THE SINKING OF THE OTAKI.

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 15044, 11 April 1919, Page 4

THE SINKING OF THE OTAKI.

A SURVIVOR^S STORY.

! Unitbd Pssßßa Association.}

a ■„. Au°Wand, April 8. Among the officers'of the Westmoreland, which brought the Pioneers back home, us Mr R. M'Nish, who was chief , officer of the New Zealand Shipping (Company's steamer Otaki when that vessel was sunk by the raider Moewe on March. 10, 1917. Mr M'Nish tells a thnlhng story of the fight, and says the Utaki s gtmners put up some good snooting, but had no-chance with the heavilyarmed German vessel. Mr M'Nish, the carpenter, and the captain were the last! on the Otaki, and the captain went down' with his ship. Mr M'Nish and the carpenter took to the water. "Three-quar-ters of an hour afterwards," he said we were picked up by the Moewe! where an attempt !fa y prisoners from I other ships to mutiny when we fought the raider had been, quelled, and we ) found her to be in a pretty bad condi-1 tion bhe had been hit toy seven shells,, and was badly on fire. It took thirty-' sis hours to extinguish the flames We j were given shocking accommodation! whilo we were on the way to Kiel, and! after arrival at that port. I spent my! term of captivity at six different camps, | being released in December of last! year."