain that the tender accompaning the submarine was not fitted with wireless, and was not able to summon help immediately. They also complain of the absence of a lifting-ship similar to the German and French.

CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE.

Berlin, January 19

Naval experts consider that the Admiralty’s criminal negligence was responsible, for the submarine disaster.

Some newspapers describe the A lass as coffin-ships.

SEARCH STILL FUTILE.

AN OFFICIAL VIEW.

(Received 11.45 a.m.) London, January 19. The search for the submarine again failed.

Tee Evening News, purporting to give the official view, states that the A class of submarines is not dangerous.

Men share the view that owing to the depth of water it is impossible for any apparatus to raise the submarine within 24 hours. If the men ire asphyxiated, the submarine should have risen automatically; if embedded in the sand, it had sufficient power to release herself. There was no delay in signalling.

ROYAL CONDOLENCES.

London, January 10,

King George has sent a message in which lie states he is deeply grieved at the loss of valuable lives by the sinking of the submarine, and he expresses his sincere sympathy with the relatives. The Kaiser and most of the heads of States have sent letters of conlolence. Italy has offered the Admiralty the use of the submarine lifter Anteo, which is now at Plymouth.